I was on stand early on Wednesday Morning, and saw nothing but squirrels, then at 8 a.m. the flood gates opened and deer were everywhere. Several dinkers bucks were bumping does, and then I heard some good grunts, turned and saw a good buck making his way through the cedars-as cold as it was he looked like a fire breathing dragon with his breath in the morning air. He came from the east and was backlit by the rising sun. It was an awsome sight to see. He made he way behind me bumping does and made a scrape at about 50 yards out. I gave some soft grants, and he postured and made his way to me.
He came through some thicker cedars at about 15 yards, and I let fly-a little to early-he hadn't cleared the branches. I clipped a branch, and the arrow struck him hi and VERY FAR BACK, he turned 180 degrees and bolted. The arrow was burried up to the fletching midway between the ribs and the hip aganst the spine-almost vertical-he carried the arrow with him. He got out of site at about 80 yards. Knowing it was a bad hit, I waited for 30 minutes and then quietly got down, and snuck out.
I went to work but planed on leaving at about 1:30 to get back to the property by 2:30/3:00 to start searching that would be close to 7 hours after the hit.
In starting searching, we knew that unless the arrow punched through the hide by the belly, there will be no blood so it would be a hunt and peck search along the trail he took. looking for running foot steps, upturned leaves etc...
We were a little late getting back to the property. Myself, my friend kenney, and my two oldest daughters went back to the stand at about 3:30 p.m. We measured the shot, and found exactly where the deer was standing. It was 11 yards from the base of the tree and even deeper in the branches than I thought.
We were able to get his general direction from the first 5 or 6 leaps he made after being hit. We followed that run with the 4 of us fanned out cutting a 25 yard swath through the woods. At about 75 yards along teh trail, we picked up blood sign.
We tracked the blood (small dime sized drops) for another 20 yards and found the bed. The deer bedded, then got up, moved another 5 yards, and bedded again. The blood in the beds was dried-as was the blood we were tracking-so the movement was made in the morning.
We followed the blood down the slope of the small rise we were on into a gully with thicker cover. The deer bedded a third time in a thick patch of small beech saplings. we were tracking the slight blood trail at about 4:20 when Elusive joined us in the serach (thanks Tom).
The deer apparently got up a third time and started traveling up the slope of the knoll next to the gully. We followed the small drops of blood some about the size of pin heads about 5 to 10 feet appart. Sunlight was gone by 5:15, and we spent the next hour on our hands and knees with flashlights. we were able to track the "blood trail" another 20 yards. we left an arrow at the last spot of blood and called off the search at 6:30 p.m. to start anew in the morning.
Needless to say it rained last night. We got back on the "blood trail" at 6:45 this morning. I went along with 4 of my kids. We found the arrow at the spot of last blood, but any and all sign had been washed away.
The Grid Search began immedeately. I lined the kids up 10 yards appart, and took the middle. We were able to cover a 50 yard swath of woods with each pass. As Elusive, and Gobblergetter will tell you, the green briars are thick and nasty in there. But the kids were troopers.
We mad 5 passes working our way from the spot of last blood toward the front of the property. On the 5th pass we found the deer. He was a nice 8 point with some broken tines from fighting (old breaks).
He traveled about 250 yards from where he was hit, and about another 125 yards from where we found last blood. The arrow position was exactly as I described it on Wednesday. The arrow was still in the deer.
Now for the bad news: A bear chewed off most of the back end, and took substantial chunks out of the front right shoulder. The innards were completely eaten out.
I have cell phone pics of the buck, but am at work. If someone can post them to this thread, pm me your cell number, and I'll forward the pics
I almost forgot to mention. We pased the buck at least 5 time walking in and out of the woods on the trails we used. He was bedded in his death bed about 5 yards in realy thick cover next to the main trail going in and out-bear dragged him about 20' into less thick cover to feed
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He came through some thicker cedars at about 15 yards, and I let fly-a little to early-he hadn't cleared the branches. I clipped a branch, and the arrow struck him hi and VERY FAR BACK, he turned 180 degrees and bolted. The arrow was burried up to the fletching midway between the ribs and the hip aganst the spine-almost vertical-he carried the arrow with him. He got out of site at about 80 yards. Knowing it was a bad hit, I waited for 30 minutes and then quietly got down, and snuck out.
I went to work but planed on leaving at about 1:30 to get back to the property by 2:30/3:00 to start searching that would be close to 7 hours after the hit.
In starting searching, we knew that unless the arrow punched through the hide by the belly, there will be no blood so it would be a hunt and peck search along the trail he took. looking for running foot steps, upturned leaves etc...
We were a little late getting back to the property. Myself, my friend kenney, and my two oldest daughters went back to the stand at about 3:30 p.m. We measured the shot, and found exactly where the deer was standing. It was 11 yards from the base of the tree and even deeper in the branches than I thought.
We were able to get his general direction from the first 5 or 6 leaps he made after being hit. We followed that run with the 4 of us fanned out cutting a 25 yard swath through the woods. At about 75 yards along teh trail, we picked up blood sign.
We tracked the blood (small dime sized drops) for another 20 yards and found the bed. The deer bedded, then got up, moved another 5 yards, and bedded again. The blood in the beds was dried-as was the blood we were tracking-so the movement was made in the morning.
We followed the blood down the slope of the small rise we were on into a gully with thicker cover. The deer bedded a third time in a thick patch of small beech saplings. we were tracking the slight blood trail at about 4:20 when Elusive joined us in the serach (thanks Tom).
The deer apparently got up a third time and started traveling up the slope of the knoll next to the gully. We followed the small drops of blood some about the size of pin heads about 5 to 10 feet appart. Sunlight was gone by 5:15, and we spent the next hour on our hands and knees with flashlights. we were able to track the "blood trail" another 20 yards. we left an arrow at the last spot of blood and called off the search at 6:30 p.m. to start anew in the morning.
Needless to say it rained last night. We got back on the "blood trail" at 6:45 this morning. I went along with 4 of my kids. We found the arrow at the spot of last blood, but any and all sign had been washed away.
The Grid Search began immedeately. I lined the kids up 10 yards appart, and took the middle. We were able to cover a 50 yard swath of woods with each pass. As Elusive, and Gobblergetter will tell you, the green briars are thick and nasty in there. But the kids were troopers.
We mad 5 passes working our way from the spot of last blood toward the front of the property. On the 5th pass we found the deer. He was a nice 8 point with some broken tines from fighting (old breaks).
He traveled about 250 yards from where he was hit, and about another 125 yards from where we found last blood. The arrow position was exactly as I described it on Wednesday. The arrow was still in the deer.
Now for the bad news: A bear chewed off most of the back end, and took substantial chunks out of the front right shoulder. The innards were completely eaten out.
I have cell phone pics of the buck, but am at work. If someone can post them to this thread, pm me your cell number, and I'll forward the pics
I almost forgot to mention. We pased the buck at least 5 time walking in and out of the woods on the trails we used. He was bedded in his death bed about 5 yards in realy thick cover next to the main trail going in and out-bear dragged him about 20' into less thick cover to feed
