Bow stand log

[archerystud]

Have been bowhunting all week. I'm seeing a few deer and passed on 3 small bucks. I did have a nice 8 (130 class) at 25 yards on Monday but couldn't get a shot at him.

On Wednesday night I found a freshly picked cornfield that I had permission to hunt and in a back corner was a tree that had fallen down with corn around it. So I decided to try a "corn blind". I had a small 9 point buck and a doe fawn anywhere from 5 feet to 20 yards away for 20 mins. It was a blast. I'll post pics of the buck later when I get to my computer (using my parents now and the USB port is broke). I could here the doe chewing on corn. At one point she peed in the field and the buck was so close he did a lip curl and I could hear him breathing in.

Last night I had a group of 4 does go by. I've seen the 4 together a few times but this time one bedded down by me and let the other 3 leave. After a few minutes she got up, peed on her back legs and took a different trail away. She was on the same trail I had seen the nice 8 on Monday night so I was really pumped until quitting time. No bucks showed up during legal light. Oh well.

I got some pretty good pics from some different stands. I'll post them on the view from a stand topic next week.

One more evening until gun season. Still got a chance.

[Lunker]

North-cenrtal WI. Been hunting evenings this week. Pretty slow, couple does,a spike, and a fork is all i've seen. On the camera there were two eights two nights ago, both feeding actively. Haven't been seeing much sign of the rut yet.

[archerystud]

UGGHHHHH!

Well I saw the big 8 tonight and put a bad hit on him. I drew back and thought he'd follow the does but he didn't. Then he stopped with his butt facing me for a long time and I was just about to drop my bow and he turned quartering away. I hit him in the back leg. I am completely sick to my stomach.

I plan on going and listening for coyotes in about an hour. Otherwise I'm leaving him overnight. I'll go in with the gun tomorrow. Wish me luck!!! I hope I get some sleep tonight.

Lesson learned is next time I'll drop my draw and just not take the shot.

#$@%@!#$%@@#$%@#$%

[Steve Foss]

Best of luck finding him dead and intact, archerystud!

[archerystud]

Thanks Steve, I swear minutes are ticking by like hours right now.

[Sproguy]

Well ArcheryStud your story gave me the courage to confess my story today. I am just sick and will most likely not sleep tonight!

I have hunted everyday since Friday the 29th. I have seen a couple good bucks and one MONSTER that winded me at 45 yards. I have seen mixed results, the wind mid week really had them down, but finally this am the deer were moving. I had a doe early, a fork, a doe being chased by a different fork, and 2 does that were VERY twitchy to say the least all before 830. Well about 845 a beautiful 10 pointer showed himself, not a giant but shooter in most books, and is for sure a shooter in mine. He came in and slowed down right at the perfect spot, then really slowed down. He was about to enter my 25 yard lane and I drew and just knew this buck was mine! Well he stopped and turned toward me and just stood there. I had my bow drawn for awhile and my mind started to RACE. I just didn't know what to do, he lifted his head and busted me! Well my mind at the speed of light thought, "Other guys shoot them from straight ahead!" At the same time the other side of my brain was screaming NO, NO, NO, as I released the arrow. He turned on the string I guess and I hit him in the shoulder with about 90% of the arrow hanging out he ran away! I almost threw up off the stand, I knew how bad I had screwed up. It was a huge mistake! I have no one but myself to blame, I know better and I just flat out screwed up. (To my fellow bowhunters, I honestly am sorry!)

I gathered a friend and we tracked him for almost 200 yards before we found even a drop of blood, then a short blood trail that lasted maybe 75 yards and it stopped. I spent 4 hours on my hands and knees trying to find even another spec of blood, there just isn't any. No arrow, no blood and no deer. Finally around 4 I started doing grids to see if I can find the deer. No luck! All told I think there was less then 25 actual drops of blood over a 75 yard stretch. I hit him in the shoulder, I screwed up! I will look again tomorrow but I fully expect that he is wounded but still on his feet, for that I can not say how sorry I am! I feel terrible! I am a man but a couple times while crawling on my hands and knees I got tears in my eyes knowing I wounded an animal that might not die for several weeks/months.

I am truly sick! So Archerystud and my fellow bowhunters that have screwed up, please remember it has happened to others as well. You are not alone in the sick empty feeling that will haunt you for a very long time.

Sorry guys, I tried, but I had to leave a wounded animal out there because he isn't wounded enough. I am just sick!

