Lost a buck today

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JakeB
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Lost a buck today

Unread postby JakeB » Wed Sep 09, 2020 10:31 am

I setup Sunday evening to glass over bean field that has a crp and thick woods next to it. It’s kind of out the way and I hadn’t noticed and vehicle’s near it the previous days. Had a bunch of does come out and a bachelor group of bucks about 45 mins before the end of shooting light. 4 of them were basket racks but one of them stood out. He had a good frame outside his ears and good height. Body was noticeably bigger then the rest. I could only make out his g2’s and I wasn’t sure if he was a 6 or I just couldn’t see his G3’s, he was really far off. That night I gave it some thought and figured even if he was a 6 I’d still shoot him if I got the chance.

The next evening I made my way to where he came out and got setup. Sure enough around 7:00 he came walking out alone and came inside of 35 yds. I put my pin on his lungs and shot. My memory of the arrow was it going into his backstrap. The arrow had mostly fat with a little blood on it. He ran out into the beans 100 yards and stopped to figure out what happened and walked off after 10 mins. I was trying to see where I hit him and I couldn’t make out any blood up on his back but it looked like I could see some in his lower chest area. He was far in tall beans so I can’t garrantee that’s what it was. This morning I was there at daylight and took up the trail where he walked off. I started finding some blood and thinking maybe there was a chance. The blood I was finding was lower in the grass then a backstrap hit and maybe I did hit him low. About 75 yds into the CRP I found a bloody bed. As I was studying it, I happened to look up and there he was standing up 35 yds away... I didn’t mention, but for some unknown reason I decided to leave my bow in the truck This morning.. he eventually blew and bounded off. I got a buddy and we looked for hours. I even came back after lunch to look some more. After the bed I could never find another drop of blood even where he was standing.

I’m sitting over the field again this evening hoping for the 1% chance he will walk out again or I could even get a glimpse of him alive and welll.

I work so hard scouting, I revolve my life around deer hunting, I shoot my bow all year, I can drill a target, I have arrows flying as straight as can be and still blow everything at the shot. And then to top it off I left my bow in the truck, I’ve been kicking myself for that all day. I know better then that. I could have finished the deal this morning, but didn’t because I didn’t feel like carrying a bow. Not really writing the post for sympathy or anything like that. I just wanted to share my frustrations with guys that have been there before. Just a crappy discussed feeling.


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muddy
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Re: Lost a buck today

Unread postby muddy » Wed Sep 09, 2020 10:45 am

That sucks, but it happens. Climb back up and keep after it
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PK_
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Re: Lost a buck today

Unread postby PK_ » Wed Sep 09, 2020 11:05 am

Dude it happens to all of us I know that doesn’t make you feel better but it’s the truth. The year is so young man get back into that positive attitude things will bounce back for you I promise. If you stay in that negative space things will fall apart I been there trust me. We can let mistakes tear us down or use them to build ourselves up, it’s a choice.

Also I have learned the hard way to never ever ever ever ever leave the weapon behind whether it’s a quick scout or a recovery job. It’s a tough lesson, learn from it the first time not after multiple times like me.


Be glad for the experience, that one was catch and release. Now go find another one, go find a bigger one.
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may21581
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Re: Lost a buck today

Unread postby may21581 » Wed Sep 09, 2020 11:07 am

Just asking but what kind of hit do you believe you had based on the blood? Are you sure its time to give up on him?
This stuff happens, put your best effort into finding him if no luck then move on. Stuff like this only makes us better hunters. Good luck
"Failure is the price for entry for achieving something great"
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AfootTrack56
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Re: Lost a buck today

Unread postby AfootTrack56 » Wed Sep 09, 2020 11:37 am

That’s a bummer. I’ve been there. Brush it off, learn from the mistakes made, and get back after it. Hopefully you cross paths with him again.
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Jackson Marsh
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Re: Lost a buck today

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Wed Sep 09, 2020 1:22 pm

You need to shake it off. I recommend listening to this song 20 times in a row...you will be ready to kill then.


https://youtu.be/nfWlot6h_JM
SneakyHunter
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Re: Lost a buck today

