I had a great opener that was almost a disaster. My goal was to take two does and I had two down by 7:30. The first shot felt rushed and like I shot too far back. After waiting an hour I went to look for blood. I found the second does immediately but only one one large sized blood spot. After another hour I found more. I asked for help from my friend and we tracked for another 200 yards in think timber and found her. She made me pay for that hurried shot but Im glad I recovered her. I wouldn't have if it wasn't for my friend who can see exceptionally well. This was his first hunt in many years but he could see the tiniest speck of blood. I am moderately color blind and it is very hard for me to track except for tracks. I'll look back to that experience before hurrying the next shot.
Congrats everyone
I had a similar experience like Erick, but i never found him 
A nice buck came running right at me, stopped 15 yards from me. I was on the ground. His body was turned but not completely broad side. I knew he would bolt any second. I shot a 12 gauge slug, he jumped and ran off. I saw a red impact point as he ran off. I though i was good. I wait, then check the area of impact. almost no blood. Then i checked where he landed after his first jump, found some bone, muscle, muscle blood, and what looked like heart or lung blood (it was very pink, not dark like the muscle blood). I was lucky to have a buddy with me that helped me find the evidence. So, we kept tracking, very little blood, and mostly muscle blood. A bad sign.
Then I saw him, he had circled around and come up from behind where i was sitting. He was limping bad. I throw up the slug gun but he had turned and was walking away. I thought "texas bullseye". Never got a clear shot. So we wait some more, figuring he might lay down and die. We looked, and nothing.... then about 300 yards from where i saw him last, I sprang him. He was laying behind some brush. He ran just fine (no limp). Then disappeared. I thought FUUUUUU%k! I need to shoot him again!
Never saw him again. Looked for hours that day, and the next. Nothing. Im sick to my stomach knowing he's probably not dead but has a shattered shoulder.
Lesson1: Don't hasten the shot just cause you think he saw you! I should have neck shot him instead of going for broadside!
Lesson2: if you see him again. Shoot him again!
Very hard to swallow for me. I feel ashamed, and it weighed on me when I was in the stand the next time. I passed up a shooter with a messed up rack although he was broadside. There was a little brush between him and me.
I always hear stories like this. Never thought I would be the one telling it.
A nice buck came running right at me, stopped 15 yards from me. I was on the ground. His body was turned but not completely broad side. I knew he would bolt any second. I shot a 12 gauge slug, he jumped and ran off. I saw a red impact point as he ran off. I though i was good. I wait, then check the area of impact. almost no blood. Then i checked where he landed after his first jump, found some bone, muscle, muscle blood, and what looked like heart or lung blood (it was very pink, not dark like the muscle blood). I was lucky to have a buddy with me that helped me find the evidence. So, we kept tracking, very little blood, and mostly muscle blood. A bad sign.
Then I saw him, he had circled around and come up from behind where i was sitting. He was limping bad. I throw up the slug gun but he had turned and was walking away. I thought "texas bullseye". Never got a clear shot. So we wait some more, figuring he might lay down and die. We looked, and nothing.... then about 300 yards from where i saw him last, I sprang him. He was laying behind some brush. He ran just fine (no limp). Then disappeared. I thought FUUUUUU%k! I need to shoot him again!
Never saw him again. Looked for hours that day, and the next. Nothing. Im sick to my stomach knowing he's probably not dead but has a shattered shoulder.
Lesson1: Don't hasten the shot just cause you think he saw you! I should have neck shot him instead of going for broadside!
Lesson2: if you see him again. Shoot him again!
Very hard to swallow for me. I feel ashamed, and it weighed on me when I was in the stand the next time. I passed up a shooter with a messed up rack although he was broadside. There was a little brush between him and me.
I always hear stories like this. Never thought I would be the one telling it.
Went out Saturday morning, got to the single ladder stand and I guess the high wind combined with being strapped to a small tree ended in the bottom 2 ladder section being pulled apart. This happened once before season and it took 2 of us and having to unstrap the lower straps to get it back together so I knew I wasn't hunting in that one. I told my buddy to use my double stand so he and his son could hunt together, so that was out. His wife had gone to sit in his tripod by the river. Only one thing left was to go sit in the fence blind that was still attached to my truck in our parking area. Of course I didn't see anything around there, but atleast I was out of the wind. Went back sunday eve and got in my double stand around 4, low wind and quiet, but didn't see anything good. So this weekend was a bust, might make it out later this week if it's not raining.
Sitting in my stand right now and I hear a thud. The squirrel that was messing around in the top of a tree in front of me fell out of it and died. Never seen anything like it.
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Squirrel had a bad Monday! Lol, I've been in blind all morning, beautiful morning to be out, saw 6 doe an 8 point and a pretty good 9 I wish I would have shot now, he had great g2's and brow tines, oh well... Gonna sit till 1 or so and get out of here, wind is really picking up
Weekend Report! Saturday was just brutal!! we made it for 2 1/2 hours and did not see a thing. Makes you really wonder about your spot when you stop seeing deer. I had hunted a bit the previous week trying to catch what I thought would be the rut. Fast forward to yesterday. Deer all around! I saw 8 and my son saw 13. 1st group was 5 does. I am thinking that is weird, shouldn't they be seperated? Perhaps they were bred already. However, a couple hours later my son saw our first rutting indication. A red buck chasing a doe (most of our deer are really gray). Later in the morning, I saw another group of 3 does together. I really liked this picture
We finally got down a little after noon and 6 hours on the stand, had some lunch and back at it by 1:30pm. did not see a single deer in the afternoon. I have decided to only shoot at a nice buck with my rifle, and leave the does for Archery targets. The one pictured above would have been a good shot, but I don't hunt with both weapons at the same time
We finally got down a little after noon and 6 hours on the stand, had some lunch and back at it by 1:30pm. did not see a single deer in the afternoon. I have decided to only shoot at a nice buck with my rifle, and leave the does for Archery targets. The one pictured above would have been a good shot, but I don't hunt with both weapons at the same time
Sitting in my stand right now and I hear a thud. The squirrel that was messing around in the top of a tree in front of me fell out it and died. Never seen anything like it.
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I hardly ever LOL while reading, this though....
Sorry for the bad pic but I was by myself. I don't know why they came out sideways either. Took him on 11-20 with my Hoyt spyder 30 shooting an Easton fmj with a 100gr slick trick. He went less than 50 yards. He's the biggest that I've ever shot.
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