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Cotty's Hunt Journal

brock ratcliff

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Heck of a nice deer and a great encounter! That is what makes November great! They actually move through where we always picture them going, and sometimes it isn't 2 a.m.!
 

finelyshedded

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Great hunt Mike! You did the right thing. Passing due to low light trumps wounding him and not sleeping tonight. He'll slip up soon. He's a great looking buck! Good luck tomorrow morning!
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
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Thanks, but I'm not hunting in the morn. I'm all evenings until Friday :(

Gotcha! Evenings will work! Hope the big nine or Outback comes by for ya. I'd be grunting like a sumbitch! Lol

He was off a doe last night and out looking so its time to crank it up a few notches. Goodluck buddy!
 

cotty16

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Back in the saddle in the creek bottom. I wrestled all day with which spot to go to as buck sightings have been at both. In the end I decided to hunt in the vicinity of Kody and my dad. So, I'm after Count Chocula.
There is a scrape line running from my left to my right. Kody is set up about 200 yards to my left on the ridge. Fingers crossed...
 

cotty16

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Skunked...
My heart wasn't in that stand location tonight. It was at the Outback stand, but with the boy hunting it had to be. Dang creek bottom just doesn't produce sightings in the evenings.

Outback it is tomorrow evening since the boy is at football practice.
 

cotty16

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It was a boring then a gut wrenching morning.
I had no action until about 8:30 when my dad texted me that Kody had missed a nice 8 point up the hollow.
He thought he missed anyway...
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1352409295.600102.jpg

After going out to search for the arrow they found it was covered in fat and blood was everywhere. My dad thought he missed low, so it kind of added up that Kody hit just below the vitals in the fatty area.
Kody of course wanted to start tracking immediately. I texted him I'd be sitting til noon then we would look around. So he sat in the tent until noon waiting on me (he slipped a nap in).

When I arrive I get the whole scoop. He was at 30 yards and it was a low shot. This is the first blood we found. Lots of white hair and big chunk of fat.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1352409491.560641.jpg

The trail was easy to follow. Blood everywhere... Then 2 beds right next to each other.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1352409563.330746.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1352409590.366319.jpg

I don't think we bumped him, but we could've. The beds were in a lake bottom and we were walking down the ridge. I think we would've heard or seen him.
As we continued from the beds the blood became very sporadic and then none. We marked the last spot and backed out.

I really don't know if we will find him or if it's a fatal hit. He lost a lot of blood, but I think he clotted when he bedded.

My plan is to hunt the creek bottom he ran down in the morning. My stand is there anyway. Then walk the creek back up the the lake where the last blood was.

I'm sick. I feel bad for Kody and I hope the deer survives if we can't find him. I just didn't want to push him anymore today.
I'm usually pretty optimistic. Not right now.
 

bowhunter1023

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Its a bummer, but I bet that deer is alive. Seen a few hits like that over the years and there is plenty of room to miss low on big bodied deer..
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
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Good luck you guys! If he cut into the gut,stomach or intestine area, I say he'll be dead by morning. If that is where he hit him. Lets hope the deer survives and someone gets another crack at him. Tell Kody I'm rooting for him and to get back out after them. I think you guys might find him tomorrow sometime. Good luck!
 

hickslawns

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How did the blood look Mike? Any bubbles at all? I am here to tell you the deer are loaded with fat this year in my area. The first two I killed this year had very little blood on the arrows. The first one had nearly none yet I hit lung and took out the bottom of the heart. Fat wiped it clean on exit. I don't say this to sound like an expert because I am far from it. I say it simply as a way to leave you with some optimism.
 

xbowguy

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Licking Co. Ohio
Double beds close to one another makes me think he is hurt bad. He hurt bad enough he couldn't get comfy.......Or wanted to leave and didn't feel like it. Just a guess here~~I had a doe do that once and we found her about 50 yds later. I wouldn't give up hope just yet. I sure hope you find him in the morning. Leaving was your best shot at it...Good Luck Mike!
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
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SW Ohio
Double beds close to one another makes me think he is hurt bad. He hurt bad enough he couldn't get comfy.......Or wanted to leave and didn't feel like it. Just a guess here~~I had a doe do that once and we found her about 50 yds later. I wouldn't give up hope just yet. I sure hope you find him in the morning. Leaving was your best shot at it...Good Luck Mike!

I 100% agree with Rick here. I think you guys stand a decent chance in finding this deer tomorrow. Good luck again.