I am totally crushed, boys...shoulda put the crosshairs on his back!

[Jack&7]

Might as well tell ya now, this story does not have a happy ending.

This fine, beautiful morning, I got another chance to hunt a quarter that is probably one of the most gorgeous chunks of land my boots have ever touched. I hunted it one day last year and got skunked, then another day earlier this season on my first ever hunt with my oldest daughter. We got skunked again, but it didn't matter...the day was perfect in many other ways as I was very proud of her.

Today was different. Pressure was on as the season is ending, but I felt like something would happen today. Weather was awesome, had a bit of a snowstorm a few days ago and it was the full moon. How much better could it get?

The owner of the land is a helluva nice guy and a buddy of mine is close friends with him. The owner let me hunt those other days without even meeting me. Who does that? But today, he was going to be there hunting himself so I could shake his hand and say thanks.

So I get in nice and early and walk to the same little natural ground blind I made last year...a deadfall spruce protecting the front of a few standing spruce up on a ridge over looking a wide clearing. (PIC 1 and 2)

In PIC 3, you can see it is an approx. 275 yard shot to the line of spruce that border the far edge of the clearing.

PICS 3,4 and 5 show my view from sitting in the blind from left to right.

Well, it is quiet for the first little while and the sun had come up, so I thought I would snap a few pics with my phone to record what a gorgeous day this was. Not two minutes after these pics were taken, I catch movement on that far treeline out of the corner of my eye. It is a WT doe moving at a slight trot...and hot on her ass is a buck. Now even at 275 yds, I can see he has some decent bone on his head and sure enough, once I get the binos on him, I can see he is a shooter. 5X5...not my biggest but definitely he was worth taking a crack at.

In PIC 3, you can see a quad trail leading out across the field into a gap between two spruce. The doe stops for a minute there, but bucky decides to park it behind one of the spruce and all I can see of him is his butt. "Perfect!", I think to myself. I get into position and rest the Ithaca 30-06 (Thanks again Hunter1602 and Catnthehat!!!) on the horizontal deadfall/shooting rest. I am thinking this is great!

Bucky squirts out from behind the spruce and gets into as low spot...I lose sight of him for a few seconds. So I have to stand up, move to my right and adjust to get a better angle on him and now all I can see is the top half of his body, his head and the horns as the grass was a little taller there. I lean against a tree branch to steady myself and figure at that distance (my scope is zeroed to 200...thanks Alpineguy and Cabertosser), I could put it high on his shoulder and be good with the bullet dropping in on his boiler room. At the shot, he jumps straight up and kicks like a mule (never a good sign) and takes off. I am thrilled but a little cautious.

I head out after a few minutes and find the tracks where he was standing...and see nothing. Of course, you start to second guess yourself (at least I do). I follow the tracks for a bit and boom...there it is: blood spattered out prob 3 feet from his track but on the opposite side of what I shot. So I am thinking a through-and-through. Not my best shot, but good enough I thought considering the blood I am seeing in the fresh snow...easy track to follow.
My buddy and the owner come to meet me and I am all smiles now. Say thanks to the owner, shake his hand and off we go.

To make this long story short, we tracked him for 3 hours and about two miles after he cleared the fenceline and headed out into the forestry land. Bleeding the whole time....stopping here and there and leaving puddles while he stood there...even bedding down once. He just kept going and going and going. The blood was good at the start and then petered out to nothing. And like that...poof...he was gone. Prior to this, the longest track job I have ever had to do was 250-300 yds.

I am devastated for a multitude of reasons. First, I lost a deer and I don't do that at all costs. I will track and track and track until I find that damn thing. I think that way now because I lost a 180+ WT in sask one year many moons ago and that deer still haunts me. I hate that sick feeling you get from it. I actually think it is worse than missing one due to Buck Fever!

I feel bad because I felt privileged to hunt a prime property and blew it. The only thing I can think is that I must've pulled the shot to a bit and miscalculated the distance....thus hitting him low and maybe a little farther back than I would like as that would explain the mule kick. I am guessing I hit him low in the brisket and he has one helluva slice across his chest or midsection as that would explain the puddles while he stopped and stood. But nothing vital hit as he kept going. It was a bad shot. Nothing more, nothing less. If I had waited an extra second or two and placed the crosshairs right on his spine, this might be a happier story.

Now matter how I look at it, I have lost the second deer of my hunting career and that crushes me. Can't stand it...and pizzed at myself for blowing the shot.