[archerystud]

Sproguy,

It will happen eventually but I know how you feel. I had a blood trail but with the cooler temps time is on my side. Yotes might find him but I'd rather find half a deer than no deer.

As an ethical bowhunter we should feel bad. The best advice to give would be to think what you did wrong and how you could correct it. I know what I'll do next time. I panicked because I rushed the shot since I was worried I held the bow so long. I think this winter I'll practice some "long hold" shots and see what kind of group I can hold.

I haven't heard any coyotes yet but I'm going back out in a few minutes.

This is one time I'm hoping I'm more LUCKY than good.

[Stratosman]

Spro Guy.... takes alot of guts to admit your mistakes where everyone can blast you...It is sad when a deer is wounded and lost, but we owe it to the deer to do what we can to find it which it sounds like you did. And then realize it's a painful and very valuable lesson. I bet you will never take that shot again! We've all been there so I surely 'aint about to cast the first stone...

Archerystud good luck in findin him, at least it's a cool night, hopefully you hit the main artery in the leg and he bled out in short order.

[delmuts]

We all make bad shots sooner or later! It sucks! The best we can do i do what what ever we can to recover the deer, then learn from our mistakes! I did the same thing last week. Had the deer quartering away, and shot to close to the front leg missing all the vitals!

[archerystud]

Update:

I have a good blood trail up to the river where the buck jumped in.... I have a call in to get permission to check on the other side. It will be a tough track but if he made it across I think I will be able to find it. At a minimum I think I'll get permission to go in after season, which I will do as early as I can.

Stay tuned I'm not done yet......

[DonBo]

Update:

I have a good blood trail up to the river where the buck jumped in.... I have a call in to get permission to check on the other side. It will be a tough track but if he made it across I think I will be able to find it. At a minimum I think I'll get permission to go in after season, which I will do as early as I can.

Stay tuned I'm not done yet......

Be sure to check your side of the river far downstream. I've seen them swim/float for some time and end up on the same side. We found one dead, floating up against a deadfall far out into the water.

Good luck, hope you don't have to wait till the season's over to have a look.

[Shu]

Spent about 7 hours in the stand with my son today in WI and never saw a deer. Very strange. The wind was really blowing but that may be the first skunk of the year. We'll try it again tomorrow.

[Rippinlip]

sproguy,

Happens and is it not unbelievable how bad it makes us as hunters feel?

Sounds like you did what you could, good luck and move on.

archerystud,

Hope it all pans out for you that you might be able to recover him in whatever shape he is in, closure is a big part of it.

Good Luck gentlemen in finding and getting over some bad situations.

Mark

[archerystud]

Hey guys,

I never found where he crossed. I spent nearly all day Saturday looking for the buck and have no idea how many miles I walked. I looked until 5PM and never picked up the track. I did recover the arrow and it never passed through so it may only be a flesh wound for that guy.

Donbo,

He either didn't make it across or he did like you said. I checked all of our shoreline but that's all I had permission to check. As high as the MN river is right now I doubt he could have swam up stream.

[Steve Foss]

Sorry to hear it, archerystud. It happens to most every dedicated hunter sooner or later, but it sucks when it does!

[Shu]

Only 1 deer tonight in WI, a spike that my son missed - shot over the back at 17 yards. I did hear some bucks fighting but did not see them. Strange I have not seen a doe in 2 days straight.

[sticknstring]

Sorry to hear about the lost deer guys. Both circumstances sound like there's a good shot at both deer recovering. Lets hope so anyway. We all learn from our mistakes. If you haven't made any, you haven't hunted very long.

I took my wife out for her 3rd sit of the year Sun night. We finally saw some deer. About 10 after 5, a fawn came out followed by a doe. I could tell a third a deer was back in the brush and would've bet the farm is was a buck. I turned on the camera and had her get in position to draw. Racing through my mind which buck it would be and out pops another doe...DOH.

[Shu]

Seeing some new and big bucks on the camera from last night. Saw a nice 10 chasing a doe around tonight, just not close enough for my son. This week and weekend s/b interesting.

[Sproguy]

Well hopefully I was able to put Fridays deal behind me and regroup. My wife and I sat together in a double on Sat morning hoping that she would bag her first deer with a bow. Well the wind was terrible and she was a real sport, she toughed it out until 10 and was shivering so I pulled the plug. One, maybe two deer but it was through some thick stuff and it never got close, didn't hear much in our area for shooting either!

