The incredible resiliency of the whitetail buck

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DaveT1963
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The incredible resiliency of the whitetail buck

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:17 pm

I don't normally like to post on public forums about bucks that I shoot and fail to recover. Last year I had a nice wide 9pt buck come work a scrape about 50 yards from me. I voice granted and he ran right to the base of my tree. I drew back my 60 lb longbow and sent a 600 grain goldtip arrow, with a 190 grain Simmons tree shark directly between his shoulder blades and out in front of his left front leg.

This Buck bled like a stuck hog for about the first 40 yards and then slowly the blood trail disappeared. I enlisted the assistance of a tracking hound and we jumped him once and then that was the last we saw of him. I searched for 3 days and never found any sign of a bed, vultures, or anything that would indicate he was dead. However I knew the amount of blood that buck had lost and where that arrow went and I knew for certain that was a dead deer.

Then I pulled some trail camera pictures this week and low and behold there he was. If you look closely you will see the scar directly between his shoulder blades, and it's a nice massive scar that is typical with Simmons broadheads.

It just goes to show you how tough these animals truly are. This is an mid May photo so I think he's going to be an incredible buck come this fall...... And I know a certain tree, near a certain scrape that I will be perched in when conditions are right ....... Redemption.
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Re: The incredible resiliency of the whitetail buck

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:33 pm

It is unreal what they can come back from. I wish you luck this year.
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Re: The incredible resiliency of the whitetail buck

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:46 pm

Crazy. Must have went just ahead of the lungs. Surprised you didn’t nick the spinal cord. :o
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DaveT1963
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Re: The incredible resiliency of the whitetail buck

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:49 pm

Dewey wrote:Crazy. Must have went just ahead of the lungs. Surprised you didn’t nick the spinal cord. :o


Im pretty sure it hit at least one front lobe, there was bubbles on my arrow. I would have bet $500 bucks he was done. The dog cost me $100.... And he worked hard for four hours
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Re: The incredible resiliency of the whitetail buck

Unread postby rhagenw » Wed Jun 02, 2021 1:42 pm

I would be feeling good to see him doing well! Of all of the 3ish old bucks I have shot I will bet the farm that 65 percent had wounds due to bullets or broadheads! Those skinky timber goats are bad dudes!
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Re: The incredible resiliency of the whitetail buck

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Wed Jun 02, 2021 1:51 pm

I'm glad he made it Dave. Given what you described I would have bet he was dead somewhere. Crazy how tough they are. Kill him this year and do an autopsy.
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Re: The incredible resiliency of the whitetail buck

Unread postby john1984 » Wed Jun 02, 2021 2:24 pm

Wow!!
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Re: The incredible resiliency of the whitetail buck

Unread postby Ol Split ( ) Toes » Wed Jun 02, 2021 4:10 pm

Truly tough creatures, hope you get another whack at em!
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Re: The incredible resiliency of the whitetail buck

Unread postby Djp32 » Wed Jun 02, 2021 9:04 pm

Man that’s great to have an opportunity again. They sure are tough. Good luck this season on redemption!!
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Re: The incredible resiliency of the whitetail buck

Unread postby hunter_mike » Wed Jun 02, 2021 11:13 pm

Crazy.... Good luck getting redemtion Dave 8-) 8-)
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Re: The incredible resiliency of the whitetail buck

Unread postby Lockdown » Wed Jun 02, 2021 11:32 pm

A whitetails will to live is absolutely incredible. I’ve read a lot of stories and experienced a few of my own about bucks somehow surviving but this one is toward the top of the list, no doubt.

So you must have (miraculously) missed all the big arteries up front, and hit the front of the lung lobe. The last couple years I’ve realized that just catching the outer edges of the the lung(s) isn’t good enough. Center mass of the lungs have all the big bronchioles and blood vessels. Outside of the lungs are all capillaries.

With the low exit it makes sense that blood was excellent right away. It never ceases to amaze me how fast they start drying up.

He got super lucky! I think you’ll get your redemption this fall ;)
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Re: The incredible resiliency of the whitetail buck

Unread postby G-Patt » Thu Jun 03, 2021 8:22 am

Hope you get redemption and share that story with us this season. Would be pretty cool to include a description of the autopsy and what kind of scar tissue you see. I have a similar story but with a doe I hit at ground level. They are incredibly resilient!
On my deathbed, I will receive total consciousness. So I have that going for me, which is nice!
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DaveT1963
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Re: The incredible resiliency of the whitetail buck

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Thu Jun 03, 2021 1:20 pm

A better look at arrow entrance. I have to believe that twi blade slid around his spine as I hit him exactly where I aimed. Man it feels so much better knowing I didnt waste this animal with a poor shot..... 99/100 times that buck aint going far.
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Re: The incredible resiliency of the whitetail buck

Unread postby Chuck B » Fri Jun 04, 2021 4:08 am

Unreal. Been there as well, they are tuff SOB’s!
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Re: The incredible resiliency of the whitetail buck

Unread postby Huntress13 » Sun Jun 06, 2021 11:38 pm

Wow! Glad you got that intel and can get after him this year!
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