Got in the tree at 4 and at 5:00 I see a deer walking a field edge about 75 yards away and can tell it is either a big 8 or nice 10. It ate under a persimmon tree for15 minutes and started walking away so I grunted and he would look but that was all. Then he came to about 55 yards but was screened by a cedar as he ate acorns for another 30 minutes.
I got impatient and grunted at him again. Then while he is to my right an 8 point comes in from the right at a steady walk headed for the bigger buck I put him in the crosshairs and let him walk. Too my surprise another 8 pointer is following him and he is a little bigger I bleated he stopped at 20yds and I squeezed the trigger. I saw the entrance hole as he ran off and got a clean pass thru. The shot appeared to be 1/3 third from top and 3 inches behind the leg.
I climbed down picked up my arrow and walked out it was 6:09. I went back in at 8:00 expecting an easy recovery. I could not find one drop of blood. So I called my wife to come up and see if our beagle could find the track but he just treed a opossum. I searched till midnight and did find a 7 point the vultures had picked clean but my buck was not to be found. It is now pouring rain so no chance at finding blood tomorrow. My arrow is covered tip tp tip and even had meat with the blood and hair.
I plan on searching again tomorrow and stinking the area up but my odds of finding him are low
2008 Excalibur Vortex, Lumizone, STS
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Give it your best. Try searching in grids or small patches. When one is do. Start at the next. Sometimes it works for me. Let us know how it turns out. Take pics of that buck.
Good Luck.
Well the news didn't get any better. I searched until 2:30 today doing a tight grid search. Then I decided the meat would be bad by now and gave up the search. I know that bigger buck is there and didn't want to continue to put sent into the woods. I hate this feeling and have only had one other I didn't recover and that was 15 years ago. Seeing the entrance wound and the arrow being cover with blood, hair and meat This jusn't doesn't make sense.
2008 Excalibur Vortex, Lumizone, STS
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
We can only guess as to how bad it was hit, but at least you can say you made an honest, good-faith effort to recover him. It happens to everyone sometimes. Hold your head high and get back out there. Good Luck.
I'm guessing but sounds like it mite have been a high lung....had same experience with first buck I arrowed....takes a long time for them to go down.
A dog can help alot. Luck.
That really is a sad tale. It sure would be nice if you still followed up on that one.
I recall a time many years ago when I shot and lost a nice buck. A buddy and I searched and searched but never found it. It was shot in the morning and we spent all the rest of the day searching.
The very next morning, I went back and sat in the exact same spot. About 15 minutes after good shooting light a nice buck came in and I shot it straight on. It went down but then back up and ran. I knew I hit him hard and in the right spot.....yet, I could find no blood (this was with a rifle).
I could not ask my buddy to lose another day of hunting so searched alone. I set up a grid and covered it. I was getting sicker by the minute and ready to give up hunting completely. Dejected, I thought I'd return to the sight of the shot and give it one more search. Going back I had to go around a fallen tree....and there laid my buck!!!! What a relief! When I gutted it, there was almost nothing left of the heart as it was blown apart. Yet, there was no blood trail at all. These type are the most difficult.
I guess what I am trying to say is don't give up and don't think that because you walk all over you will mess up the area. That just does not always happen. In fact, I've never seen it to be true except for the day that you do it. By the next day the scent you left is pretty well dissipated.
I will be back in that stand the next time the wind is right. I need a "good dog" my beagle has found a few but the last couple years he has even acted interested. I also made a mistake by not aiming for the heart. Years of shooting tournament with all types of bow I aimed for the lungs. Half way up the deer and it was somewhat alert and probably dropped a little. No matter what the cause the out come is the same and I am glad this time it wasn't the big one.
2008 Excalibur Vortex, Lumizone, STS
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
.....and that is the most valuable lesson...ALWAYS aim for the heart.
Best case: You hit it
Worst case: The deer either crouches (mid double lung) or bounces (clear miss)
Aim small, miss small.
If you can't set a good example, at least serve as a horrible warning.
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2009 Equinox, Lumizone, FFF String
2008 Equinox, Lumizone, FFF String
2007 Ten Point CLS and 2004 Titan : sold!