Sat Sunday in the am in the same stand I screwed up Friday. Saw 6 does/fawns at various points but as the wind picked up it was getting to be a bad wind direction for me. Sunday afternoon I put up a new set and saw 3 fawns, 1 being a button buck. Slow! Wasn't sure if it was the crazy wind on Sat and the SE warm wind on Sunday but the weekend was really slow for me.

Sat again this morning but only saw a small deer at very low light and another deer off in the distance through the trees, no idea what it was. I think the warm weather is really screwing things up for me!

When I need some mojo the most I can't seem to see deer!

It is my belief that the warm weather is pushing the rut to the darkness! The weekend is suppose to cool off so I can hope for the best.

[Jack Stasney]

Hunted down south for gun opener with family and friends and didn't see a darn thing. The heat kept'em sitting tight. Sat tonight from 2:30pm till dark. Back Saw a 5ptr in close and also heard other deer in the woods. Hopefully more for this weekend as well.

[engfish]

I hunted tonight in the Cannon Falls area, and I saw more deer moving tonight than I have any other day this season--even with the wind. All of the deer came through the middle of the bean field--well out of range. I had a 6 pt. buck move across the field to the north at about 4:15 and then nothing until about 5:15. I had my first group of three does with another small buck in hot pursuit heading south. Right at dark, the field was full of does and two other bucks. It was getting fairly dark, but the bucks were definitely chasing. As I walked back in from my stand, I had a doe walk within 15 feet of me and go uphill into the wood lot. The wind was blowing hard the entire night, and it was 65 degrees when I drove past the bank in downtown Cannon Falls at 6:15 PM.

Crazy weather, but those deer are moving. It does seem like they are getting more noctural.

[delmuts]

This post is due to anger; but with myself!

Please! No bashing as i'm already down on myself!

Every time i go hunting, i thank God for the chance to hunt his great creatures, to allow me a safe hunt, and if i get a shot for my arrow to fly true, or miss completely. I feel as i have let God down!

Understand; here in Iowa we can get bonus tags for anterless deer, so i have three extra tags. I'm more of a meat hunter, but if given the chance i would gladly harvest a big buck!

The one night i had a small doe come in and i made a good shot on her. Later a bigger doe came in and i thought i had made a good shot on her also.( quartering away and tight behind the front shoulder) Apparently with the angle i missed the vitals. The trail was iffy and we lost it after a long ways. Never found her! The other morning, and had a doe come in, and again made a good shot ! Watched it go down. Shortly after that i had a nice little 8pt. come in. I picked my spot and hit exactly where i wanted; which was apparently a little back and hit the liver instead of lungs. I watch him go a short ways, tail twitching, and down he goes! Awesome! I pack up, go back to the truck and into town to get the deer cart. Come back and go to the first deer.Clean it and load it in the truck. Go to the spot where i saw the buck go down. Nothing!! It's brushy, and could be off alittle. Go back to my ground stand and follow the trail to about where i thought he should be. The trail is indicating a liver hit. small pools from both his sides, then nothing!I mark it and start working in circles trying to pick it back up. Nothing! Follow fresh tracks, but still no blood. Loose those too.I go to the end of the timber and start work back and forth checking for blood, or under and around any brush for the deer. Four hours later and it's getting warm i give up. Need to take care of the one i do have! With the heat i'm certain he is spoiled by this morning. I'm hanging the bow up for the season!

It's not a deal of making a bad release, a twig, or anything else other than poor shot placement( hit exactly where i had aimed). I'm only writing this to ask others to take that extra second or two to make the good shot. Del

[sticknstring]

No comment

[BuckmasterG]

Sproguy:

Believe me I know the exact turmoil you went through! Last year did the exact same thing on the buck of a lifetime! Come to find my sites must've knocked sometime before that because my arrow was shoot 3 inches left. Anways... I hit the front left shoulder arrow broke off about 5" from the broadhead, spent 4 hours that night looking for him, took the next day off and had a crew of 4 people spending the day looking NOTHING.

I can offer you this, shoulder shots more than likely will not kill them, only injure for a maybe a couple of weeks. BECAUSE was I found out, is a neighbor ended up shoot this bruiser the last day of muzzle loader, broadhead in should, 12" G2s and I hit him on October 10th.

[archerystud]

Yeah that is one thing "nicer" about a deer hit with a bow in the leg. The nice 8 I hit this year (130-140 class) didn't even penetrate his leg bone, although I hit the back leg as it was quartering away shot. I found the entire arrow after 30 yards.

Still spent almost the entire next day looking for him (until 5:30PM) but I do think he'll make it. Hopefully I just made him a little wiser for gun season. Still sucks though!

[walleyeking19]

Sproguy:

Believe me I know the exact turmoil you went through! Last year did the exact same thing on the buck of a lifetime! Come to find my sites must've knocked sometime before that because my arrow was shoot 3 inches left. Anways... I hit the front left shoulder arrow broke off about 5" from the broadhead, spent 4 hours that night looking for him, took the next day off and had a crew of 4 people spending the day looking NOTHING.

I did the exact same thing last year. except when i shot my arrow literally exploded. I picked up 3 or 4 pieces not counting the piece still stuck in the deer. I'm very confident that deer is still alive today. unfortunately, it happens to just about everybody at one point in their bowhunting career.

[archerystud]

Was management doe hunting last night. Had what I believe was a fawn and another one coming out to me right around quitting time. Unfortunately they winded me before they stepped out into the open. I was waiting verify that they were does.

[CO1978]

I bow hunted last week Wednesday-Friday. Friday night just before dark a saw what I thought was coyote cross the road and enter the 40 acres I was in. I watched it come closer and closer. I was planning on sticking an arrow through it. As it approached closer it jumped up on a log...this is where I noticed it wasn't a coyote but a bobcat. We had a bobcat on trail cam in August on a different property 5 miles away. This is in central Minnesota (Douglas County). Do you think this is the same cat on the camera or do you think there is a population forming?

[Sproguy]

Well guys I have to add to my story, now before doing so please understand, I am not upset and I am not angry with the people involved! Also I don't have 100% of the story so there is some gaps I hope to fill in at some point.

I have gotten to know the grandson of the land owner close by the land I have access to, in fact he came and helped me look for my deer. Well he called last night and it sounds like a land owner about a mile away from the shot had an interesting story to tell. It appears they have a large area and had a lot of orange coats in deer camp. On Sunday night one of their younger members (perhaps mid teens from what we understand) came back to camp and explained that a big buck came into view just before sunset and laid down about 75 yards away through some brush so he couldn't get a shot. The adults encouraged him to sit in the same stand in the morning and hope to get a shot at the buck. Well after it got fully light he realized that the buck was still laying there. Upon investigation he found the deer dead on Monday morning. It was an 11pt buck that scored 147. The arrow was still in the deer but they had no idea who shot it. The youngster was leaving to go home (sounds like he lives in Florida?) so they went ahead and tagged the deer and processed it and sent it home either with him or at any rate it appears the deer is in Florida at this point.

I stopped by this morning after my a sit to try to find the land owner to see if I could get pictures and perhaps get the rack but no one was around.

The story was relayed to me and it was stressed that no one at that deer camp was bragging they killed it or even that they were trying to claim it was theirs. They just decided as a group they didn't want to see a wonderful animal go to waste, so I guess they did the right thing.

I am very disappointed about the whole deal but can't blame anyone but MYSELF! I hope to recover the rack or at least get solid pictures of it but understand that they had no way of knowing who I was or that I had a deer down. I contacted the landowners next to mine and they said they would keep a look out. It looks like in this case it crossed several property owners and a pretty large distance before laying down to die on Sunday night.

After this whole deal it appears I did hit the shoulder but the broadhead went through just enough to tear him up, but slowly! The cavity was filled with blood but there was no blood on the outside of the animal where it had penetrated. The arrow prevented the blood from coming out.

Terrible way to end the story but at least the animal didn't go to waste and I do say the guys did the right thing. Again, I haven't spoken to them to know whether they will give me the rack back but my friend said they would send pictures so I will at least have that. If the youngster really wants to keep the rack I'm not going to fight him for it.

The only good thing I can say is there wasn't any blood on the outside of the animal and thus there would have been no way for me to track it that far. I did everything I could do, everything!

By the way, haven't seen a buck of any size since I let that arrow go, bad mojo!!!!!!

[DonBo]

Glad you got some closure on that deer. Too bad the ending wasn't better for you, but at least you know the animal didn't go to waste. I'd be happy with that.

I'm not so sure I'd even want the rack myself. Not one I'd be too proud of. If the young hunter is happy to have it, I'd probably let it go. But that's just me.