Had a good hunt Thursday night followed by an unsuccessful track....it went from a great hunt to an absolutely unbelievable ending.... I'm still at a loss for what happened to this doe....quick run down, it was at last light, I was in stand and my woods are still pretty thick, but I could see a deer in the field, so I climb down, drop everything at my stand and crawl to the field with just my bow, under the fence and into weeds, range deer, 30yds slight quarter away, draw bow, raise up to knees, smack, hit off side shoulder , thinking perfect shot through heart, deer runs 30-40 yds and drops, thinking awesome, dead in sight,then it hobbles back up and trots the last 15 yds to the woods....I go to impact sight to grab arrow... Then find the other half, and see a blood trail 3 ft wide and I can follow it about 20yds just with my light shining in that direction....I wait 20mins just to be a little cautious but there is a storm coming in pretty quick....long story short, i track an outrageous blood trail and chunks of tissue for over 700 yds just for blood to instantly stop in one last spray.... Storm comes in and I have to call it for the night, it is just an absolute down pour, went back at sun up, all traces of blood gone, grid search every where I can think of, farmer shows up to disc his field, un hooks and drives around all his fields to check for me while I search weeds and woods... I have no idea how his deer made it that far or where it ended up....first deer i have not recovered.... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I feel for you Wesley. The whole thing sounds odd. The shot, the deer going down, and all that blood. I guess that's bowhunting though. ****s going to happen.
Sorry to hear about that Wesley. Good effort trying to find her, get frustrated hearing when people search for an hour and give up. Nice going Wapsi! I didn't get out Smitty but man deer were on there feet today! Drove all over NE Iowa today and saw deer out in fields, in CRP, and along the rivers. Saw a group of 5 drinking from a pond at about 10:45am. Cold snap got some things rolling!
Hey just found this in the forums I live and hunt in St. Ansgar just up north of you! Ill be in the tree as soon as this broken leg heals! Good luck!
Well I'm in the stand, but it pretty windy at times. I don't even feel comfortable standing up. Hopefully it dies down.
Pretty disappointed. Shot a buck and tracked it for 1 1/2 to 2 miles before I couldn't find the trail any more. Chased it through damn cornfields and NEIA legendary hills. First time this has ever happened to me. Feel like a ****ty hunter since I can't find the deer I shot.
I did too, doesn't make you a bad hunter, just par for the course. Happens once to everyone. Relax and regroup, it gets better.
Have sat in my stand 3 times now in Davis County and have not seen a single deer, feeling like crap the big one I'm after even left me a big present at the base of my stand, I big fresh scrape.
Thanks, it was a real debate on giving him another year but with so many other up and comers on the property I feel he is plenty old enough.
Iowa boys been quiet. Just an update from me so far. Haven't hunted much until last weekend. Shot a doe Friday night. Lots of buck activity Friday. Probably saw a dozen different bucks, but most were forks and basket racks. One nice 9 came under my stand but just a bit on the small side. Weather in the 70s kept me out of the woods most of the weekend. Hoping to get off work Thursday and hunt all day. Weather looks to be better on Thursday than the rest of the weekend.
Carroll Tried to hunt last Thursday. New stand 18 yards off the road. Cut a path in. Crawl under the fence and find out that the deer like to use the new path I cut just as much as I do. 2 does 15 yards from me. We both had that shocked look on our faces.
Nice. My parents moved to Harlan now and my wife's parents live there too. Hunt mainly down in southern Iowa though
Been working too much to hunt. Finally got out yesterday afternoon and got skunked....Headed down to st.louis for a hockey game on thursday, then its 4 straight days of hunting when i get back friday after noon.
