There I was, minding my own business looking out the window into the back woods behind my home. All of a sudden, THERE HE IS. I spotted the deer that I've been trying to kill for 4 years, trotting a doe and headed towards me. QUICK! I scramble, grab my bow, throw some shoes on, and RUN out back. It couldn't have been more perfect, I was full draw on the biggest deer I've ever seen, and the first time I've seen him in daylight for all the years i've been hunting him. I had an easy, 20 yard shot at the buck that was looking right at me broadside. I sent the arrow... thumped him. The moment he turn and ran I noticed my red lighted nock was waaayyyy back (I think) and only penetrated halfway down the shaft. CRAP!!!!! Did my arrow hit a twig? Did he jump the string? Did I rush my shot? My heart sank as I watched him run out of sight through the trees. I was sure I gut shot him.
I did what I probably shouldn't have done, and I trailed him after only a few hours. I started trailing with the intentions of finding my arrow to see where it hit him. NO BLOOD TRAIL. Throughout this whole ordeal, I never found a drop of blood on the ground. I found my arrow some 200yrds away FINALLY. To my suprise, I didn't hit his guts. No fowl smell, no green/brown color, Just looked like good blood, darker and some light colored blood. The arrow also had some meat on the broadhead. Liver shot? Not far after tip toeing past where I found the arrow, I bumped a deer that was bedded in a thicket about 30yrds away (probably him).
I backed out. I let him lay overnight and hardly got any sleep. I searched all day the next day and never found him. Did I arrow him behind his guts? I don't think I hit his butt. I still never found any blood, not even where the deer was bedded.
As an ethical hunter, we always hate when shot deer go unfound. It makes it 10x worse when it's an animal we've been after for a long time.
I did what I probably shouldn't have done, and I trailed him after only a few hours. I started trailing with the intentions of finding my arrow to see where it hit him. NO BLOOD TRAIL. Throughout this whole ordeal, I never found a drop of blood on the ground. I found my arrow some 200yrds away FINALLY. To my suprise, I didn't hit his guts. No fowl smell, no green/brown color, Just looked like good blood, darker and some light colored blood. The arrow also had some meat on the broadhead. Liver shot? Not far after tip toeing past where I found the arrow, I bumped a deer that was bedded in a thicket about 30yrds away (probably him).
I backed out. I let him lay overnight and hardly got any sleep. I searched all day the next day and never found him. Did I arrow him behind his guts? I don't think I hit his butt. I still never found any blood, not even where the deer was bedded.
As an ethical hunter, we always hate when shot deer go unfound. It makes it 10x worse when it's an animal we've been after for a long time.