I shot, I looked... I shot him with a few minutes of light left. Shot looked a little back but still seemed good maybe liver or back of lungs I thought. he was weaving around as he ran. But I wait an hour and start fin first blood 25 yards from the shot, trailed through really thick stuff and trail goes cold probably 200 yards and it took 3 hours to get that far, eventually there was nothing. Never found an arrow I hope the rage opened, after losing the trail I continued on for another probaly 1/4 mile, nothing. I feel terrible, I am looking tomorrow before school and maybe after if I have time Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk
Btw I never busted him, never found a bedded spot so I don't believe I pushed him Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk
Thats rough. I went through the same thing 3 years ago, I know how you must feel. Best thing to do is just look whenever you can, for as long as you can. Maybe try and get a dog on the trail.
Some track jobs are tough, but losing an animal is bound to happen in this sport. All we can do is give every effort possible to find it. I don't think a rage cant open on impact, probably just a marginal hit or sometimes they just don't bleed. Good luck bud, give it all you can then keep your head up and get back in the saddle, good luck.
Just because you didn't find a bed, doesn't mean you didn't push it. If the shot was farther back than you thought, an hour wasn't nearly enough time. Hopefully you come across the deer in your search before/after school. But you can always just say the head didn't open. Those things are easy to lay the blame on, because everyone does.
Lost a big doe two weeks ago! It happens man horrible feeling I agree but happens! Good luck finding him!
Went out again, this morning rode around the area, walk the end of the trail again. Still nothing, so many possible places. I will note that towards the end of the blood trail last night i found a few spot that looks as though he was beginning to clot up. Is that a good thing? possibly he was recovering? Gonna look again this afternoon hopefully but after school I get home and then have a Geology exam at 7:15pm so I gotta find sometime in there to study.
I hate this feeling, it completely blows, It sounds like I absolutely screwed myself bigtime... And the worst part is that I should have known better, Lord I hope I find him this afternoon.
A lot of times the deer will stop and turn around heading back towards you and branch off somewhere. Start at your last blood spot and head ha k looking for a spot where he could have turned on another trail. Ive found many deer this way. Good luck.
If you hit in the area you think you did, you should have at least damaged one of the following...lung(s), liver, and/or guts. If so, that deer is most likely dead somewhere. Grid search (with help if possible) or use a dog if legal.
That's tough man, hope you find him! I lost a doe opening day this year. Hit her a touch forward, and only found muscle on the arrow and point of impact. Gave her 3 hours and picked up the trail with good blood with bubbles for some 500 yards, and then another 100 yards 200 yards from where I lost the first trail, but never found her. It's a tough pill to swallow, but it does happen. Keep after it!
Looked this afternoon for a couple more hrs, made my best attempt at a "grid search" but nothing, i checked all the ponds and creeks within 3/4 of a mile. And the whole brushy area he ran into, not a sign to be seen. I have class tomorrow morning then work the rest of the day so, I don't know when another search could be conducted but it doesn't look good. I feel like I blew my only shot at a good buck I'll have all season... I hadn't had an opportunity since 2008, when I took my first bow deer. You are right, this kind of thing does not lend itself to sleep, I felt like I didn't sleep a wink last night, heard yotes outside my window but they were probably 2 miles away from where i shot the buck in the opposite direction of his line of travel. I don't even feel like I deserve to hunt now. But I hope this is the ONLY time I ever make this mistake. Atleast I can be thankful for being given the opportunity.
If you give it all you got and try to recover him with all possible resources and time then you did all you could. I bet everyone here has made a mistake like this and if they havent they will. I'd round up a search team if I were you, I've heard stories of deer being found over a mile away!
I may do that but its getting pretty far out, I searched from one side of a country block to another, If I go further I'm crossing a two lane highway.
