Lost Buck
Bowtech43
9/21/10 3:20am
Well I've kind of dreaded posting this up, but here it is...
The last morning of my 4 day archery deer hunt I was hiking into my spot when I spooked 4 small bucks. Looking ahead I saw two other bucks that were vaguely aware of my presence. I hit the deck and watch these two bucks, one nice, tall, 24-25" wide 3x4, and a two point for 10-15 minutes on my stomach. They knew something was there and were interested/concerned enough that eventually they closed the original 125 yards down to about 108 trying to figure out what I was.
At this point I decided that they were on to me and to try the "move super slow" method. This technique amazingly caused the bigger of the bucks to curiously sniff the air and walk in my direction!!! The wind was perfect and I moved slowly. 95 yards, 88 yards, 82, 75... the bucks started to get antsy, especially the two point. Finally I got to 60 yards and the they both spooked, jumped in the air, stopped and turned broadside. I knew this was as close as I would get. So I took a couple steps and put my 50 yard pin right on the top of his back, as he stood broadside, and let my arrow fly. Much to my dismay, and something the more seasoned archers have talked about, the buck jumped the string, lunging forward. The arrow headed directly for his vitals, but when he jumped I knew the shot was about 6" back and high. Thud however, is the next sound I heard and I knew that I had made a solid hit.
I waited an hour (I wish it would have been much more...lesson learned) hoping the buck would be nicely bedded, or expired. We checked the hit site and immediately found my blood covered arrow. This obviously made me feel hopeful. Then the blood tracking began. We found quite a bit of blood and my optimism was high. We tracked my buck's blood trail for a good hour about 1/2 mile straight up. At that point we found two fairly significant pools of blood, which it hindsight is where he'd probably bedded before we sadly pushed him out. ](*,) Then suddenly, the blood started to be scarce. We found only drops after that and eventually nothing... We search out about a 1/2 mile circle from last blood for about two hours but we could find nothing.
I have been so heartbroken ever since. I've gone over it time and time again, and my conclusions are these. The shot was too far, especially when the buck is already on high alert. An unsuspecting buck would not have jumped the string more than likely, and the shot would have hit it's intended destination. That being said, there are just too many factors at that distance. Unfortunately I knew that, but sadly I had to learn the hard way. (???)
I went back out after 5 hot days, hoping for bad smell and/or birds but I found nothing. I searched for 3 hours in a 2 mile radius around the last blood sighting, but found no sign of the deer. It was depressing, but my efforts did offer a measure of closure.
I've just been sick about it, although I know if you hunt long enough eventually you'll kill an animal you don't recover. My hope is that as the years pass I'll learn and implement skills that will reduce the chance of this happening again. It was a tough deal. :>/
Brandon
The last morning of my 4 day archery deer hunt I was hiking into my spot when I spooked 4 small bucks. Looking ahead I saw two other bucks that were vaguely aware of my presence. I hit the deck and watch these two bucks, one nice, tall, 24-25" wide 3x4, and a two point for 10-15 minutes on my stomach. They knew something was there and were interested/concerned enough that eventually they closed the original 125 yards down to about 108 trying to figure out what I was.
At this point I decided that they were on to me and to try the "move super slow" method. This technique amazingly caused the bigger of the bucks to curiously sniff the air and walk in my direction!!! The wind was perfect and I moved slowly. 95 yards, 88 yards, 82, 75... the bucks started to get antsy, especially the two point. Finally I got to 60 yards and the they both spooked, jumped in the air, stopped and turned broadside. I knew this was as close as I would get. So I took a couple steps and put my 50 yard pin right on the top of his back, as he stood broadside, and let my arrow fly. Much to my dismay, and something the more seasoned archers have talked about, the buck jumped the string, lunging forward. The arrow headed directly for his vitals, but when he jumped I knew the shot was about 6" back and high. Thud however, is the next sound I heard and I knew that I had made a solid hit.
I waited an hour (I wish it would have been much more...lesson learned) hoping the buck would be nicely bedded, or expired. We checked the hit site and immediately found my blood covered arrow. This obviously made me feel hopeful. Then the blood tracking began. We found quite a bit of blood and my optimism was high. We tracked my buck's blood trail for a good hour about 1/2 mile straight up. At that point we found two fairly significant pools of blood, which it hindsight is where he'd probably bedded before we sadly pushed him out. ](*,) Then suddenly, the blood started to be scarce. We found only drops after that and eventually nothing... We search out about a 1/2 mile circle from last blood for about two hours but we could find nothing.
