Argh... Fun and frustration!

DGF

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2001
Messages
153
Location
Wyoming MI, USA
Sunday October 6th, my first day back in the woods in pursuit of whitetails here in Michigan and I get in with quite a few does. My bow in hand, and archery tag in the pocket I pass on a small 18 month doe. I watch her slowly make her way into the corn as 8 more does sneak in from the corn. One mid sized doe presents a shot at about 30 yards. She's great looking, almost a grey as compared to the others. I settle my pin and let the arrow fly. It's a hit as I watch the doe bound into the air and run off in the same direction she was heading. The arrow was still stuck in her and the shot looked OK, high but in the shoulder blade. The high part didn't bother me because I figured the angle from my tree stand would make up for that, but the shoulder blade was a bit too far forward for me... Shit.

I wait awhile before tracking and get down from my stand. I follow blood for a bit till I find part of my broken arrow. After that I find a light color misted blood all throughout the corn field. A beautiful sight. I assume a good lung shot and continue.... and continue, and continue for 7 hours with the help of my dad and mom (Wow is my mom a bloodhound). We tracked her awhile and have to start asking permission because she ran onto some private property. The owner is more than kind and has seen her blood and followed it for about 40 yards out of curiosity early that morning... He jumped her from a bed that we find loaded with blood. After that blood was extremely scarce, some here and there, then none at all, then when I almost lost hope another spec, just enough to keep me going. We quit after 30 minutes of no blood and some rain starts to pick up from a drizzle to drops. I hate to lose a deer! It makes me ask too many what IF's and why did's.

What if she hadn't been jumped by the property owner, why did she cross the fence line, and the dreaded what if she were just another 20 yards away from where I was standing hidden in some brush. I've always stayed away from risky shots and I don't know where I went wrong. I'm assuming I only got one lung, but still how far could she have gone? Grrrr. I guess this is a new part of hunting for me I'll have to learn to deal with and learn from. I wish i could have found her but by now it's too late. The heat outside will quickly spoil a deer with guts inside and she'll be left for the crows.

~Dan~ :(
 
bugger, yeah we all hate that, I've lost too many I thought I have nailed :( and fallen over others I thought I've missed
all part and parcel of the game , do you still keep your tag for another try ? not to sure of your rules and regs.if you do best of luck
 
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