I got a tip last week from my hunting partner as to where he thought I should hang a stand. So Friday as soon as I got off of school I headed out and put it up for a Saturday hunt. It is in a really good location overlooking a CRP field to the south. There is a little swale in the hayfield leading up to this CRP field from a large block of timber that acts as a natural funnel.
Saturday morning dawned with a lot of activity. I have a buck tag, but am hunting with a couple of first timers this year so my sights were set on another doe if possible or of course a big buck. About 10 after 7 a BIG doe comes walking up this swale right to the CRP field. I had to let her jump the fence into the grass and when she did she presented me with a perfect 30 yard broadside shot. I drew while she was moving and gave a light mouth grunt to get her to stop. When the pin was settled right behind her shoulder, I squeezed the trigger and watched the arrow sail towards her. I lost it just as it reached her but heard a solid “thwack” as it hit her. She took off bounding with her tail up as if she was just mildly spooked. When she got about 75 yards out she tucked her tail and took off. Not knowing if I did even hit her, I couldn’t wait long to look for my arrow. Knowing she had already cleared the field, I got down and after a while was able to locate the arrow.
Just as I thought it had passed completely through her. However, it did not look promising. There was hardly any blood on the arrow and only a little bit of hair on the fletching. I climbed back up in the stand til noon replaying the shot trying to figure out where I hit her. When I took up the trail, I found two chunks of what appeared to be organ tissue in the tall grass and a little bit of hair and that was it. So I walked down to the last spot that I saw her and started zig zagging back and forth looking for blood. Nothing. I searched the whole edge of the CRP field for blood and the whole draw that it ran into. Not knowing which way she could have went and not wanting to disturb the other guys, I went back to the CRP field to continue looking for blood but could not find anything.
I really have no idea where I hit her that would produce results like that. Right before I lost the arrow it looked like it was right on line. I was thinking either the dead spot above the lungs or not sure if this is even possible but above the spine. The hair that I found was blackish with brow tips leading me to believe that the shot was high. Anyone have something similar happen or any ideas as to where I could have hit her? Nothing makes me sicker than wounding a deer and not knowing if it is alive or dead.
November 18, 2008 at 6:45 am
#196774
