Well I got a doe today that brings my Trad count to two in as many years. Unfortunately I almost didn't get her!! Well I set up a new stand on monday since all of my hotspots are dead due to lack of water in this drought. I chose a heavy trail that went from one of my ponds that has water to a bedding area. The stand is in an Oak flat next to a dry creek( first time in 10yrs). There are no acorns to hold the deer its just a more open area for shots. Several deer passed through in the dark and just after sun up a loan 2 1/2 yr old doe comes my way. She turns off the trail in a direction that will take her out of range. For some reason when she is 40yrds out she about faces and back tracks. Now she is comeing to my right in a good shooting lane. She stops with her head behind a tree and I draw and shoot. Don't know why but I shot wide left, Gut shot!! She runs off and when she is obsured from view her running sound stops. I sit in my stand for 45 minutes without making a sound then quietly climb down and back out as quiet as I can as to not disturb her. Back at home I am worried sick and also confused as to why the arrow didn't make a pass through. Well 3 hrs later I decide to take up the trail as it was rapidly approaching 90 degrees. Upon taking up her trail I am worried as there is no blood at all. As I come to where I heard her last I must take my arrow off my bow to progress up the trail and sure enough I come face to face with her at 5 yrds. Well of cource She jumps up and moves. I curse myself for being so impatiet and Immediatly back out. 4 hrs later I take up the trail again and where she had laid my broken arrow laid with scant blood. I slowly advance and in 20yrds I see her bedded again. She knew I was there but didn't want to get up. I eased around until her vitals were visable and sent a lethal follow up through both lungs. She jumped and made a death run and expired. When I got to her I found out why she didn't go far in the first place. Apparently her back leg was forward and the WW had burried up deep in her thigh bone. I was so releived that I had her and she wouldn't go to waste.
Good job on making the recovery!
Great Job :thumbsup:
In all my years of hunting I only lost one deer but I tried for about 9 hrs until Light was gone. And it was my fault as I took up the trail too soon and bumped him out of his bed. When I bumped this one I thought I had made the same mistake.
Good job of staying after her. Sometimes things happen....glad you persisted and made a nice shot in the end.
:archer:
Good job !! :thumbsup:
Well done and Congratulations.......Philip
That's the way it needed to be handled. Great job on not giving up and congratulations. It's harvests like that that mean the most. :clapper: :clapper: :clapper: