# Losing Deer



## Tater639 (Apr 6, 2011)

I am glad BP opens tomorrow in our area of NC. I went out with a buddy yesterday and just sat without hunting- got out of work late and just went over to the farm for support if my buddy got one. He was ready to come down as a neighboring field shot 20 times (pistol) and we thought it might not have been too bad of a spook. 5 minutes later 20 more round went off. He came down, packed up his stand, and was getting ready to leave when we saw 2 does coming down the pipeline right at us. We stood there thinking no way this is happening as they saw us and didn't seem to care. They kept coming at us! My buddy knocked his arrow with a climber on his back and went to draw back, does still didn't care walking towards us. All of a sudden, a 6 point comes out and nails the doe, mounts, and starts handling his business! 

My buddy decides to take the doe instead and let the 6 walk for next year. Shoots the doe, looks like a good kill shot from 25 yds and arrow goes through clean. She drops, stands, does 2 spin arounds, and then runs about 50 yds. She stands there about two minutes by a gas line post marker then stumbles into the woods. We give her about 45 minutes, find the arrow, and had good blood on it. Followed a great blood trail down the pipeline to the marker, get to the woods, and follow the trail about 15 yds in. All of a sudden, no blood! 

This is the second time this has happened to him and we searched 4 hours on the first with blood disappearing and no disturbed leaves through the path she was taking. We searched for this one for 3 hours in the rain and still no luck! I am loving the adrenaline of Bow Hunting, but it makes me sick beyond description to know a deer died without finding it. The first one, we came back to restart the trail with fresh eyes as it was cold enough through the night to leave her. Coyotes had got her when we found her first 15 minutes of picking up the trail.


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## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

The shots generally don't spook deer. If it does it could spook them toward you. He should have stayed up in his stand. I have shot a deer many times only to have the other deer return a few minutes later. 

Loosing deer sucks but it is part of bowhunting. It will happen from time to time. I was fortunate enough not to lose one this year but I have in the past. Good luck with the muzzleloader. I passed on a buck on Saturday and killed a doe. Tuesday I did not see a deer. Yesterday I passed on two more doe.

Darin


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## Tater639 (Apr 6, 2011)

Well I hope to see one tomorrow (weather permitting). On this farm, I have been lucky to at least see deer this year, but they have been out of range. I think I am going to go behind the house as I have seen major highways through the woods and a pretty good and fresh rub going into an open field. I am hoping to sit up on the ridge and intersect them coming down a logging trail to the field. I just want to get meat in the freezer, not concerned with a buck unless it is 8+. I made a personal decision to wait on my first buck to be something special and let others walk as I would like to have a memorable story of my first buck and not say or it was just a spike etc. 
Good luck to you though!


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## chriscustom (Jun 17, 2006)

Tater, we lose deer. I hate it. But the only to cut down on losing deer is to practice practice practice! Shot placement is a MUST. Practice ALL angles on the ground and up in a stand. I've been bow hunting for about 28 yrs. and lost 2 this year.SUCKS! 1 was a small buck that I should have found.....but didn't. The other I made a bad shot on and knew it would be near bout impossible to find it. SUCKS. But all in all bow hunting is my faveroite time of the year to be in the woods...well maybe smoke tubing in the rut, but you catch my drift. Keep Practicing yo!


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