I have been so heartbroken ever since. I've gone over it time and time again, and my conclusions are these. The shot was too far, especially when the buck is already on high alert. An unsuspecting buck would not have jumped the string more than likely, and the shot would have hit it's intended destination. That being said, there are just too many factors at that distance. Unfortunately I knew that, but sadly I had to learn the hard way. (???)
I went back out after 5 hot days, hoping for bad smell and/or birds but I found nothing. I searched for 3 hours in a 2 mile radius around the last blood sighting, but found no sign of the deer. It was depressing, but my efforts did offer a measure of closure.
I've just been sick about it, although I know if you hunt long enough eventually you'll kill an animal you don't recover. My hope is that as the years pass I'll learn and implement skills that will reduce the chance of this happening again. It was a tough deal. :>/
Brandon
8,941
The 2009 season ended about the same way for me. I hit one of the biggest bucks I had ever been within 60 yds of. I let him be for almost 3 hours. Then began tracking. For the first 1/2 mile the blood trail was phenomenal, after that it slowly died off to nothing.
I spent 2.5 days looking for him just combing the mountainside. I was absolutely heart broken the last day of my hunt when I knew I would be leaving w/o my buck. It really stuck with me for the entire year. You know the old story " the one that got away"
Unfortunately it happens more than most would like to admit. I used it as motivation for the coming year and promised myself I would make good shots from here on out. Keep your head up, there is always next year. :thumb
Brandon
Don’t you just hate that hollow empty feeling right in the middle of your gut!
I truly can relate to your feelings, 2010 is definitely a year of sorrow and misery.
We may have to be each others motivators and set some 2011 goals that will pull us back into the game. :thumb
Later
Mark
2 stories:
1st- about 5 yrs ago i was backpacked in 7 miles into a wilderness by myself. 1st morning in a huge snow storm came in.it dumped 8 inches of snow in 2 hrs.
i figures i was waisting my time trying to glass the elk and though my odds were better just hunting some thickets on my way back to my camp. i started hiking and came to a meadow- low and behold, right in the heavy snowstorm, this 5x5 bull was out in the meadow. it was snowing so hard that i was able to get to 40 yrds in some fairly open trees without the bull seing me. i ranged him, and even took into account how EXTREMLY angles the shot would be.
i shot and knew right away i hit him a little far back, not horrible( in the guts) but liver anyways. of cours i knew i needed to give him some time, but in 30 minuts the snow had covered the bulls tracks completly and the blood was dissapearing fast.
now i'm up against a rock and a hard place! what do you do? i have to give him time to stove up , but a cant give him time because all the sign he was leaving was getting covered by the snow so fast.
i ended up going after him hopeing i would see him first and get another arrow in him.
well just as expected- i kicked him out of his bed 100yrds away, gave him another 15 minuts, and kicked him out again. this time never to see him again :>/
i still believe if i had gave him 4 hrs my only chance to find him would have been just to stumble upon him
my bull this year:
i hit the bull (later confirmed to be 1 lung and a 3 inch cut in the liver) at 7 am saturday. i knew it was back a little, great elevation,but he was bleeding good as soon as he started running off. i gave him 45 minuts and started slowly tracking. GREAT BLOOD! he only went 85 yrds and bedded. but i bumped him out of that bed. he didn't run, but slowly walked away. i knew he was hurt bad, so i backed out.
i got 2 buddies to come and help me, we gave him another 4 hrs and started again. we tracked him another 100 yrds,and bumped him out of his bed again. AGAIN- just walked away offering no chance of even flinging an arrow.
that bed was accualy 3 beds with 1 foot pools of blood,but he still got up!
we had no choice but to back out again and come back in the mornig.
the next morning i was convinced he would be dead in a bed withing 200yrds. NOPE!
that bull went 1/2 mile and we had lost his track. i was sick.
it seem that this is where a little luck comes in handy. out of the blue my father-in-law found a track,i didn't think it was my bull, but we had to track it out and at the very least eleminate it being my bull. 200yrds later(mind you, we haven't seem for sure blood for 500 yrds) my buddy finds a little stick from a tree that had poked the bulls side and was 100% blood and elk hair. this spot was smaller than a quater, but was a shot of hope that we were on the right tracks.
100yrds later, we came around a tree and my bull stood up! i took a 60 yrds shot(which i would never do if he wasn't hit) and shot his heart out.
morel of this story?? just the very littlest find,IN my case was that tiny spot of blood,can turn a surely lost animal into finding a trophy! that is why it is ABSOLUTLY important to give a huge effort in finding an animal that has been hit.
and by no means am i saying anyone didn't do that, just pointing out how a very bad situation can turn around with just a stroke of luck.
all we can do is learn from it and do are best to never let it happen again :thumb
And Killbee, that story #2 was crazy. Elk are super tough man!
Mark