***Official LIVE from the Stand Thread, 2019***

We are still working it.

I'm not gonna Mike you guys.

 

Okay, quick update. The first doe I spined made it out of the gully. She wasn't there and there was a minimal blood trail. I know the shot was above the spine and clipped the top, so if I didn't catch the aorta she's not gonna die.

On the other shot - my wife and I can't find the arrow or any blood. We came back to the house to check the TACTACAM footage to mark where she was standing and we're going back out.

 

Okay, this is absolutely demoralizing.

As I said before, I'm quite sure that the first doe is going to live. I was hoping against hope that I caught the aorta and she'd be down in the gulley. We did follow that blood trail for quite a while (at my wife's insistence) and it took a lot for me to convince her that this deer wasn't going to die even after the blood trail dried up.

On the second doe, after watching the TACTACAM footage I was able to determine exactly where she was standing. I even found the hoof marks where she wheeled and tore out. I knew which direction she ran. This should have been easy, but after looking for over two hours there is no arrow. There is no blood. We even took my beagle Elly May down and she couldn't find a trail. I don't understand. I watched that stupid arrow hit what should have been a double lung shot at 25 yards. And what kind of beagle can't follow a fresh deer track even if it's not wounded?

Now my home spot is all tracked up, I'd bet a deer won't set foot in this small patch of woods again for a while and I feel like tossing my bow in a dumpster.

I'll get up tomorrow morning and see if I can find that stupid arrow. If it's in the deer there SHOULD be at least a few drops of blood, right?

Dammit.

 

It was definitely a spine. She was facing left and the arrow went high right and hit her really high between the shoulders and hindquarters. I'm still baffled on how I managed to hit so far from where I was aiming at only 25 yards.

 

Guys, I'm sorry I blew it. I know that I'm better than this.

I'm sitting here drinking beer and replaying everything mentally. When I closed my eyes and replayed the shot I realized that the arrow wasn't straight when it hit the deer. The fletching hit exactly where it needed to be so in the heat of the moment I thought it was still a good shot. If the arrow hit something and the broad head was high it's possible that I didn't even wound that deer and the arrow just slapped her. If that's the case I should be able to find the arrow or parts of the arrow tomorrow. I know that I didn't flat out miss, though. If I had the arrow would be buried and it would have been easy to find.

I'll let you know what I find tomorrow. I may or may not hunt tomorrow afternoon depending on how target practice goes.