Really bummed right now, so I'll keep it short. First sit on the food plot tonight...8 deer all in shooting range the last of which was a shooter 8. Shot under at 25yds. Little bit of blood on the vanes, all fat streaks on the shaft. Pin sized blood drops 70yds, 140yds from the shot, that was it. Combed the area, found nothing. Will look again tomorrow, but looks like a flesh wound. Sucks...really.
Any of us that have been at this any amount of time have been there. It sucks but life goes on, for both you and the deer. Keep at it and stick it to him later in the season. As iamyourhuckleberry has said before; one of the things we often fail to take into consideration is that the deer doesn't want to die.
Sorry to hear about the deer. Back in college I did the same and my arrow looked exactly the same as your describing. He was shot during the gun season 2 weeks later and was no worse for the wear. Shake it off and get back after em...
After talking to you last night Matt, I am sure that this deer is just fine. Doesn't make it suck any less, but I think we both know this buck is gonna be out chasing chicks in a few weeks without you on his mind. Not that you can do the same, (cause you're married) but you can get back out chasing bucks without this on your mind, cause he's fine. Good luck and stay at it.
Did It hunch up at all when he ran? Did he run or walk after the shot? I've saw fatty arrows (low shots In the area your describing) be gut shots with one blade slicing the bottom of the guts. Both times I've saw this we recovered the deer the next day. Best of luck this morning Matt.
Well, no luck. My dad resumed searching in the AM, and I checked in after work. He set up a grid search over then entire ridge side after the last sign of blood (a small drop about 175yds downhill from the shot). Can't find anything. I took a look at the arrow again, and snapped this shot of the vanes (cell phone pic, so it's not that good) where the only blood showed. The arrow doesn't smell like anything, nor does it show any signs of intestinal matter, nor did the deer hunch up when he ran. Looking at the arrow though, not sure how I would hit low, and get no white hairs (there were brown hairs on the broadhead), and just that little bit of blood on the fletching. The first drops of blood were a good 75yds after the shot, and like I said, it was a pencil point drop of blood. So, it's obvious I hit him. Now I'm even more sick because ideally I can tell myself it was just a flesh wound, but how do I really know? One of the most frustrating things about this is that with how much I practice, I KNOW better than to rush the shot, but it's like I have a mental breakdown at the moment of truth, and it just goes to mush. There is NO WAY I should be making poor shots at that distance. It's embarrassing. I know everyone says to get back on the horse, but I'll tell you, this one is eating at me.
Bummer for sure. They'er hard to let go, ruttnutt lost a big 9pt last friday and he's still looking for it.
That buck is fine MGH. I really hope you get another shot at him this season. I am sorry to hear of this, harden up your nerves and keep plugging away. I missed my first shot with my recurve four days ago and was completely bummed for days. I am back into the correct mindframe today and I am going hunting here in a bit. Keep at it MGH!
