Friday afternoon’s hunt started out like most others, drive 3 hours hurry up get dressed for the last 2 and a half hours of daylight. My plan was to drive my atv half way out to my stand to save time but as I drove out there was a doe bedded right where I was going to park the atv. I kept driving only to run into 2 more does bedded 50 yards from the stand I was trying to hunt. I drove past the stand and parked about on the other side of the stand. That’s when I found my first shed of the year. I’m like this is going to be a good night; I already saw 3 deer and found a shed. I snuck back into my stand and never got busted. The deer were still laying there. The deer started moving about an hour into the sit. Then the mature doe out of the group presented a 16 yard quartering away shot. My shot was not true I though I missed completely because I never saw the arrow in the deer. I waited then got down to try and find my arrow but no luck. I waited for about an hour then went to track her just in case. I was 60 yards into the track, which was easy because of the fresh snow, before fore I found blood. This is where it gets rough; I followed the blood which was at times bright red and other time’s dark red, for about 300 yards. At this point I stop. 4 hours after the shot I go back to where I stopped before and continue on the blood for another 300 yards. I find my arrow minus the broad head in a big pile of blood. The blood was frozen so I don’t think I bumped her but she is not there. Now its 10:30 and I call it a night. The next morning I get back on the trail and go and go and go. I come to a spot where there are 2 sets of tracks 1 heading east the other heading west. The on heading west has a wolf track following it. The one heading east has blood in it. I go east the deer loops around and heads west with the wolf track. I cross my path and head another hundred plus yards and find my deer or what was left of it. From what I could see my shot was high and back but the wolf damage was pretty extensive. I didn’t have a camera because I knew it was going to be a long drag but I attached the picture of the blood trail path just to show you guy’s how far a deer can go.
Tough break. Was anything salvageable? Sounds like no... Congrats on the shed, looking forward to it's photo for the team.
Almost the same thing happened to me north of Medford, WI during the gun season of 2006. Shot the deer at closing light and gave the deer over night. Tracked it first thing next morning and found it within 200 yards of the shot. There was literally nothing left other then the skull and spine. Most of the rib cage was either missing or broken off. Tracks indicated wolf. Bad feeling indeed.
