Shot a Buck this afernoon

[Hi5]

You are a decent man and ethical hunter. If you weren't, you wouldn't feel the regret and disappointment you show.....

[papabear1]

Sorry to hear that mike, we all have, or will do it ,in our lifetime, don't matter if ya hunt w/bow or gun, Some don't care,,,,, some really is caring enough that it bothers them, that's what I call a real "Hunter" and you are one that really gives the rest of us hunters the pride that we have in our sport that we are proud of !!!!!! So hang in there pardner, keep on hunting w/pride. Dave

[Sparkey]

Total bummer. Yotes, crows, jays and buzzards be eatin good for a few days.

[CalhounWV]

Sorry to hear it got away, from time to time it will happen.

[retrieverman]

Sorry to hear of this loss, but it happens. The only way to prevent such losses is to quit hunting, and no one wants that.

[woodmnctry]

Mega Bummer!

[frisky]

Sorry to hear of the loss! I thought you would have found it in a couple hundred yards. I have lost some in my hunting also.
Thats hunting.

[Onetimeonly x-->]

Mike, it will happen to all of us one time or another if not already. Done buck hunting if you would, is it that you don't want to take a chance of losing another? Or is an ethical thing your feeling? Is there a law in place one buck attempt rule? Eventually that deer is going to die with or without help! If you can elaborate? Thanks...

[agingcrossbower]

I know that sometimes it happens that you lose an animal but I do not want to offend the owners of the land I hunt on. They are all gun hunters and to them bowhunters shoot all THEIR deer and leave nothing for them to hunt. It is just engrained in them. I mentioned once that no you all shoot the majority of the deer and next year leave bowhunter with what is left. It is the same with portable stands. Their mentality is that bowhunters like portable stands so they can hunt where they should not be hunting. Or, another good one was once a bowhunter used toilet papers to mark a blood trail. To the gunhunter it is to cover there tracks because the toilet paper will be gone after the first rain and nobody knows that you were there. Seriously, that is what they think. Totally paranoid. It is a gunhunters world where I live and I know it. You can't dream this crap up. OK, I will stop but it is a fact where I live.

[agingcrossbower]

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.

[xcaliber]

Sorry to hear of it Mike, better luck on the next hunt.

[agingcrossbower]

Sorry to hear of it Mike, better luck on the next hunt.

when I was young I lost deer and I got that sickening feeling in the gut. Now that I am not young I can't accept it because it was all my fault and now that deer is going to die slowly. I may go late season for a doe but it is next year for a buck for me. I took my buck from the herd. And, I did it in the worst way.

[TPM]

Mike, I'm feeling your pain brother. This is my 26th deer season and I lost my first one yesterday. Totally my fault. It was a gimme shot with a shotgun. Slug hit low. Good initial blood trail. I left him for an hour and a half before tracking but I bumped him anyway. Backed off for another hour and bumped him again. Blood trail petered out and he was long gone. Brought my dog out to help find him but no luck. Felt sick about it. Tried to blame the gun but I took it to the range after and it was dead on. Totally a bad shot on my part. I could live with a clean miss but this is a tough one.

[Fletch2]

Cheer up buddy

[wildcatter]

Cheer up Mike, it could, and if it hasn't already, it will happen to everyone sooner or later,, best you can do is learn from it, and we all never quit learning,,, if you could have recovered him we all know you would have,,,, but this is one more reason why they call it hunting and not killing,,, were hunters,, we learn from our mistakes and that is exactly how we learn,,,, chin up and get back after em!!