I have sat for the past 5 evenings and hadn't seen squat...I went to a money stand and sure enough the deer started to filter out at 4 pm...by 4:35 I had 5 does and a small buck feeding on green grass out at about 50 yds..I waited from 4 to 4:36 for the right shot..one of the big does came to me at 15 yds qtr away and I drew and settled the pin...as I released from some reason my bow arm pulled up and the arrow smacked her far back and high just under the spine...she ran/wobbled to the edge of thewoods across the field, about 85 yds and went in...I climbed down at 5:15 and at 5:40 I walked over to where she ran in to see if I could locate blood and then come back...I found blood at the edge and I saw her laying down about about 60 yds in the woods in the flash light beam...she got up slowly and walked off...I backed out am I going back in a few hrs to see if I can find her...it honestly doesn't look good b/c of where I hit her...just below the spine and before the hind qtr...we'll see...Im not feeling to good right now...why is all I have to say...a chip shot and I suck and what's worse is the deer didn't deserve this...I just can't believe I did this...
Not to be a **** but how many "when in doubt, back out" post have to be made until it sinks in. i still think you'll find her if she just walked away but there was no reason to go that initial 85yds if you were planning on coming back anyway. I wouldnt go back until 10:30 at the earliest
it's not like I went into the woods after her dude...I went to the last place I saw her and marked blood...she just happened to be laying there inside the woods about 60 yds...I couldn't fine blood in the field so I went to the edge of the woods and found blood not a yard into the woods...marke dit and left. Steve, she wasn't really hunched she just got up slow and walked off.
Yep, when you first found blood at the "edge", that's when you should have left. Water over the dam at this point though. I'd wait until morning. Then, after you find her you can start hunting in the snow!! Good luck. Oh yea, it sounds like you had target panic at the shot. LOL
M My point is that most wounded deer will bed within the first 150yds. 85yds + 60yds = 145yds. I still feel confident that you'll find it if it walked away slowly but you should have mentally marked where she entered the woods and went the opposite direction. I'm not trying to be a jerk but you've been on here and hunting long enough to know this.
Johnny hit a doe in the exact same spot earlier this year, in the morning. He waited 7 hours and went back out at 4 pm. He trailed her 100 yards or so and she was still alive. She slowly got up and walked away. He called me right away and asked what to do. I told him to wait until morning and she would be dead within 50 yards of where she got up. Sure enough, exactly where she was the next morning. If it were me Landon, I would wait until morning on that shot. The deer will die, but will take at least 8 hours and maybe up to 12. Good luck and don't rush it bro!
well taking in the fact that 6 deer ran together including the one I shot in the same direction crossing paths I kind of lost it in translation... i know what your saying...but it was in an open field..I sure as hell wouldn't have walked that if the shot was in the woods...being an open field I assumed that the deer would have gone down the ravine it came from...the block of woods is only a few acres...but there is a steep drop and I assumed she at least went down that drop and laid down...I probably should have just waited, but I wanted to locate blood, if I didn't locate blood at he edge I wasn't going in to find blood...but I did find blood on the edge and marked it, she just hapeen to be closer than I imagined...
Everyone has the right answers after the fact, the bright side is she slowly walked off...she probably bedded very close after you left. Maybe she is laying very close when you get back. let us know how it turns out. I think you have the same thing going on as fitch posted about earlier this year, you know cleaning, processing and mounting the deer all before you actually pull the trigger. Not knocking you at all Landon, I am stating that you smoke alot of deer and then you have a situation such as this and i can feel the frustration in your typing...I think maybe it gets repeticious so to speak. I have made a high hit or 2 as well and it is usually when I have a chip shot and take it for granted. Best of luck on the recovery bro...and again no malice in my post, only sharing some feelings that I have dealt with before. *edit* after reading Dan's post I would agree that is spot on.
I would NOT go after her tonight. If she's dead, she will still be dead in the morning. If she's not dead you will bump her again. Assuming you didn't get liver, she could lay there alive for a LONG time before expiring.
none taken...I think the fact that I stood holding my bow still for 40 mins (not full draw) but holding it and standing it may have made me a little weak in the bow arm...nonetheless, it was a chip shot and I pulled up with the bow arm at the release...totally my fault and I have no excuse...if I do not find her this wiil be the 7th deer I have lost in 20 yrs...too many in my opinion for someone who shoots year around and often..I have had my issues this year for sure....but I love all the posts of you knew better, you should have done this or that...I guess it's just not worth posting these things if all I a guy gets is ridicule...
I don't think I got liver RJ, it looked really far back and high, but she was qtr away so maybe I did...it would be nice if I did.
If you only wait 3 hours, you will greatly increase that chance of not finding her.....she will not be dead. Curious as to what your plans are.
What did you expect, you posted that you gut shot a deer then proceeded to follow it for 85yds. What do you want me to say "congrats on atleast hitting it". If this was someone new to the forums posting, they would get hammered by comments. I truly hope you find the deer, it just caught me off guard when i read that you followed it so far even if it was an open field.
I expect for nobody to get hammered no matter how many post they have....what does that mean anyway? number of posts means experience? Man, look, Im not a rookie and I have nothing to explain to you or anyone...I simply made the post to get feedback on the shot, and recovery...what people think I should do form THIS point on...not about what I should have or shouldn't have done. that's water under the bridge. As I said before...Im hunting in a suburb, the deer ran across the lawn about 80 yds with all the other deer to the woodline...I waited an 1.5 before I walked into the lawn to look for blood. No blood in the field, so I went to the last place I believed I saw the deer to mark blood and I did. If that was the mistake I made and if I should have waited then I apologize. I made a bad shot and was trying to locate blood so when i go back I know where to start..Maybe I should know better, but I guess I didn't..........Nobody should get hammered on here after an experience like this...especially a newcomer, it's not helpful.
Im not sure exactly...it's been 5 hrs since I shot her, and Im not ready to go to bed yet, I may go back later....way later...or just wait til I get home in the PM...I will leave work about 1 pm tomorrow and it's going to be in the low 20's tonight and only 38 for a high tomorrow..If I go out tonight it will be around 11 pm..but it's looking like tomorrow pm will be the best option