Unread postby SneakyHunter » Wed Sep 09, 2020 1:31 pm

Where was the blood in the bed? Sounds like a possible brisket hit. The good news is the buck is alive. You better make the next arrow count, i can't imagine wounding the same buck twice!
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Re: Lost a buck today

Unread postby iHunt4Deer » Wed Sep 09, 2020 1:34 pm

Stick with it...It happens to us all....Look at it this way....As bad as you feel, it was meant to be...there's a plan for this deer season man. :pray:
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JakeB
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Re: Lost a buck today

Unread postby JakeB » Wed Sep 09, 2020 11:07 pm

Thanks fellas appreciate it, I’m back at it looking for the next one. I have 4 days left here before I have to head home so maybe I can pull something off. I’m going to walk the area a few more times over the next few days.

To the guys asking about the blood. To me it looked like muscle blood, bright red no bubbles and I didn’t find any dark livery blood or any gut stuff. In the bed some of it was kinda gelly like he was clotting up. It was a descent amount but not like a puddle, not enough to be an artery hit and have him bleed out. What puzzles me is it acted like a brisket hit, the fatty arrow looked that way and could be from backstrap too I guess, he was a big deer and likely has some good fat up high. When I was watching him walk off and saw what looked to possibly be blood was blood, it was behind his leg and looked really close to a heart shot. Maybe the arrow passed under his chest cavity if that is the case. He was plenty alive 12 hours after the shot and ran off hard. I feel pretty confident he didn’t stop Anywhere within 200 yds or so when bumped. I feel like if I would have went inside the chest cavity after that long he would have acted a little weaker.

He was in tall grass and I couldn’t see exactly where he was standing so I wasn’t able to find any hair at the shot to maybe help explain anything.

We spent several hours searching the direction he ran off after I bumped him, we threw in the towel and then I went back for 2 more hours after and looked in some places I think we could have over looked originally. I walked through every bedding area and inspected each bed for any sign of blood. He was about 300 yds away from the shot and ran at least another hundred + when I bumped him. I hated to give up but I felt I gave it everything. Maybe I should have tried pushing him the evening of the shot. But it was pretty thick and I was worried about loosing his trail and having him run a mile away.
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Thesouthpaw
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Re: Lost a buck today

Unread postby Thesouthpaw » Wed Sep 09, 2020 11:42 pm

It happens. All you can do is try to learn as much as you can from it.
Anything worth doing, is worth over doing.
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Kraftd
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Re: Lost a buck today

Unread postby Kraftd » Wed Sep 09, 2020 11:56 pm

Happens to all of us. Be mad at yourself, more importantly learn lessons, and move on to the next one. Dwelling never fixes much of anything. Sure sounds like you hit above the spine through the straps and he should be just fine. That shot will bleed ok, and can drip down their sides from what I've seen a couple of times, but shouldn't be fatal.
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PK_
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Re: Lost a buck today

Unread postby PK_ » Thu Sep 10, 2020 12:54 am

Didn’t realize this was on a trip, yea those mishaps can sting a bit more for sure.

I did have pause originally when you said he was bedded 35 yards from the bloody bed, but you are right if it clotted and he looks alert and running good 12 hours later chances are near 100% he is fine.
No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Rich M wrote:Typically, hunting FL has been like getting a root canal
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oldrank
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Re: Lost a buck today

Unread postby oldrank » Thu Sep 10, 2020 1:43 am

It always sucks but it is what it is. Live and learn. We owe it to the animal to make a clean kill. Make whatever adjustments you need to make to minimize wounding shots. Even then it still may happen again. They are wiley, tough animals.
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Re: Lost a buck today

Unread postby HunterBob » Thu Sep 10, 2020 5:51 am

Has happened to me more than I like to admit. Hang in there and keep at it!
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fenderbender62
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Re: Lost a buck today

Unread postby fenderbender62 » Thu Sep 10, 2020 1:09 pm

Not trying to be critical, but if you're tracking what you KNOW is a poorly hit and wounded animal, why in the wouldn't you have a weapon to dispatch it with. What if he had been laying in that bloody bed alive but unable to escape?

As others have said, learn from this..
what one man can do another can do


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