Would I find It ? How would I feel!!!

Muledeer4me

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Joined
Dec 11, 2000
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1,597
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Idaho
I shot a little 3 x 3 buck on sat.
Steve and I were off at first light sat. morning .
We were camping in an area we know real well,but because of some change's in the area over the year's we knew we needed to start hunting it different then we used to.
The area has suffered some big bug kill's over the year's,then was logged pretty heavy.
We had talked about where we wanted to be and how we should hunt it.
Steve is waiting for the late archery season so I was the only one hunting.
We were set to stay for a week ,but as we stopped to glass a bowl I spotted a deer feeding at the top.
Steve had a pine tree blocking his view,but I whispered to him that there was a deer right there dont move.
I took another look and could see it was a buck so I got ready to shoot.
The deer at that time started to go the other way (he still hadnt seen us )but was heading towards the tree's.
As I got set up he stopped just for a sec. I shot had he started to run down the hill but still towards the tree's.
Then he stopped and looked around,I fired one more time and he took off into the cover of the tree's and I lost sight of him.
Steve could not see the deer the first time I shot but the second time it was in full view and he saw it hit and said it was a good one.

Both shot's felt right but the buck still ran.
We worked up a way's with the hope of seeing him piled up ,but we saw nothing.
Steve decided to work up to the top and around the other side of the tree's and I stayed set up watching the opening's around where we last saw the deer.
I have to say at this time the word's of everyone from the post's in the sportsman's issue's (topic about wounded deer)were running through my head.
Should I beat myself up because the animal did not go right down?
How would this look to anyone watching ?
How Im I going to feel if this deer get's away?
Were my shot's bad?
What could I have done different?
Did I want Steve to shoot the animal if he found if ?
All the post's were running through my head so fast.
I have never wanted to see any animal suffer ,and at the same time I understand that nature and hunting can sometime's do just that.
It's strange how many thing's you can think of so fast.
As I thought it over waiting and watching for another shoot at the deer ,I knew for me it would not be right to have anyone else shoot that deer for me.
If it was wounded ,I would feel the guilt and I would track it.
If it ran into someone else and they shot it ,it would be there's.
If Steve saw it I knew he would tell me where it was and I would have to decide how and what to do next.
But for me to hang my tag on any animal that I didnt kill was not right for me.
I understand all the kicking I will get for posting this,but you know what?
After going over and over all the thing's that have been said toward's me because of my believe's about hunting ,I still could not give anyone the OK to put down the deer I wounded and then hang my tag on it.
I have learned to shoot,track,clean,pack,and bucther the thing's I hunt for,for me it's the whole thing or nothing .
As if I was hunting on my own ,I will be the one to shoulder the whole burden (if I make a bad shot,a bad call in the field,dont take everything I need to survive).
The whole thing is a personal thing for me.
Right down to how I kill that animal.
I try to alway's do what's right ,legal and ethical.
To me nothing short of doing it myself fit's that.
If it work's some other way for you guy's that is OK with me.
But I will know in my heart and soul that I did everything I could to do it right,and no matter what I bring home (an animal to eat or the reminder forever that I wounded something and didnt find it)it will be mine to deal with.
Nature itself isnt pretty at time's and the same can be said for hunting.
But it's something we all as hunter's need to come to term's with,and the fact that thing's can go wrong even when we do everything right need's to dealt with.


As Steve worked around the tree's and we saw nothing ,I started to look for track's and any sign's of blood, then I heard Steve call out that he found it.
The deer had ran 30 feet and piled up in the thick stuff.
All my worring and praying that I would find that deer were over.
I was still left thinking over all that has been said ,and wondering if my thinking is screwed up. LOL
But for all I try I can not do it any other way.
I buy a tag------it give's ME one chance to harvest that animal,it give's me the chance to put together all I have learned over the year's.
 
way to go--yep all those thoughts can go thru your head--stuff happens though and you can't beat yourself up about the what ifs--you can only do the best you can to your ability--bottom line is you were successful on shootin'& trackin --congrats----chris
 
Way to go, MD! Glad to hear that it worked out ok. Just because some don't believe the same things you do (me included :D ;) ) about a certain situation, doesn't mean it's not the right way for YOU.

Hope to see a picture of the buck!

Oak
 
Congrats Deb, I'm glad you didn't have to worry about the alternative to that successful hunt. I've only lost one animal ever, and I never want to go through that again, although no matter the planning the potential is there every hunt. We'll have to have a post hunting get together and tell hunting lies, er stories, sounds like you guys have been very successful this year. So the only real question is were are all the pictures???
 
Good Job MD4ME, did you hit him both times or just on the second shot? Just curious.

Oh yea, post some pictures please.
 
Nice buck, I see Steve couldn't help but get into the picture as well, camera hog, wink wink. :D :D :D :D
 
Deb::s%20deer%202002.jpg


Now I need to know how to shrink it down ;) ;)
Second shot I hit him in the heart.
It took us 4 hr. from the time I left untill we had him back at the truck.
I cleaned it and dragged him into the shade when back out to get the pack frame's.
 
That's a dandy buck!! Thanks for posting the pics, good thing I have a 21 inch monitor. Ha HA.
 
nice buck shorty!!!!!!!congrats! ;)
..JB
 
Deb, that was a very worthwhile story for
everyone to read. You are not wrong in your
thinking just as the others are not wrong
with their thinking. Ethics are like a
personal thing. What is right for you may
not be right for others and that is fine. I
can see that this really let you know just
how you really feel about it. That is a very
nice buck you got. Congrats to you. ;)
 
Right on MD!
Nice buck!! I think it's good to have a little scare once in a while to keep us on our toes...
 

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