Still can't believe how this whole thing unfolded...

2.5 weeks ago, I was stalking my way out of the woods around 8:00 a.m. Late for work, I managed to keep my composure and hunt my way out.

As I scanned the sparse cornfield to my right I see a blob about 60 yards in, motionless. After about a minute of convincing myself that it was a deer I was looking at his head raised up, and immediately set himself in motion toward the path I was standing on. I hit the ground, and concluded that he'd step out on the path out of bow range. In a crouched position I closed the distance a bit and estimated a 22 yard shot.

He stepped out broadside, and my axis arrow tipped with a VPA 3 blade entered low and forward. I knew I had missed lung and heart, but I thought I heard the hollow sound of his chest cavity. I figured I opened up his near side front leg, entered extremely low on the chest cavity, and opened up his offside front leg as well.

He barely flinched as the arrow zipped through him. The wind was in my favor as I crept along the path as he ever so slowly worked his way deeper into the wood lot. I paralleled his path staying about 30 to 50 yards behind and down wind of him on the path I was walking out on. He was hurting badly...

All of a sudden his head whirls and he hits the ground. Did I just watch him die?! Did he try to lay down and put weight on his near side leg and fall hard? Okay... Okay.... Keep it together. Back out, get your arrow... go to work.

A master plan was concocted with the hunting crew while at work that day. We'd assemble on the property at 5:00 (full 8 to 9 hours of letting him lay) set up a couple posters on the escape routes, and I'd go in slowly after him...

Without going into too much detail @ noon that day I got word that land surveyors were out on the property performing a topographical survey of a gas well site... Oh... I should mention that the woodlot where my buck was laying was completely surrounded in and out with bright pink flags marking the perimeter of the well site... You've got to be kidding me?! We haven't seen these guys for a month and a half!!! What are the chances?!

Okay - Plan B... Leave work, fly to the property, track them down... Crap... They have to get this done today... Okay.... Convince them to start on the other end of the woodlot. Bought myself about 30 to 45 minutes... Wind direction won't let me blood trail him if he is still alive... Have to come in from downwind and stalk him where I saw him lay...

20 minutes later I'm standing there with an arrow nocked, jaw on the ground, watching my buck explode out of his very bloody bed down wind of me at 10 yards... Unbelievable... I came in 10 yards shy of him... Circumstances, circumstances...

Head hung low, I reverse bloodtrailed him from his bed to the shot point. After this event my awe-struck attitude was made even more awe-struck. The blood was everywhere... Pouring out by the cup full of both sides of him. How could an animal lose that much blood and still be on his feet 4 hours later?! What a freaking warrior!

Sun up to Sun Down the next two days has us searching every possible theory of where this deer went. Unfortunately a snow / rain mix weather front also tagged along for the ride making any chance of a secondary bloodtrail impossible to decipher.

My stomach was sick... 2.5 weeks of sleepless nights, hardly a desire to "get back on that horse" for the remainder of the archery season. I couldn't believe it. Where was he? He has to be dead... He just has to be...

This brings us to yesterday. On our way back from church, my wife and I were talking about the slow day at home ahead of us. We were going to the property for some Post-Thanksgiving Turkey Soup with her family, and I really had nothing to do for the day. Our rifle season here in PA started the following day (today), and I wanted to stretch out my Bob Lee before the next phase of the season started. (I hunt with bow through gun season)

So we discuss the day, and its decided that after lunch I'd be taking the dog for a hike, stump shoot with my bow, and give the search one last try before a rifle hunter potentially finds my buck. "I just know he is dead babe... He has to be"

Oh how many times my wife has heard that out of my mouth the last 2 weeks... She is truly a saint!

Well... My "light hearted stump shooting hike" turned into a full tilt search for my buck once I set foot into the valleys of the property where my buck eluded our search party. Actually I only shot 1 single arrow that day. (heck of a stump shoot eh?!)

Anyhow... Long story, well... Long I guess, I crested a small rise down by a creek bottom, and there is my dog wagging her tail with a snout full of buck 10 yards in front of me... I lost it! I can't believe it... What are the chances?! Why was I down there today? What made me get in the woods 2.5 weeks later? What the heck?!

The circle of life allowed the coyotes a food source through a couple weeks of cold snap temps. I'm a little disapointed I didn't get to harvest any venison from this, but my thanks for his life was still the same.

Sitting down in that valley with my pup and that truly remarkable warrior really made me thankful for all my blessings. Words still can't describe the emotional high I am on right now. Truly remarkable...

Congrats on finding your deer.  Those gut-wrenching moments happen to the best of us.  Way to go on sticking it out.

What a tale! Good to be certain of the outcome.

What is that pack you have strapped to your leg? Looks nifty...

Well you now know the there is an end to your worries.....to bad you didn't get the enjoyment of the meat but at least there is some closure!

Wow, good one!      

Sarah, If you google search "Browing Turkey Hip Pouch" you will find it.

I've found them as cheap as $12 on discount sites.

Awesome little packs.

Congrats, great job not giving up.

I understand what you mean about closure.

Nice rack, and a pity you won't enjoy nice steaks as well.

It is amazing how deer and squirrels hang on to life.

Thanks for sharing and I'm glad you now "know".  

Unfortunately I've been where you are a couple of times over the past 4 decades. No fun, any of them.  One of them, my last buck kill before returning to recurves, was extra hard to take because I made a mistake tracking. It was ALL on me. That deer was 50 yards to the right of where I turned left.

i know the feelings you went thru...nice deer!

Way to stick with it and not give up on your deer!  

That's awesome man!!  So glad you found him and we able to celebrate!!  Good looking rack too!  Congrats!

Glad you found him but sorry the hunt was not successful.  It happens.  all we can do is learn from it.

i like that. your hard work and effort at least earned ya some closure.  nice deer man, ya earned it.  and we all make a poor shot now and then.

Congrats!

CONGRATS on your deer    Great work finding him  

If everyone hunting had that much persistance, the world would be a better place. Great job sticking with it.

congrats on the deer and your effort.

Thank you for sharing this story.  It's not easy to talk about a hunt that didn't go as planned.  Unfortunately, things happen.  Congratulations on sticking with your search.  I could feel your pain and frustration.

Bernie Bjorklund

NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin