Bittersweet, but humbling 2015 buck

[Kaiser878]

I started the year off with very high hopes and a great deal of confidence. I had a deer I had been watching since June....I had thousands of pictures of him and had watched him for hours..... I had literally been counting down the days till opening day... It couldnt get here soon enough.... At first he had a friend with him, and to be honest, I would have killed either deer..... but around september 1st, the 9 pt left.

Opening day came about and i was waiting for him in the evening. about 730 he appeared... he was around me for 12 min and never gave me shot... at one time he was withing 15 yards... I was sick.......

The next day rolled around and I headed back to the spot at 345 pm. I was walknig down the over grown trial leading to my stand when a deer jumped up and bounded in front of me... It was him.. he stopped at what I estimated to be 40-50 yards.... I drew my bow( I never walk in without an arrow knocked) and gapped my 40 and 50 yard pins... I shot.... Literally no sign of hit.. No hair no blood, no thump... I thought I missed...I looked for 45 min to an hour... nothing.... I went home.... I didnt even tell my wife I had missed.... I was embarassed....

While laying in bed that night it was eating at me.... so I got up the next morning and made my way down there, my first mistake was I didnt take my dog..... I looked for the arrow for another hour and spent 2 hours drid searning..... Still no hair, no blood, no arrow...... In my mind, I missed that deer.... I was convinced.... I was dissipointed....

fast forward to the 7th..... I was walking in to check a camera when I smelled something dead rt beside the trail..... Low and behold there layed my buck with the arrow still in him.....I was sick...... He was literally laying 10 FEET from where I walk in, I had walked past that deer 12 times....... Had I taken my dog the following morning, I would have found that deer..... Some how when I was looknig for blood the night it happened, he must have looped around behind me..... THis is the first time htis has ever happened to me.... and I hope it never happens again..... Worst feeling of my life.....

 

[Kaiser878]

 

[hickslawns]

What a bummer. Could you tell where the arrow hit? I noticed you had circled the end of the arrow. From that pic it doesn't look like a lot of penetration but who knows. Hard to tell from that pic. Congrats on recovering the antlers anyway.

 

[Kaiser878]

Ya it's hard to say..... it was buried in a bone ... it wouldn't pull out.... the broadhead made it into the lung area.... and was stuck into a bone up there.... but I wasn't digging around to see. Everything was so decayed it's hard to say.... fromm the looks of things over half the arrow was in the deer

 

[hickslawns]

Hated to ask but was hoping maybe we could all learn something from it. We found one for a buddy a couple years ago in a similar way. Even brought Hank out to find him but with no blood it is tough. You don't know if he is following a scent or if he is confused from all the guys tracking what blood there was to go on. Walking all over the place before you bring in the dog makes it tough on the dog to figure out what direction to go.

 

[CJD3]

That's a hard situation. Sorry it went that way for you.

 

[finelyshedded]

Good follow up Zach! I'm sorry you didn't find him sooner like you'd hoped but no blood or hair I can see where you thought you missed. I know you're a big proponent of Rages and have had excellent success with them. In your opinion did it cause you to not find this deer? Just trying to use this as a learning tool for someone later down the road. Maybe they take a dog the first time in. Evidently the Rage hypo did it job internally but did it not leave enough of an orifice to spill blood, in your opinion?

Regardless, you had this deer pegged by your hard work and recon and put yourself in a great position to kill this great buck. I'm glad to see your persistence pay off! He's a great deer! Don't be TOO hard on yourself though, it has happened to all of us at some point of our hunting career. Its very admirable that you taken this situation so much to heart.

Congratulations on killing a heck of a buck!

 

[Kaiser878]

I'm not a person to blame equipment. And I've been on a lot of deer tracking jobs with all broadheads. Good shots and bad shots. From what I can tell, my arrow was where it was supposed to be. Was it the rages fault? That's kinda crazy to even think that. I know everyone here would love to hear me say it was a malfunction with a rage but that's kinda silly. The deer literally probably didn't even run 100 yards. But due to the fact that this whole area is head high weeds and some of the thickest stuff I've ever been in, I literally couldn't see the deer. The high grass is probably the reason I didn't find much blood. I rrally don't care what anyone says, the broadhead didn't matter. No broadhead is going to make a deer bleed any different when the entry is in the paunch on a quartering away shot. And at 40-45 yards no broadhead was gonna pass through at that angle either probably. Might have , but I doubt it. I would also be willing to bet that at that angle I've probably had a 4-6 inch slice going down the side of the deer.

I've killed to many deer and helped track to many other deer than to blame my equipment. This is the first ttime in 18 years bowhunting thus has ever happened to me. I've seen and head it happen to other people, just not me.

There is one thing thay malfunctioned in this whole situation, and that was me. Everything went correctly except for me doing my part at the very end. My eyes failed me more than once in this situation. I take full blame for this. And it's a hard pill to swallow, after such a clean bowhunting history leading up to this

 

[GoetsTalon]

Like i said in a earlier thread that i have been bow hunting for over twenty years and still learning. Don't beat yourself up. At least you found him before the mice and squirrels found that rack and chewed the shit out of it. Thats a awesome deer and a great story and you should be proud that you got him. Just think if you would have found blood and hair and never found him. Talk about feeling like shit wondering if he was alive or just wounded. I have been there along with friends that hunt and it sucks big time. The first thing my buddy did last year was to check the shoulder on my buck looking for a old wound on one he lost a couple years ago that still haunts him lol.

 

[Mike]

Nice recap. Now quit beating yourself up. Beautiful buck.

 

[finelyshedded]

I'm not a person to blame equipment. And I've been on a lot of deer tracking jobs with all broadheads. Good shots and bad shots. From what I can tell, my arrow was where it was supposed to be. Was it the rages fault? That's kinda crazy to even think that. I know everyone here would love to hear me say it was a malfunction with a rage but that's kinda silly. The deer literally probably didn't even run 100 yards. But due to the fact that this whole area is head high weeds and some of the thickest stuff I've ever been in, I literally couldn't see the deer. The high grass is probably the reason I didn't find much blood. I rrally don't care what anyone says, the broadhead didn't matter. No broadhead is going to make a deer bleed any different when the entry is in the paunch on a quartering away shot. And at 40-45 yards no broadhead was gonna pass through at that angle either probably. Might have , but I doubt it. I would also be willing to bet that at that angle I've probably had a 4-6 inch slice going down the side of the deer.

I've killed to many deer and helped track to many other deer than to blame my equipment. This is the first ttime in 18 years bowhunting thus has ever happened to me. I've seen and head it happen to other people, just not me.

There is one thing thay malfunctioned in this whole situation, and that was me. Everything went correctly except for me doing my part at the very end. My eyes failed me more than once in this situation. I take full blame for this. And it's a hard pill to swallow, after such a clean bowhunting history leading up to this

That's an impeccable record Zach and one to be very proud of! For him to only travel 100 yards the BH did it's part and I'm sure the vegetation and high weeds made it very difficult in all aspects of your inspection after the shot.

It's awesome you found him and put it to rest....great job!

 

[DandaMan]

I feel your pain. I had a similar situation several years ago. It put me out of the game for a few years. Learn from it, let it go and move on.

 

[5Cent]

Shit happens man, to everyone. Sucks ya had to find him this way, but atleast ya did. Someday youll look back and realize in the scheme of things its no biggy but I know youll be replaying that shot in your head everytime you draw back on an animal now. Sometimes it takes something like this to ground us again and make us realize that we are only a small part of the puzzle. But, a very critical piece.

 

[runhunter]

Worst feeling of your life???? Where do I sign up to be you? The deer is dead right?? You killed it? You found it?

 

[Kaiser878]

Worst feeling of your life???? Where do I sign up to be you? The deer is dead right?? You killed it? You found it?

I meant more so in my life as a hunter. Sorry

Deer hunting is more than just deer hunting to me. I don't really share my pre season endeavors like a lot of guys do... but a few of the guys here who know me, know what im talking about. Ric, carpn, rutin know.. weve discussed this deer at great lengths....

Its hard to explain, it's almost an emotionally intimate relationship you build with an animal. Sometimes I think that's what it takes. Going out and killing a random deer isn't the same. But killing a deer you know.... a deer you have watched, schemed and planned for is different. I knew everything about this deer. I literally lost sleep over this deer....

I take deer hunting a little more seriously than I think a lot of people do.... I strive to be the best I can be.. I wanna succeed. It's my personality. When something like this happens, it's a huge blow.... something somebody who doesn't share the level of passion as I do, won't understand.

Ya I found him..... but in my mind I wasted a gorgeous animal.... I wasted 80-90 lbs of meat.... he deserved better than that. That's all

 

[runhunter]

No you're right. I don't get it. A lot of us take it serious and don't look at it as just killing. I understand all that very well and agree. What I don't understand is that it's a huge blow to what? You planned and executed on a giant. Not trying to be a dick but stop the bitchin. Lol. This post should be all excitement. Instead it's like your best friend died. Get it together over there. Lol

 

[cotty16]

High weeds are a bitch to track in. Sounds to me like it was just a stroke of bad luck to not find him right away. Anyone who hunts long enough will eventually experience this. Part of the game.

The good luck part is you found him.

 

[cotty16]

Gotta give you credit. You tagged him. Some guys would've said fugg it and kept buck hunting. True sportsman.

 

[Joel]

Gotta give you credit. You tagged him. Some guys would've said fugg it and kept buck hunting. True sportsman.

x2. You are the man for tagging that deer.

Trying to think about how I would feel if that happened to me. I'd be upset about the meat, kicking myself for not finding it sooner. On the other hand, you made a good shot, found the deer. Not your fault that the vegetation was too thick to see into. Shit happens. You have big antlers, a story to tell and the rest of the season to shoot a doe for the freezer and to redeem yourself.

Congrats again on a fine buck. Sorry it didn't end the way you wanted.

 

[jeremy44230]

Not much more can be said.... You did your part through the whole crappy experience. Kudos for that.