The only silver lining in this whole story: I happened to weigh myself last night before bed...and then again just after getting home soaked from sweating so much after slogging it out in the bush through the snow. I lost six pounds tracking that deer!

Anyway...enjoy the pics.

[catnthehat]

JEEZ, I dunno what to say!
Did you range that deer, or estimate only?
maybe closer than you thought?
Cat

[DiabeticKripple]

this is where a dog should be allowed to help retrieve.

[catnthehat]

Dark blood, light coloured, both sides of the trail or just one, i the tracks or on the side if the trail?
Cat

[Jack&7]

yeah...it was dark blood and I know what that means It was one side of the trail only unless it was puddling directly beneath him while he stood still. Once we found where he laid down, I thought for sure he was close. There were even times when it looked like he was stumbling around...not fully clearing deadfalls across the trail and kinda dragging himself over. I have never seen a deer go that far while bleeding that much...and then stop.

I ranged the trees where the deer were standing earlier in the day so I guess you could call that an estimate when the deer actually showed up. Just didn't have that much time as I was worried I would lose them both in that low spot. In hindsight, I think he was farther than I thought and that is why I hit him low.

It all comes down to a bad shot...hence why I am crushed. I don't take a shot unless I know I can make it count. But apparently not today.

[Gary K]

Hopefully you can get out and find em tomorrow!

Sorry to hear the bad news.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Jack&7

yeah...it was dark blood and I know what that means It was one side of the trail only unless it was puddling directly beneath him while he stood still.

I ranged the trees where the deer were standing earlier in the day so I guess you could call that an estimate when the deer actually showed up. Just didn't have that much time as I was worried I would lose them both in that low spot. In hindsight, I think he was farther than I thought and that is why I hit him low.

It all comes down to a bad shot...hence why I am crushed. I don't take a shot unless I know I can make it count. But apparently not today.

Yeah, I was thinking a bit low, only one side of the trail, too.
I wish I was there to help, but that doesn't give much solace, i know.
And I totally agree with diabetickripple, a leashed tracking dog would have been a great help in this instance.
Cat

[Jack&7]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Yeah, I was thinking a bit low, only one side of the trail, too.
I wish I was there to help, but that doesn't give much solace, i know.
And I totally agree with diabetickripple, a leashed tracking dog would have been a great help in this instance.
Cat

I appreciate it, Cat...

[newguy]

Sorry to hear this. You hunt long enough, something like this can happen. I would get on that last bit of blood and start making small circles and hope you find more blood to track. Maybe youll be lucky and the blackbirds will help lead the way.

We had a buck a few years back that was hit hard, I mean more blood than I've ever seen, ever! We tracked and tracked and no lie, the blood just stopped and his tracks were lots amongst many others. It still bothers me today.

Good luck trying to find him!

[Pikecrazed]

I had something similar happen to me this year on a little buck but got lucky cause he got stopped by a fence on the edge of the property and didn't have enough left in the tank to get over the fence so I was able to get him

[calgarychef]

Sorry to hear about this, If there's one thing bowhunting has taught me its to wait after the shot unless I sure it's over. Not trying to be an ass it's what I've learned through bitter experiences like this.

Hopefully you can find your animal

[Passthru]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

Sorry to hear about this, If there's one thing bowhunting has taught me its to wait after the shot unless I sure it's over. Not trying to be an ass it's what I've learned through bitter experiences like this.

Hopefully you can find your animal

X2 made this mistake a few years ago. Never again.

[Rage.0]

Originally Posted by nmaksymyk

X2 made this mistake a few years ago. Never again.

X3, Unless you see them go down giving them more than ample time to expire is the best bet. Don't be too hard on yourself hopefully you can pick up where you left off and find him.

[outlaw'd]

Not to derail the OP's original thread, but I just went through almost the same scenario but we were able to recover my 14 year old grandson's buck. The young fellow must have flinched when he shot and he hit the buck low and back. This was Wednesday afternoon/evening and by the time we were done at noon on Thursday, we had tracked him across 5 quarters before we were able to get a clean shot at him. His buck bedded at least 12 times with a fair amount of blood in each bed, and while it was moving it would either bleed quite a bit, or there would be the tiniest of drops. The grandson refused to quit the track and he ended up getting a nice and even 4x4. Hopefully you are able to get back on the track or the buck gives you another chance.

