I was looking forward to last week for almost a year now, it was the opening week for bow season here in Pa. I've been bow hunting for 26 years and have never shot a deer I didn't recover, and last week I did it twice. Grazed a nice 6 point opening day, I saw him later in the week and is fine. Then shot a big doe Friday, 20 yard broadside looking away, string slapped my arm and she hit the ground and arrow appeared to sail straight through the backstrap. Very little blood, arrow had trace blood, hair and some fat on it. Looked for 2 days and nothing. Not looking for sympathy or that's ok's, just venting. Never felt this bad after what's usually a great start to the season.
when you shoot a lot of deer you will lose a lot in the process. best medicine is to get back on stand and keep hunting.
Thanks, tried getting back on stand Saturday but ended up trying to track her again. Everything I followed led me to believe I was following a healthy but probably sore deer. Going to sit on her trail next Saturday and try to spot her.
It sucks man atleast it sounds like theyll survive. I shot a doe last year and my arrow hit a leaf i didnt see. Tracked her forever. I think she survived as it was a pretty heavy blood trail and then thinned out big time after about 400 yards. I still think about it. Just the thought of killing an animal and not recovering it doesnt sit well with me.
Doesn't sit well here either. I never had much blood to start, not much more than a few drops, arrow had some fat, a few hairs, and trace blood on it. My father in law has been bow hunting twice as long as me and is fairly confident I hit through the back straps.
I've had worse luck recovering deer I've shot by rifle than with archery. Knocked one down I never found and one that I found the next spring. Only have one with a bow that I didn't recover and he was fine, just had a cut down his shoulder from an expandable that kicked out from a severe downward angle. The buck I shot wit ha rifle and found the next spring was in 10' tall native grass and I think I hit him back as he took a step out at 175 yards. I found him about 400 yards away in the CRP on the property. Grass just made it too hard to track him. The other rifle buck I knocked down and as I chambered another round he jumped up and ran off through wet fescue and I lost blood after about 50 yards, don't think I killed him. No idea what happened on him, he was out about 100 yards broadside and the shot felt good. Odd crap happens on occasion, just have to accept it and try to do better. It sucks but that's the reality of hunting if you hunt long enough you will lose a deer eventually. I nearly lost my contest doe entry in 13', she went into a brushy corner of the property and I just couldn't find her. I went and got my dog and showed her the arrow at the POI and she walked right to the doe. She had fell head first under a deadfall in buckbrush that was chest deep and had only run maybe 60 yards at most. I'd walked right past her a dozen times before getting the dog.
That extra couple of seconds to make sure the peep and site ring are aligned is well worth it. Still a lot can happen between the release and impact.
This is a good example of why it is recommended to practice in all the gear you plan to wear hunting. You may have recognized that string slap problem on a target and not a deer. But as others have said, get back out there.
