Trucking tiger: You will only get those feelings if you are human so I am positive you aren't alone on your feelings. Don't get me wrong, I love killing deer and it sickens me loosing one, or worse wounding one. If you are a hunter sooner or later it will happen, It is never a waste to kill a deer and not find it. Every bit of meat will be consumed within days if the animal stays in a area that is safe for the predators to feed. Whether we loose an animal or not, a coyote for example is going to eat. If he finds a deer already dead or has to chase a live one, which do you think he will go for? Same with buzzards etc. Meat is never a waste.
I've lived the extremes of this topic. I made 1 bad hit early in my Bowhunting career (to date). It probably was not a fatal hit, it was a bad miss at an alert buck. Hit him in the Quad on the rear leg. Tracked and combed the area for days. Blood petered out after a couple hundred yards. I vowed not to shot another deer the rest of the year, unless I was lucky enough to see "him" again. I didn't! That hit quite honestly almost made me quit bowhunting. I truly credit Pa/Rob to this date for keeping me in the game. After decades of Gun hunting, losing an animal wasn't something I was prepared for. In the next 2 years, I honestly looked for reasons NOT to shoot. It could be anything from a twig, to not a perfect broadside opportunity, quite honestly I was afraid to let a shot off my string. I remember a perfectly nice 8 pt that did everything but run up to me and beg me to shoot, still I did not. I was a good shot prior to this incident with no reason to believe otherwise. I just took a shot at an alert animal that I shouldn't have. I practiced even more, from angles, from elevation, from the ground, with my body contourted, sitting, kneeling. I practiced from 20 yards to 60 yards (20 is simple after grouping at 60 or more). Finally, I took the shot at a doe..it was a thing of beauty a perfect 18 yard pass-thru and she fell in sight. That's been some years ago, and double digit bucks and does since. I have never questioned myself when I've released a shot. Sure I still error on the cautious side a bit to often. I've yet to lose another, I'm not crazy enough to say it will never happen again. I know the consequences of releasing that arrow. I anticipate success but I'm prepared for the results. I've had some easy recoveries and a few challenging ones. It's difficult to realize the sport we love is usually only proclaimed successful IF we kill. Unlike others I have learned to embrace the kill, MORE as I age. But there is always time to pause and give Thanks to God, the animal and the opportunity.
Bob....Good post. When we err, it's usually a mental error (IMO). I've tried to get to the point where I don't make those. I've not been completely successful at that, though. I'll keep trying.
I am the world's finest turkey crippler. I've lost 4 and have yet to successfully recover one. I've had an arrow deflect off a turkey, I've missed turkeys, I've deflected arrows in brush on turkeys, I've wounded turkeys, I've killed turkeys....just never recovered one. It got so bad that I all but gave up bowhunting turkeys. It sucks, no other words to describe it. But to be honest, I can live with those lost birds a LOT easier than that spine shot 1.5 yo doe I killed for my first whitetail with a bow....that was an eerie scream and flopping session I don't care to ever hear again. Such a buzzkill for my much anticipated moment...I felt so bad I was sick to my stomach. On the other hand, I've taken 7 big game animals cleanly. No wounds, no losses, and only 2 clean swing and a miss chances. I take pride in this, although I know its a streak that will eventually end with time most likely. I've come to the conclusion for turkeys that body shots are iffy at best. I'm done with them. Literally 1/2" makes all the difference in the world, and sometimes seemingly perfectly hit birds will take flight or run for hundreds of yards and hole up never to be found. I hate that feeling. I've switched to bullheads for the upcoming spring. Decapitation or Miss, with a very rare chance of something in between....I like this scenario MUCH more than your odds with body shots. Decreases my range, but if I don't have to deal with losing a turkey ever again, I'll be one happy dude. A happy medium is best for this....I wouldn't want to be on stand with some dude that tears up and balls over the thought of killing a deer, but at the same time i wouldn't want to be there for a guy that relishes the kill regardless of wounds, spine shots, etc.... Common sense goes a long way in all aspects of life.