[DiabeticKripple]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

Sorry to hear about this, If there's one thing bowhunting has taught me its to wait after the shot unless I sure it's over. Not trying to be an ass it's what I've learned through bitter experiences like this.

Hopefully you can find your animal

I saw my buck die on a cut line, but I still pretended to track it through the snow so I could practice. No blood whatsoever, just tracks.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Sorry to hear, things happen...if you hunt long enough they will happen. I lost a deer 3 years ago, thankfully another group of hunters I met by chance found him and I was able to close my tag on him.

I tracked him for a long ways and the second day found 7 beds close together, thought I would find him...then the blood petered out. It was the best deer I had taken a shot at. I ran into some great guys who gave me a lift to my truck the first night, we exchanged numbers because they were hunting elk in the area and they said if they found him they would call.

Two days later I was headed back up to look for sign of birds, etc...it was eating at me...then I get a call and they had found my buck, the wolves and coyotes had cleaned most of him up.

Not 150-200 yards from where I lost the last sign....I walked in to what was left to see if there was anything salvageable but the carcass was like a Popsicle stick.

It was bitter sweet because I know that old deer deserved better...I was happy I finally got to lay my hands on him but it made me sad that I didn't finish the job with a clean shot...it just made me try harder the next time.

Hope you can have some closure.

LC

[NSDucknut]

Originally Posted by DiabeticKripple

I saw my buck die on a cut line, but I still pretended to track it through the snow so I could practice. No blood whatsoever, just tracks.

That really is the best practise. I did the same last weekend, watched him fall 50 yards away but was in the bush so I wanted to follow his tracks. Expected blood but there was none.

To the OP, sorry to hear this, stick with it!

[catnthehat]

You probably don't want or even need to hear this Jack but I do the same thing - I wait if I don't see it go down.
The buck I shot last week had blood on one side where I hit him but It started about 10 from where he standing.
I was hopeful because it was bright and starting to spray a bit but only on one side.

When I saw him go into the bush he slipped a bit so I figured I would be okay but I went back to the truck anyway and waited.
When I went back in I walked the parameter of the bush( about 100 yards deep and 400 yards or so long) to make sure he hasn't come out.
When went back on the blood trail it got heavier every few feet and then I saw him piled up in thick brush and tangle.
He had only made it about 70 yards from where he was hit and he had fallen and slid 20 feet of that!

There was no way I was going in immediately though even though I was certain I made a good hit.
It meant taking an extra hour to check things out and make sure.

You'll get 'em next time Pal, as my old man used to say
" that's a pretty bad thing , but put it down to experience and remember for next time"!
Not sayin' your situation was the same , and possibly if you hit him higher it would have turned out differently, but it's just something to remember .
Cat

[Lefty-Canuck]

A comment about going after animals too soon....when they are dead, they won't go any further.

If it takes a bit of time to make sure they are dead, then that's the time you have to take.

LC

[Jack&7]

I may have given everyone the wrong impression here. I didn't 'go after him' right away. After the shot, I sat in the blind. Called my buddy and told him the news...then talked to the missus...that was prob 15 min. Then I walked across that field along that quad track to the spot in the first few spruce where I saw them standing. The buck and that doe were long gone into that bush by then.

Once I got there and saw the tracks, I realized that I had left my rope and webbing (my dragging tools) behind at the ground blind. I trudged back across the field. Talked to another buddy on the phone who called me once I got back to the blind...and THEN went to meet my hunting buddy and the owner.

The point I am making here is that the buck was not rushed or pushed. I never rush them after the shot. He had plenty of time to die...he just didn't because of a crappy, non-lethal shot that I made.

[58thecat]

Well mistakes are made, can never take a bullet back, we all have done it, makes you feel bad if you truly respect the animal you pursue but on the bright side he might have bedded down for the last time so go poke around tomorrow all day if required, watch for sign, birds etc, sometimes they hook around to watch thier backs in thicker cover.

[IronNoggin]

Sorry to hear this.

Originally Posted by DiabeticKripple

this is where a dog should be allowed to help retrieve.

Whole-Heartedly Concur! Should definitely be allowed!
My pup (Wolf Hybrid) would have him already.

Best to have another look = he may well be piled up not far from where you left the trail...

Best of Luck!
Nog

[catnthehat]

I looked at you first post after and figured the timeline didn't line up with immediately hitting the trail, but it was too late to edit!
Crap happens and it is a very sick feeling, I know how you feel!
Cat

[drhu22]

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