Sad story with a happy ending. A friend of mine shot a young buck but hit it far back. He trailed it for about two hundred yards and gave up. Just damn gave up!  I could not stomach this so I got on the trail and gave 100%. That means hands and knees crawling with nose to the ground searching for drops of blood on the forest floor the size of pin heads. This little buck was a MASTER!!! He lead me through hell and back. He belly crawled through thorn thickets, waded up a brook, went into a swamp outta Star Wars, he would not give up. I trailed him for TWO DAYS! 11 hours day 1, 7 hours day 2. I jumped him several times, TONS of bright red blood. I could not believe he was alive. Finally I found him in a thick young spruce grove that the sun didn't even penetrate. I loosed an arrow and he collapsed immediately. I was shooting from my stomach! Couldn't even sit up so thick!  He was a warrior.
I am doing a european mount with his long  spikehorn rack, and he will forever be remembered for his sheer will for survival.
Don't ever give up on a wounded animal unless ALL possible options for recovery have been exhausted.If you choose to shoot, you better damn well be ready to finish the job! You owe it to them and yourself, if you are the hunter you believe yourself to be.
God bless the wild critters, we can all learn from the meekest of them!!

Well done and well said man!

That is great that you decided to finish whay your friend started.  My cousin shot a buck this year (very nice one at that) that had been gut shot.  He did not know when he shot nor when he drug it out.  He brought it to my house to skin.  I asked him how many time he shot it, he looked at me like I was nuts, then realized I was pointing to another set of holes in the guts.  It was shot with a bow days before.  You could not hardly tell with the skin on, but it was a dead giveaway when we nocked the clothes off.  Them critters are sure tuff.

Congrats on the fine warrior buck!!

God Bless,
Nathan

Very good.

       

Nobly done David!

Good job.  A beautiful hunt turned sour for me on a canoe-in camp when I (stupidly) shot almost straight down into a nice 8-point.  

Short version is I spent the rest of that day and two more in a huge hemlock swamp (Balsam Swamp as a matter of fact) as you describe.  Wet to my waist sometimes wading between hummocks and finding drops of blood only occasionally.  I spiraled, I fanned, I tried everything I could think of.  Never did recover that buck or my arrow.  I was heartsick.  It was more than 10 years before I hunted from a treestand again.

Great tracking  job !

Congrats for your determination.You can say I am the hunter.

Good read.  Congrats

Congratulations!  Your friend owes you big time.  So where was the deer hit?

Good job David. Drive, persistence and relentless pursuit. A true hunter.

I knew it was tough  hunting in Mass...but not that tough. Nice job.
Where did  the other guy's arrow hit?

Well done. Hopefully your friend learned a lesson on trying your hardest to find a hit deer.

I wish there were more examples like yours David.
You represent the very best in a hunter, and hunting.
 I can think of one elk lost in particular that showed a lot less commitment to recover, since it might have meant not hunting the rest of the trip.

Joshua

It's the 'little things' that separate the good from the great.....great job!

YORNOC,
I wish all hunters had the same hart a passion as you.  Nothing boils my blood like "i bloodied one up but didn't find it"

well done sir

yornoc, i beleive you are a hunter in the truest sence. your freind should be ambarassed.  as for myself, there is no possible way i would have been able to sleep at night unless i know for sure it was done. and that means " the meat is in the cooler" if i had a hat i would tip it to you sir. shoot straight . ruddy

nice job