Lost a buck...DISGUSTED with myself!!

[Louvp]

Sorry to hear you couldnt find him. Anyone who has hunted long has probably been in your shoes I know I have.
Not saying this is your problem just something I was doing wrong. I havn't shot using scope much at all. I was having issues with my target shots,one time I would be shooting about 4-5" high,then I would adjust the scope then the next time out I was shooting low.I thought I had a bad scope then it dawned on me what was wrong,it was pilot error. I was not looking through the scope correctly each time, if my head was just a tad bit to high against the stock I would shoot high, if my head was a tad low I would shoot low.So now I am aware of my scope to eye alignment & I am shooting dead on everytime.

[trackeral1]

I am sure everyone who loves this sport and the animals we hunt feels your pain. I have been bow hunting over 40 years now and have lost my fair share of animals and it is never easy to deal with. I have to admit with the advent of good range finders, better arrows, better broad heads and a better knowledge of how they all work together, the percentages of lost animals has dropped way down for me and all the people I know.( I always wondered how many animals Fred Bear never recovered) Use that sick feeling you have right now to inspire you to resolve your problem. You are lucky, you seemed to have identified your problem already, now all you have to do is fix it. I applaud you for seeking a problem in your shooting system rather than blaming it on the crossbow, arrow or broadhead like so many other people do. I am confused, do people not practice extensively with there equipment and become extremely proficient with that equipment before they go into the field these days? I would never consider taking any single projectile weapon into the field that I could not consistently shoot 1 1/2" groups at the effective range I intended to shoot that weapon. With a bow or crossbow it is imperative you use and practice with the exact equipment you are going to shoot in the field, the same bow, string, arrow and broadhead you are going to use in the field. That means using your real broadheads, not your practice broadheads for at least the last round of groups you shoot at your intended yardages. The reason for that is we have found that practice broadheads sometimes weigh different and somtimes their trajectory is different than real broadheads. Never replace or repair anything on your bow or arrow and assume it is going to perform exactly as what you replaced or repaired, practice with it first to make sure it is consistently shooting good groups at all yardages you intend to shoot before you go into the field. Consistency and confidence is the name of the game in hunting.... if you lack either or both stay home till you achieve them both.
When I have problems with one of my crossbows shooting off the first thing I do is disassemble the CB completely, inspect every part very closely for any wear or breakage. If all the parts pass inspection I reassemble CB using loctite on all the parts with threads( except the quiver retention bolt if you have one)Pay carful attention when you have a series of bolts or screws(2 or more) that you tighten each one down a little at a time to keep from tweaking the assemble. Pay close attention to your scope mounting rail and rings as foofoo mentioned. Carefully mount your scope making sure the horizontal lines on your scope are exactly parallel with your CB when it is level. A good level is required to this step correctly. The best way I have found to do this is to place your CB on a bench or table and level it using the rail as your leveling point, make sure your CB is stable and remains level. I now take a board, box or target with apiece of paper on it and draw a level line on it with the level making sure it does not move after I draw my line.( I usually place the level line target out about 20 to 30 yards out to help get my eye relief correct, but any distance will work) Set your eye relief and place your horizontal lines on your scope exactly on the level line on your target, double check the level one your CB and the alignment of your scope line to make sure they are correct. Now you can tighten down your scope mount screws making sure you put on loctite and tighten them correctly as mentioned above. Resight in your CB, if your are still having trouble with your groups changing, I would suspect your scope is the problem. I have had and know of many scopes going bad through the years, no scope manufacturer is immune to a problem now and again. I always have a spare scope at hand incase such problems arise to avoid the loss of hunting time required to receive a replacement scope or even better another CB sighted in and ready to go ( I have a 20 year old CB as one of my back ups that still shoots great... just not as fast as my newer ones) Scopes are one of the most sensitive pieces on any weapon, they can easily be readjusted or broken with the right amount of impact. The best and about the only protection you have in the field for your weapon and scope is to be careful, but when it comes to transportation to and from hunting locations a hard case is the best protection there is from getting your weapon damaged or scope knocked off. For all you excal owners Plano now makes a hard case called the Manta that will fit your excal's.
In hopes of making you feel a little better. I agree with BBDOWN deers are very tough animals and can recover from none lethal injuries very often. I have shot deer that have been shot with arrows, guns(one had 3 holes in him from what appeared to be FMJ rounds another had been shot in the neck with what appeared to be a 12 gauge slug, those were shot at least 2 weeks after gun season closed) car wrecks, large deep wounds from what I assume to have been antler stab wounds and the best testimony of how tough deers are is when I shot a buck(I thought it was a doe when I shot it) that had some had his antlers torn or broken off. In the top of his head where his antlers should have been were two holes the size of golf balls where there was no skull plate at all, you could see his brain matter! I could tell from the wounds that it was not a recent wound either and guessed it to be a week or more old and the deer was still alive and moving! Even took off running after I shot it like a normal deer.
Hope that makes you feel a little better any way. Good hunting and may all your blood trails be wide from now on.

[strum]

just a suggestion, but i use loc tite, on every bolt and screw on my excal . Not sure if you folks have loc tite across the border or not you can get red stuff or blue.

i use the green ...not sure if you folks have that color

[Sopchoppy]

Thats to bad but it happens. From the description of where you hit it I think it stands a good chance of living. Deer are very very tough and can take a lot. I'd lick my wounds try to correct what went wrong and go hunting. Your not going to the store for some meat. Sometimes you just don't get it. I have been there more than once and I to know the sick feeling. Its sucks but its the way it is.

Saw that about a week ago on tv. Gerald Swindle hit one just where you described. Celebrating, high 5's, etc. A few minutes later a buck starts toward his stand. He says, "what the heck, that's my buck"! When the buck was in front of him, I guess too far to shoot, you could see the entry hole, and it was a complete pass through. The deer showed no signs of of distress. He said there is a "no man's land" on a deer, where the arrow hits nothing vital. It does happen, so your deer is probably still walking around. You might get another crack at him.

[sumner4991]

I can say . . .I truly know what you are going through . . .we should start a support group.

[denisdendenis]

sorry you lost the buck better luck next time
Denis

[frisky]

Been there, done that All I can say is keep trying, good luck!

[retrieverman]

I feel your pain, but if you hunt enough, you are going to miss or wound an animal. You just have to get back in the stand and try it again.

[rayman]

Know your pain all too well brother.

Makes you wish you were setting catfish hooks on the ogeechee river instead.

[georgiaboy]

Know your pain all too well brother.

Makes you wish you were setting catfish hooks on the ogeechee river instead.

You aint a lying!
The geechee's 10 minutes from the house!

[rayman]

The biggest deer I ever killed, and recovered, was within orange throwing distance of the ogeechee NE of Statesboro. If it makes you feel better, shot a monster the year before (1992) and could not recover despite trickle blood and a massive man hunt. Same deer was killed a few weeks later with a bullet wound in the leg. BIG 8-p.

Very good catfishing in the ogeechee!

[georgiaboy]

Some very nice bucks in the geeche swamps...trouble is gettin to them!!
I've been known to pull a limb line or two while drinking some natty light at night on the geechee In my younger day's of course!!

[rayman]

When I lived in Statesboro, took a buddy night-fishing on the ogeechee. Put in at a ramp off 301. Fished till about midnight, with good success, and headed back to the ramp. Let my friend shine the light. Rounded the bend by the ramp and low and behold there were a bunch of naked high school kids, mostly girls, in waiste deep water at the ramp. Midnight on the weekend. Well my friend shined that Q-beam dead on target until the targets disappeared. Absolutely true story.