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JUST SICK!

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UNI Buck

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Saturday Morning, I had the buck I've been waiting for come out 300 yards away and come right to me. I had 4 does 40 yards behind me so I knew he was gonna come. He was a buck I saw lasat season and found the sheds of, 6x5 with one abnormal. This year he is a typical 12 point. Not real long tines, just wide and with tons of mass and palmation. I had him at 15 yards with a fence inbetween us. After pulling back on him I waited and he kept facing directly at me looking at those does. I finally could now hold back any longer and let one go at him trying to shoot through the neck and get to the vitals. I was shaking so hard by then I think I must have hit a shoulder cause the arrow stuck out a long way. After giving him 2 hours, me and my dad tracked him for 1 mile at least we figured out. There was drops of bright red blood the whole time and small pools every 100 yards or so. There was never any sign that he bed down and that we were pushing him ahead. We found my arrow, busted off 8 inches from broadhead, 2/3 of a mile away. He hopped a fence after the mile, and went into a pasture that looked more like a CRP field since it hadn't been brush cut for so long. We didn't find anymore blood and I searched for the rest of the day with no luck. I know he would score in the 170's at least as his sheds from last year scored in the 160's even after the deductions, with putting a 18 inch spread on him.
I've been waiting for a buck like this and it is just the worst feeling in the world, not knowing if he is dead or not or whether I will ever see him again.
Just curious, what how far have some of you tracked a deer? And, is it odd that he would run over a mile, with loosing blood and never bedding down, or does that mean I just didn't hit him good at all? I don't even feel like bowhunting anymore this year, knowing I messed up like this, on such a magnificent animal.
 
I totally understand your feeling unibuck. I lacked enough patience on saturday night to wait for a good shot on a 150+ buck. I had a small buck next to me and the large one came in on him to show him who the boss was. To make a long painful story short the little buck was about to blow my cover so I took a ill advised shot through a couple tree limbs and hit one. He got a nice close shave on his back and believe it or not I got a second shot but at 45 yards. I figured this is one of those once in a lifetime chances so I tried to thread the needle again. I grazed his front left quarter. I found hair and blood on my arrow but none on the ground. I guess the only good thing that came out of it is I don't think he ever saw me. I'm going to try to move on him alittle to throw him off balance.

Hang in there, get back out in the woods it will get it out of your system.
 
UNI buck I know how you fell. I hit one in 1999 in the shoulder a nice 130-140 8pt, never found him. About a week later one of my buddies saw him limping in the field. It worked to my benifit though because I went back out and ended up shooting a Big Buck netting 151 P/Y.

One question though why would you take that shot? Trust me it's better to pass a questionable shot, than have that sick feeling of a bad one. Just my .02
 
This is why the National Bowhunter Education Program stresses to not take a frontal shot on big game animals. The "sweet spot" is a very small target and anything that misses that sweet spot is going to miss the vitals. There is absolutely no room for error on this shot. If you tracked him over one mile, chances are very high the deer will recover with only a muscle wound. Chances are high you won't see him again in the immediate area. Hopefully you have learned a valuable lesson and next time will wait for a broadside or quartering away shot, or refrain from shooting altogether. We all make mistakes. Hopefully we learn from them.
 
Not to make you feel worse, but based on the episode you described, you should feel sick about it!

An animal deserves to be harvested quickly and efficiently as possible.

Misjudgments in distance, and unforeseen obstacles do occur, however, when a desirable shot does not present its self, we must possess enough self-control to with hold the shot.

Hopefully you learned something and all that read this will to, and that deer will recover completely.
 
The more seasoned you get in this type of situation you will be more selective in your shots. I have been there years ago trying to make something happen when i knew deep down it was a low perecentage shot. I hope you understand no one is singleing you out because we have all made some poor judge ments. I admire the above comments because it truly shows there is a true respect for such a magnificent animal. The deeper we respect this animal the more likly we will take proper shots or just pass all together. I have learned it easier to tell my buds i did not take the shot, and know that there will always be tommorrow. Chalk this up as an experience and get back out into the field and enjoy what you have and who knows what might happen. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!
 
