Oh that's good, no that's bad

beyondmyken · November 12, 2011, 06:58:00 PM

On Thursday, just at 5 pm, I saw a nice buck on the other hillside walking to the east. I grunted and called and he came in just like they do in the magazines. Oh that's good. But when he got up the ridge to me, he was a little spooky and I rushed the shot with the arrow going over his back. Oh that's bad.

I go to the same stand in the morning and immediately a whopper of a buck is coming up a small ridge to the south of me and eventually presents a 10 yard broadside shot. Oh that's good. But when I shoot, I see most of the arrow sticking out. Oh that's bad. He runs off down into a creekbottom and up the other side. I am sure I hear the death crash on the other hillside. Oh that's good.
I wait for 2 hours and then begin to track. At first I could not find any blood but then only a drop. Oh that's bad. Then a few more drops. Not a lot of blood but able to discern the direction he went. Near the top of the hill, the blood trail gets real big. Oh that's good. Now I am really moving along and find some hair with blood where it looks like he fell and got up. I follow the blood trail all the way to... the gut pile. Somebody found my buck, field dressed him and took off. OH THAT IS VERY BAD.

pauljr · November 12, 2011, 07:01:00 PM

Thats Bad!!!!

lpcjon2 · November 12, 2011, 07:03:00 PM

Go back tomorrow they may have butchered it and left it packed and ready for the freezer for ya.

That does put a damper on a hunt,sorry

Catskill Longbow · November 12, 2011, 07:04:00 PM

Sorry to hear, but maybe someone else put the kill shot on your wounded deer?

Kapellmeister · November 12, 2011, 07:06:00 PM

That was good! (The story, I mean!)

Rob W. · November 12, 2011, 07:06:00 PM

Some people amaze the crap out of me! I had a gun hunter that I had never met help me drag a deer out today. Your story was the flip side of that coin. Sorry to hear that.

Rob

Bobby Urban · November 12, 2011, 07:11:00 PM

Did you find your arrow?

I think that would be the as low as it gets but maybe Catskill is onto something? If your blood trail was that bad and you did notthink you had very good penetration maybe another hunter shot it(this is where the blood got good)

Maybe thay had no idea it was even hit. I would hope this were the case because taking someone elses deer is just low down

Bob Urban

Catskill Longbow · November 12, 2011, 07:13:00 PM

My thinking too.

Furseeker · November 12, 2011, 07:22:00 PM

Either way that's a terrible outcome to what I thought was going to be a good story. I've had that happen to me one time, when I followed up the blood trail I cam across a father and super excited young man standing over "my" dear. The dad took me aside and said he knew the buck was about to expire, they jumped him out of what was to be his death bed. I saw how excited his son was so I walked over and congradulated the boy on his first deer.

Ground Hunter · November 12, 2011, 07:50:00 PM

Well at least you still have your tag.

Looper · November 12, 2011, 08:01:00 PM

Did you follow the drag marks?

GRINCH · November 12, 2011, 08:03:00 PM

Good story,bad outcome.

LONGSTYKES · November 12, 2011, 08:08:00 PM

Great story,sorry about loseing your buck.

The Whittler · November 12, 2011, 09:19:00 PM

That is a bummer but you still get to hunt ,Oh that's good.

Furseeker, good for you. A very unselfish act for a young hunter.

David Yukon · November 12, 2011, 09:27:00 PM

Man, that is a bummer! I wouldn't know what to do... Is there something to do???
I guess, go after an other one!?!?!

beyondmyken · November 12, 2011, 09:55:00 PM

Actually, what several suggested above, is what I think happened. It is possible that someone put the kill shot on the buck. My shot was high so would not have left much blood. At the top of the hill where the blood trail improved alot, there was a line of pink surveyor's tape tied to trees in a line and I suspect someone used these to mark their trail to a tree stand. I have thought constantly about what I should have done, one more step to improve the angle, aim just a little lower, etc etc.

Montanawidower · November 13, 2011, 11:09:00 AM

I am of the mind you killed him and were robbed. It happened to me 5 or so years back.

I shot a 130 class whitetail that died within sight. I walked out to get my cart and a buddy to help. We grabbed some quick breakfast and headed back out. When we got to my buck, one of the neighboring landowners was GUTTING my deer. After a very awkward exchange, he claimed he watched the buck drop through his binos and saw me walk out without the deer. He figured I couldn't find it and he didn't want it to spoil.

The story was plausible enough except he could have CALLED me.

Anyway, I let him finish the gutting and he helped me load the deer. He felt pretty lousy I could tell. However, had I been 20 minutes later my deer would have been missing!

briarsdad · November 13, 2011, 11:19:00 AM

I'm sorry to hear that. It has never happened to me so I don't know how it feels but I assume it's not good. :mad:

Bjorn · November 13, 2011, 12:41:00 PM

Looks like somebody got your deer-that's bad. You still have an unfilled tag-that's good!

November 13, 2011, 06:54:00 PM

That's not bad.......that is down right chicken poop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JMHO,

Bisch