Shot a Buck this afernoon

[Jeeper]

Sorry you lost your buck brother.. Its part of hunting we have all done it. I lost a buck i shot three years ago . I tracked him for over six hours and I learned a lot from tracking him and how smart and stealthy they are.. Im almost certain he is the nine point kill last year with my excal. He had some strange acorns on his rack . So you never know. Thats why hunting is in our blood and there is know changing that!.

[fratri]

Too bad about the loss....

[paulaboutform]

I'm really surprised Mike. It sure sounded to me like a liver shot which would've been fatal and your buck should've been where you left him. Who knows, coyotes may have got on him and bumped him until he was done, further than he would've gone otherwise. Nonetheless, it's done and feels terrible. I'm sure sorry it turned out that way. We practice and do our due diligence to minimize the chance of this happening but it does happen. Keep a stiff upper lip young fella.

Paul

[j.krug]

Sorry to hear you didn't recover this one Mike. Happened to me a couple years ago and it's not a good feeling. Shake it off brother and bring the next one home.

[one shot scott]

A week or so ago I helped track a small buck for a guy who had the same kind of hit. I am surprised as well that he isn't near where you shot him. It sounds like he was pushed from something and it prevented him from bedding. I know I have had hits like that too and it's not what we obviously try for but in this game there are many variables. You can shoot a perfect shot only to have the animal spin, etc. don't beat yourself up too badly Mike, although I know it won't make you feel any better. But we have all been there man.

[Michiganhunter]

Sorry it didn't work out. If you hunt long enough it will happen to you it is just part of the landscape in hunting. A twig, a movement by the deer, anything can make for a bad shot. I have been at this game for 51 years this year and I experienced a couple of bad hits over the years. Sleepless nights on both of them and reliving all the details of the shots but nothing changed the facts. Look at it this way nothing in the woods is wasted. Every ounce of meat will be consumed by all the various animals that survive because of these dead deer. Another thing to ponder., Here in Michigan alone we have around 40,000 deer hit by cars every year many of which wonder into the woods or ditch after being hit and are left to rot. Birds and animals also benefit from these but in a hunters eyes these are wasted opportunities for sport. Its just the reality and in the end we as humans have no control over the vast majority of this real life event...A car, a bullet, an arrow or a bad winter makes no difference the end result is the same... Take care.

[agingcrossbower]

The swamp I was in has endless places he could be but I think I will go in and make a big circle around the area and just look. Like looking for a needle in a hay stack but I owe it to him. The old man is sore but that buck I'm sure feels worse.

[Doe Master]

Mike wish you the best of luck finding him . At least if you find him consumed by coyotes . You know what happened to him at least .

[papabear1]

OK, now I got myself going. Imagine this. The guys that gun hunt built their stand and opening morning and every day after that they go to that stand no matter which way the wind is blowing and how much they put human scent in that spot that is where they hunt. My very good life long friend who lets me hunt parts of his land goes out and wants to shoot the first buck he sees and he hopes that it is a small buck. Here is the logic. For every point on the buck he has to drink a shot of booze. And, for every day he hunts it takes away from his beer drinking. I am serious!!! That is the way he thinks hunting should be. I can not even relate to that logic. He once said that it is OK to run 4 wheelers cabin to cabin at night because all the deer are out of the woods eating.LOL I mentioned to him that I can show him dozens of night pics from my deer cam that are at night in the middle of woods. Hint! It has to do with partying. So this is the logic I walk into all the time and all I can do is shake my head and say nothing. I swear that this area I hunt must being an exception because I can not rap my head around how they think as a hunter or if they even try.

Makes you the, Better person/hunter, in my book,!!!!!

[agingcrossbower]

Found out it rained a 1/2" last night. Looks like the God of hunting looked away from me this time. Going to let the buck go where ever that may be. It surely sucks. I will seek out a doe for late season in the snow. Love hunting in snow.

[strum]

Found out it rained a 1/2" last night. Looks like the God of hunting looked away from me this time. Going to let the buck go where ever that may be. It surely sucks. I will seek out a doe for late season in the snow. Love hunting in snow.

Sounded like a kill shot to me Mike.. Im sorry it didn't work out but you did all you could do. All you can do now is move ahead . I know its easy for us to say but dont let it bring you down ..Get back out there and smack another one!!

[Scalemaster]

From what you described that deer was dead inside of 2'hrs he's not going anywhere I would have trailed up on him in the evening because there might not be much left after the yotes. GL post up the pics

[Hester0305]

Sorry about the losing of the buck Mike, sometimes those deer just keep a going until they can't stand up anymore. I've lost a few before and I hated it also but you did the right thing by waiting till morning. Good luck on the next one.

[gerald strine]

Sorry to here you could not find him do not be to hard on your self the next one will turn out better.

[Johnspo]

Hi every one! I just want to know if any body is using bolt cutter broad heads?
It seems this year so far I really had some bad luck,
To explain on Oct,25 at 5/30 pm I shot a 8 pointer with my Ibex 305 fpm, with 150G bolt cutter head,at about 25 yards a definite hit but I believe it to be a shoulder shot bc found arrow 10 yard from shot area busted in two completely engulfed with blood, after waiting approx. 40 minute decided to track when I came upon a good size blood spot and again for 400 yard blood trail,until finally no more blood? Yellow leaves all around me but no more blood.I had to give up the search till next morning but this buck turned ghost just disappeared in thin air.
And today Nov.16 got to my ground blind at 3/30 pm and exactly at 4/05. Mr 6 pointer shows up and allowed me to get a shot broad side at 20 yards again with bolt cutter 150G head. This buck jumped a good 5 feet before deciding to clime a steep hill for the get away, of corse I new I hit him in lung proximity! I waited about 30 minutes before trailing, when I went down to check for blood I imididiatly found my arrow and seemed like dark blood from tip to end with bubbles like blood on the shaft.
Trailed this buck for 400 yards finding good size blood trail until again no more blood? After searching for a good 1.5 hours I had no choice to give up and hopefully in the morning I will find him if he is not coyote food.
But my moral of my story is you not not only need to be lucky in spotting a buck and get a shot in, with the hopes you got a vital area and going to find him not too far away.
Well at this point I am a little discouraged with the whole bow hunting thing!
I invest a lot of time money and effort to get my prize! When it turns out that you get a shot in 2 to boot to be exact and then you loose it because of insufficient damage or not a vital shot it really hurts.
My point is that bow or cross bow 80% of the time you hit you still need to chase that deer and if you lucky you will find it.
Can some one tell me why MNR allows this to Cary on they know most deer hit with a arrow are lost, wounded deer eventually will drop some where and it will be coyote meal.
They should extend the Gun season longer to make it fair.
The hunter gets his deer.
The animal doesn't suffer.
And no coyote meal.
Would that be too perfect?
My personal opinion I tried different broad heads and they all average the same success. What am I to do? Any advice?