Sounds like those frontal shots taken on the Primetime 6 video. People see it happen on video, so they think it is a good shot and they are capable of making it.
 
Sounds like you unfortunately took an ill-advised shot, something I'm sure a lot of us have done at one time or another and regretted. Eight inches isn't very deep from that angle and I think he'll heal up fairly quickly. I don't agree that he'll completely leave the area. We hit a shotgun buck several years ago and he circled and travelled three miles back to the bedding area where we got him. Who knows when you might get that next BROADSIDE OR SLIGHTLY QUARTERING AWAY shot at him. Good luck and stay with it.
 
I wish I could offer my condolences to you and tell you to shake it off and get back to hunting...but I'm going to call it like I see it and offer you the same advice my dad gave me when I made a similar error in judgement 13 years ago. You know that gut wrenching sick feeling you have right now, that knot in your stomach that just won't go away? Remember it, and remember it well. Remember it everytime you draw your bow, or look through the scope or sights of a firearm. Remember it when you are about to squeeze off a shot. Think of the sleepless nights, the naxious felling, the absolute frustration of knowing you were that close to putting a boonie on your wall, now you may never see him again. Think about that magnificent animal dying a slow, painful death from infection. Remember this everyday of your hunting life, you will gain from it. That's what my dad told me after my screw-up...I haven't lost a single deer since.

Everyone makes mistakes. Errors in judgement are compounded when staring eye to eye with a boonie. But, as a previous member said, there are so many things that can go wrong with a seemingly perfect scenario, risking a marginal shot increases the bad possibilities exponentially. I don't want to give the impression that I think I am "super hunter" or anything, I make plenty of mistakes. But shot selection is no longer on the list.

Not to pile on, but you took a terrible shot. Live with it, learn from it, and never, never forget it.
 
When the size of the rack determines the distance you are willing to shoot, you are making a big mistake. Just the opposite should be true. Shooting out to 50 yrds in practice is a great thing. I use a 50% rule. I cut my practice range in half when hunting.
You must shoot for a two lung hit. Even single lung shots cause deer to be lost if you don't catch some liver.
I'd bet that if you would have relaxed your draw and got caught moving the buck would have moved only a short distance with all the other deer in the area, and given you a chance to redraw for a good shot.
Will you see him again?
Well, a buck that size will rut hard no matter what. after many battles with other bucks, endless chasing of does, then some snow and less food. I'd guess he'll be dead from infection by x-mas.
 
My stomach has been in knots Since Sunday night. A similar situation occured. But I did not take the shot and now I fell I made the right decision. I was in a ground blind Sunday night.
I was just about to leave when I saw a monster 10 comming into my fence line corner.
The light was low but I still see my pins. He was coming straight in and got to 20 yards. I had it drawn back on his chest and was waiting for him to give me a broadside shot.
Just then a doe came from behind me and jumped the fence and the buck ran after her. I just could not believe it. I kept thinking should I have shot. But now I believe I made the right decision. But I went to the same spot last night with a decoy and only a small doe showed up. But I don't think the buck knew I was there. Now I feel a little better about the situation.
 
Great post Rhino.You hit the nail on the head.
And yes,Hillwalker you did the right thing you should be happy.Good hunting all.
 
I'm impressed with the overwhelming attitude expressed by nearly all that if you have a poor shot angle, if the deer is outside your effective shooting range, or if conditions are simply just not right for whatever reason, that you hold your fire and wait/hope for a better opportunity knowing that it may not and the animal will walk away. That's being a responsible and mature sportsman. It's very unfortunate that there is a small segment of hunters with the attitude that you can't kill something without putting an arrow in the air, so fire away and hope for the best. Sounds like the poster does not fit this category as he is very remorsefull of the end results.
 
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