So if ya followed the live from the stand thread this evening here's how my night played out. Got in at decent time and everything seemed to be set for a good night. Probably 30 or 45 mins before end of shooting light hear something jump the fence to my right. Look over and see that it's a doe and that she's heading the wrong way to present a shot. Also with it being first part of Nov didn't really plan on taking a doe. I continue to watch her and keep a eye toward the direction she came from hoping some antlers were following. Begin to realize she has changed direction and it goin to walk directly in front of my stand. So I begin to reach back for bow and try to flip my release up to prepare for shot, have a fold back release, and come to find out when I put my release on for the walk in when I put my jacket on once reached stand never took it out of my sleeve so that where it's stuck. No biggie I think seeing as I was kinda unsure whether or not wanted to shoot this doe or not. So she makes her way over to the little field entrance that separated two fields through a draw of timber and then another smaller doe joins her. They both begin feeding and coming back out into where would have some shot opportunities. By this time I have my bow in one hand and rangefinder in the other. The smaller of the two doe is out front and I range her through the shooting lane. The bigger one steps out and presents a shot but is standing directly in front of other doe so I don't want to take that shot, would have been 35 yards. She then continues to move in front of me goin left to right at 22, 25, 33, and finally 36 yards for each shot opportunity. Every time she stops and I range her she's always not standing just right this way or that way so I pass. Finally she makes it over to where there's no lanes cut and the other one joins her, so I hang my bow up and am content with just watching them and enjoying the last bit of shooting light. I actually snapped this pic to share on here: Shortly after took thay pic the bigger of the two starts walking along the fence and will be in front of my stand once again. I decide to shoot this time if get the chance and again grab my bow. She slowly works her way in front of me at about 16 yards and gets slightly left of directly in front of me and I begin to draw. About halfway back something behind me, squirrels, big foot, whatever moves through some leaves and she does a quick spinand is now facing the opposite way, still broadside, staring at me. At first I think maybe she caught my movement when I drew my bow but she really isn't acting like she saw me, so there I stand at full draw having a stare down but also don't have a shot because of a limb being in the way. So after what felt like forever I decide to maybe just let down and of she bolts oh well. Well she decided to take a step into a opening before I can let my bow down so I raise the peep to my eye settle my top pin on her and squeeze off the shot. Hear the hit, see her take off, and see the lighted nock of arrow sticking out of ground. Now I gotta try and see what direction she's goin and if she falls so I hang up bow and grab binos to scan feild. Look down the fence line and see her heading toward a little pond that's in the corner of feild. Notice there's blood but it looks to be a low hit and she's now slowly walking and lays down. And that's pretty much where she stayed until it was too dark to see her. She got back up once and circled before laying back down with her head up looking around. I climbed down, retrieved the arrow and headed back to truck. Once got back and was able to look at arrow I noticed only white hair stuck in the blades and to me the whole arrow looked a little clean. So I'm gonna give it overnight and skip the morning hunt I had planned so I can get out early and try to recover her. I'm pretty frustrated with the shot placement even though it does happen sometimes it's bothering the crap out of me. Here's the arrow, and apologize for the long read just wanted to try and cover any questions anyone would have that might wonder about recovery. As long as this is for a doe you guys better watch out if get a buck ha
I would go to the same stand in the morning and if I could see her laying in the field at sun up then I would hunt a little while before retrieving her. If she wasn't visible from the stand then I would climb down and look for her.
Did she bed down right in that grass field? If so, Id say she is mortally wounded and is close because no deer in their right mind would bed down in a field in plain view after just being under major stress.
Yea she's pretty much right out in the open, there's a little pond so has small levy and she basically layer down right on top of that. Coulda went another 30 yards and been down in a low area with decent cover so that's first place I'll be looking if she's not where last saw her.
Ended up goin right back to the spot saw her laid down to find she had moved off. I got little distracted by another doe running across field with what looked like at least a 8 pointer chasing behind. The spot she was laid down in was full of blood but didn't immediately see any in any direction. Started doin a half circle back and fourth and eventually picked up blood. Followed it down into a low area and across a fence headed toward creek. Went maybe another 20 yards and there she laid, wedged in between two small trees.
I use that same broadhead......it did very good on my deer.... it obviously did very well with your deer!!!! congratulations
