Bow Hunt Deer 2018 day 6 the Big Disappointment

8 months ago
162

Bow hunt Deer 2018 the Big Disappointment. It was Thursday November 15th Door County, Wisconsin. It was 28 degrees 9 mph NW wind, second morning on my morning stand. I like to use this stand in the morning as it is close to the entrance to the woods so I most times will not spook moving deer on the way in. This stand like my other stands is on a sort of deer funnel, I work on upkeep of the fence line so the deer only have certain specific routes, keeping the routes they use most often, and then set my stands according to those natural routes. This day started out as a terrific morning and ended very much as a huge disappointment! I sped the first section of video so the whole video would not be so long. Ten does and fawns came past me; I figured there has to be a shooter buck behind all those does. I picked a shot area, and set the cameras running. Within five minutes I could see a nice buck coming in the distance. He was in no hurry which gave me the perfect opportunity for a shot, the lane he was on is 30 yards from my stand, my bow is sighted for 20 yards so I knew I had to hold the top of his back to make a double lung shot. I felt I had all the time in the world to prepare for this shot, I did not feel rushed at all. I did although have some concern with a branch that was right at my aiming/shooting height while standing. With everything ready for the shot I mentally prepared myself and ran through all the steps in my head that I had to do to be successful. You’ll see the shot was low and forward of where I wanted it, what I seen by eye was a successful double lung shot as he turned and ran back where he came from. I sat down and watched as I saw him walk in the woods, and in my mind it was to lie down and die. After at least five minutes I heard some crashing to my left. The next sequence of events sent me into a frenzy I was not prepared for, a doe came from the opposite direction from where my buck was, (my left) she had a smaller 2.5 year old buck chasing her, they circled my stand once, as they went around my stand I thought “this is great footage” so I took off my release and started to record, and they went around me a second time. This was a big mistake, while recording as the doe and buck ran past the area where my buck was I noticed movement. I now realize there’s my buck, as he comes closer I see he is not using his right leg. I immediately stop following the deer with the camera and as fast as I can I grab the release from my pocket and put it on but of course it never goes that smooth when you’re in a rush. Remember at this point I still do not know how bad my shot actually was, but I do know it was obviously not a lung shot or he would have never made it back up the hill. I grab my bow which is still in my lap with an arrow nocked; I stand up, my buck is to my left, he grunts at the other 2.5 year old who runs away, my buck stands broadside at 30 yards and again I draw the bow, aim and release the arrow. The arrow digs in the ground below his chest. The realization hits me I never aimed at the top of his back for either shot; both times I aimed dead on. It takes me awhile to get another arrow out of my quiver and get it nocked, he is now at 45 yards quartering away, I take aim approximately 2’ above the point of impact, release and I immediately hear that discouraging sound of an arrow hitting a branch. He then follows the hot doe off in the distance, and all I can do is watch in regret. The other 2.5 year old comes back around and stops at 15 yards from my stand as I watch him present me with the perfect shot, in my mind I think I already did enough damage today as I watch him walk away. I wait thirty minutes then exit my stand and walk down the whole sequence. There was no arrow where I made the first shot, or anywhere along his route. The blood I found where he had been standing the whole time watching what was going on was a spray, so I must have hit the artery in the leg and the tendon also as the leg was no longer of use. I then walked his trail up to where I shot the other two arrows. You will see where the second shot was, and where the third shot was, both arrows were clean, neither touched my buck. I then collected my equipment and went home to run through the video footage, at this point I was still not sure where I hit him, and do not want to chase him as he may go lay down. After watching the video at home I then knew what all of you seen, that the shot was low and a couple inches too far forward. Slow motion footage you see shows that the buck drops as the arrow is released or the arrow may have gone below his chest for a clean miss, no such luck. I decide to leave him for 24 hours, go back out and hunt the rest of the day into the dark and watch for him, and then walk down the area again to look for the original arrow with the lighted nock, and search for him tomorrow, I never did find the first arrow. The next morning I hunted until 8:00 AM hoping to see him, again no luck, and then got on his trail from yesterday. As I walked I found very little blood even with the snow, which was melting fast, the only sign I found was on this deadfall which shows he dragged his bloody leg over it. It was his right leg and I do not believe that this was made as he going in after the shot as it was too close to the trees to be made with his right leg going in that direction. I believe he came back out sometime in the night I covered the whole 40 acre swamp every twenty yards for six hours and did not find any more sign. I can only hope he made it to gun season two days later and someone got him. I shot my bow that day to verify the bow was accurate at 30 yards and it was, so this was my fault. I felt so bad that I searched YouTube for a video where someone screwed up as bad as I did but could not find much to help make me feel better. I thought for days as I kept hunting for him should I post this, and decided to post it, if only to help others deal with the same helpless feelings of guilt I was feeling. I hunt with a PSE Stinger 3G compound bow, with a Buschnell holosight, Carbon Express arrows, with Shockwave 125 broadheads. Update: I did see that buck in the spring of 2019, It had been a fairly harsh winter, with snow still covering the ground, and food was scarce. I have a close friend who has an orchard, and I was able to get apples, and apple mash from making cider, and put some in my back yard for the does and fawns, and I could not believe my eyes to see my three legged antlerless buck come in for an afternoon treat, that was the last I saw him.
Below are the addresses my YouTube channel which I no longer have access to, my Instagram page, HRI Services welding Facebook page, and my Facebook page Outdoor Pursuits

https://psearchery.com/
https://www.scentlok.com/
https://www.feradyne.com/carbon-express/
https://www.newarchery.com/product/shockwave/
https://www.usa.canon.com/
https://www.tactacam.com/

https://www.doorcounty.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@HRIservicesllcSturgeonBay
https://www.instagram.com/hri_services/
https://www.facebook.com/HRIServicesllc/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/218766029078898

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