Just figured I would start a thread that all lost deer post can go in so that I don't have to look at them and explain what they should do. Not trying to be a AS_or a D*** but srs people your hunt is over the second you let that arrow fly if you do not find it. Do everything you can to find it.
I agree 100% Or just dont post a thread like that and to be honest i dont wanna read how you gave a halfa**ed search 2 hrs after you shot it saying you gave it your all. If you cant find it be a sportsmen and burn the tag thats your deer.
But what if it goes into the corn field? It could take hours to find and it would be a major pain to recover. I don't know guys?
There are many things we can do as hunters to maximize our chances of recovering a marginally shot deer. Most notably and let this burn in everyones (my own included) head...."When in doubt, back out, and let your deer lay for 6-8 hours" As for me, as long as someone is willing to give the recovery process everything they have, I don't mind them starting a thread as they exhaust all efforts to recover their deer. I can tell you I pushed the heck out of the first deer I ever arrowed. He was gut shot and I pushed him 30 minutes after the shot. I found him after about 10 hours of searching. It about killed me but I learned a lot over a two day period.
I should create an official "I've never lost a deer because I'm awesome" thread where all of the really cool and aloof people can post.
Agreed...we have all lost deer...while there are some guys that won't give 100% m, I don't think it's any of the peeps that come on here for help...
Problem is that we all have differing opinions on what 100% is. Some will search for weeks and others for hours. I try not to judge and worry about someone else's ethics in these matters. I have had deer go on neighboring property into the bedding areas and I looked only for a couple hours because I didn't want to totally destroy the neighbors leased property. Some would say that is wrong but I felt it was the right thing to do. Especially considering I wasn't expecting to find it. I do strongly advise the when in doubt, back out methodology. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
I wonder if people look as hard for a doe as they do for a big buck, you know after there is no chance the meat is salvageable. Do they need the same "closure" with a doe? From now on can we just start using "closure", antlers, or the rack interchangeably so as to represent something close to what is actually happening. ;]
Yes, I have lost a doe, and yes I have gut shot a buck, But I found the buck after 16 hours of looking. I took a map of my property and grid searched my property coloring the pieces of property that I had gone over. I ended up finding him about 20 yrds past the last blood that I had but the deer had circled back around and bedded down in some thick honey suckle. For the doe, I did not find her until shed season. But I did end up finding her and I gave the same effort on her as I did the buck. She had made it off of my property and on to the public ground that is on the south 80 of my property
I could not disagree more. I'm glad when people post it. Why not have the hunter learn something and maybe a bunch of people that read about it learn something and hopefully prevent a few lost deer in the future? That deer is laying out there wounded whether you read about it or not.
I would like to see somebody grid search the area I hunt. 5+ year old clear cuts have so much ground cover that you can barely walk, and 5-25 year old pine plantations are so full of briars that you can either crawl on the ground or maybe ride them down. I tracked a small buck 2 years ago for a half mile without ever being able to see more than 5 yards (yes 15 feet) in any direction. To make matters worse, when I did find him the next morning, a sandwich couldn't be made from the remains due to coyotes. But then I'm not perfect... Team Red Sun Rising
Typically, my response to "I'm awesome!" statements is, "pics or it didn't happen." In this case, I'm totally cool with just taking your word for it. Seriously, I don't need proof. As for the question about whether does get tracked as hard, I'm not a trophy hunter. I was raised on the idea of hunting for meat, and if you get a nice mount, great. That said, if anyone in our hunting party shoots a deer, NO ONE goes back out until it's found. If it's not found quickly enough to butcher, whoever shot it is done for the season. Period. Also, here in CA it's pretty tough to get a tag for anything without a rack, so if I lost a doe, I'd feel like a ****** for killing an animal that some other hunter might have recovered. Instead, he's sitting at home, because some moron (me) is wasting his tag. Sent from my HTCEVOV4G using Tapatalk 2
I'm sure most here track all their deer to recovery or until they've given the search 100% effort. I brought up the buck thing just because over the last couple seasons I've seen people post bucks they've found days or weeks later. Happened last season with a friend from work, he shot a buck in bow season which he didn't recover. Weeks later during gun season he found "his" buck. He brought the rack to work and was stoked about how he had another cape so he could get it mounted. Maybe it's just me but that mount would remind how: A. I blew the shot and recovery. B. The deer probably died slowly and the meat was wasted(I know other critters ate it but you get my meaning). C. Ultimately the hunt, for whatever reason, was a failure. I know this guy does not represent all hunters but I have a feeling his efforts would have been slightly different were it a doe. He seemed happy to recover the rack because that was what he was after anyway.
Don't forget I've never taken a bad shot. Or I can take that long or quartering to shot cause I know my skills and equipment
Just my opinion if you don't want to read a "lost one tonight" thread or give advice on what to do to help someone recover a deer then don't open the thread. You say you weren't tryin to be an a$$ but when go out of your way to make a thread like this you most assuredly are sir. I get so tired of "elite" hunters who act like this and what I mean by elite is that they act like they are either to good to stand shoulder with the rest of us or its a waste their time to share their golden boy knowledge.
I agree and disagree. I had a similar mount done last year. Found the deer the next day and the meat and hide was spoiled so I used a different cape. While I am reminded of what you mentioned above, I still put the arrow into that deer, I picked the stand to hunt from, I searched for the deer for 18 out of 30 hours and I dragged his @$$ by myself over a mile back to the truck. So while it didn't go perfectly and I am/will continue to do my very best to ensure I don't gut shoot a deer again out of respect for the animal, I do not consider the hunt a failure. If nothing else I learned how to do better next time through harder means than I ever could have by sitting in my recliner and reading everyone rant about not trying hard enough or making poor decisions. That deer, to me, stands for the biggest lesson I have ever learned in 10 years of hunting.