Well, the good and the bad news.... I found my former #1 arrow, and the doe that I whacked with it. She was pretty rank after 24hrs out there in relatively warm temps, I re-ranged that shot, 44yds. (I swore it looked like a miss, and hearing the arrow hit rock more or less certified that, especially after re-ranging the shot last night, and thinking it was 49yds) Arrow hit right where I shot for, but she was quartered away more than I realized. Probably 160-170# healthy doe..... I tore up one of my antlerless permits..(feel guilty)... Bad thing is, had I not gotten called into work last night, I was headed into that same area for an EARLY morning hunt, I'd have found her really early on as she only traveled about 80yds. from where I shot her, and the meat likely may have still been good early in the morning... The arrow entered what would be right in line with a heart shot broadside and exited out her neck about 4" in front of her shoulder... LOTS of fat on the arrow, which blew through her, hit one of the rocks in the creekbed and busted. Damned shame, I hate to lose out on probably 60-70# of good meat, but I supposed that's just the luck I have. I still play that shot over in my head, and see it going low, and the sound of the arrow busting on the rocks in the creek falsely re-assured what I thought I'd seen. (Kicking myself now over it, especially since if I'd walked the trail it looked like she went on about 60yds or so, I'd have seen her plain as day.) Sorry for the long post, I suppose I feel like I need to vent.
Tony, I thought she was a smallish 120# when I shot, the other doe with her I thought was one of those big old 200#'ers, now I'm thinking the other doe is more likely 220# or so on hoof.... I made the decision to shoot the smaller of the two because it's such a hell hole I was hunting in, I didn't really want to drag a 200# doe out of there. I got in close to a couple small bucks tonight, I'm gonna leave this property to settle for a few days, and get back in it later in the week. Still disgusted with myself.
