First bow kill, Not the happy ending you would want!!

[sticknstringarchery]

SO I posted about a spot I found on Monday and was going to hunt Tuesday.

I hunted it. It was a great hunt to say the least. Best one every.

I had a good feeling when I jumped 3 doe in the middle of a pasture at 12:30 on my way to the stand.
About 4:00pm I took my bow off the hanger and put it between my legs just incase. At 4:15 4 does came in on the top of the hill in the pasture. I stood up and watched as they made their way down to the corner woodline I was in. as her head tucked behind a tree I drew and waited. I judged her at 22-25yd. She stepped out from the tree and was broadside. I set my 20 pin slightly above her vitals, checked my anchor points and slowly squeezed. WHACK!!! Dead hitexactly where my 20yd pin was placed. I was just a little high. My arrow did not pass through either which surprised me. I'm shooting 285fps with a COC. I watched her run over the hill she came from. I shot the video of my reaction:

http://youtu.be/5qzBPZO4HGQ

I recorded my reaction with my kodack easy share. This was my first verbalization of my emotions.

It wasn't 30seconds to a minute later when I heard the roar of my wifes convict 17year old cousin tearing through the pasture. Doing doughnuts 50yd from where I saw her head. He was on the oposite side of a tree ligned branch that seperates the two pastures. I knew where she was headed until that point. I knew she had to have crashed. I climed down and within 15 min he was coming my way. I was trying to find blood and I told him I hit one. Before I could get anything out after that he was headed to look for her and his no muffler Z71 was too loud for him to hear me say no not yet.

I looked for blood in the pasture for a good 40 minutes while he was out rampaiging around in that loud beast he has. The sun went down on me trying to fond blood. An hour aftter the shot I headed back to the house.

One of my buddies came over and we searched another almost 2 hours. We found nothing. At this point no arrow, no blood and no deer.

Yesterday I had school and when I got out I headed out again for another 2 hours. I then gave up for a couple hours to try to hunt and just couldn't. I came out to fix the 4wheeler for my wife and son to ride for a little while and I went on down to look some more. An hour after dark I found a spot in the fence that was broke. Hair all over it and thick on the other side. I wasn't near where I saw her run at all. I backed out to go look today. I went out on my porche a couple hours later and heard coyotes going to town. They found her. I finally have closure. I am not happy with it but, at least i know how it ended instead of worrying about if she is wondering around the woods hurt.

I am not happy about the out come and next time I will do a better job of trackiing. I learned a lot from this, one of which is a lot about tracking deer from being drilled with a bow is way different than with a gun. Another is that I now know I can do it. I have no doubt in my mind anymore that I can and will kill another deer with a bow.

Sory for not having pics of my first kill looking all happy with my bow and arrow laid accros her. That will come with the next one. Hopefully this weekend!!! Conditions look perfect.

Oh and please, I am not looking for you should have this and should have that. I have had that on another forum already.

Good luck to everyine else on their season!!!

[Brandon]

Chit happens.
Sorry for your loss, but I thing I would like to point out is it was years before I killed more deer than I lost. Dont beat yourself up about it, just get out there and try again.
You know your mistakes, we arent going to point them out again.
Good luck on your next hunt.

[addisonlee]

Nice story. You can never stop learning. Thanks for sharing. Good luck on your next hunt.

[Zap]

Happens to anyone who bowhunts for any length of time.......even me..

[BigHunt]

no biggy man

[Dewey]

Keep your chin up. You did what you had to do to find her and that's what matters. We have all been in the same position at some point and even though it really sucks you have to move on and chalk it up as a learning experience.
Good luck in the future!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[sticknstringarchery]

I will be back at it tomorrow morning, tomorrow afternoon and maybe sunday afternoon, not to mention avaery afternoon I can next week.

Good luck to all!!!!!

[Brad]

Sorry for your loss, but I don't think it was your fault. I believe had she not been chased my the kid on 4 wheeler and truck, it may have been a better outcome. Either way she died from your arrow, so you do have a bowkill! You also found her with the aid of animals which we have been discussing a lot here lately, so kudos on that too. I think the next time you will have better luck and good job on staying with her and finding her with the obstacles in your way, that is what bowhunting is all about, not the hero pictures.

[NightwishMike]

Best of luck to you.

[cwoods]

Dont sweat it too much and keep after it.

[admiral04]

Sorry man. I stuck an 8 pt this yr and didn't get through his shoulder blade. its a bad feeling< but at least now you know why we all love bow hunting