Jackam
11-07-2017, 12:20 PM
I didn't shoot this deer, nor do I even know the guy that did. My wife works with him. He's so excited!
It's an impressive deer, to be sure, but the MOST impressive part is the story. He gut shot the deer. Most long time archers have had the same experience at least once. It's not what you hope for. Fortunately though, a gut shot deer is a dead deer. They sometimes leave only little blood to follow and rarely die right away.
I can't imagine the excitement that this guy went through. I've never arrowed a deer with a rack this impressive. I do know, however, the disappointment that he felt, the slow burn inside because my shot was wrong, and the worry that I killed an animal and may not find it. I know the thoughts that race through your mind after a bad shot "I wish I had waited. I wish I hadn't shot. I pray that we find it."
Shooting a deer in the guts, is not like shooting a deer in the lungs. Instead of waiting a short period and trailing it, you must wait much longer. It's hard to wait. The excitement, the anticipation, the hope (is there blood? Can I trail it? Did it go far?) always makes me start off on the trail much sooner than I should. Sometimes it works out for me, other times it hasn't. You need discipline trailing a gut shot deer. I don't have enough of it. His story will reinforce me if it happens again.
This guy waited five hours to start tracking the buck. He knew he made a bad shot and waited. The arrow passed right through and he had a decent track. The thin red blood and the occasional leaf with digested food helped him get to the spot that the deer layed down that morning. Unfortunately, five hours wasn't enough. The buck jumped up and ran off. He marked the spot and then waited until the next morning - almost 24 hours after he had made the shot.
His patience paid off. The dead deer was recovered and he now has a success story. He's a good hunter and an example of just what we owe these animals if we're going to be sticking them with broadheads.
Here's the pic:
61311
It's an impressive deer, to be sure, but the MOST impressive part is the story. He gut shot the deer. Most long time archers have had the same experience at least once. It's not what you hope for. Fortunately though, a gut shot deer is a dead deer. They sometimes leave only little blood to follow and rarely die right away.
I can't imagine the excitement that this guy went through. I've never arrowed a deer with a rack this impressive. I do know, however, the disappointment that he felt, the slow burn inside because my shot was wrong, and the worry that I killed an animal and may not find it. I know the thoughts that race through your mind after a bad shot "I wish I had waited. I wish I hadn't shot. I pray that we find it."
Shooting a deer in the guts, is not like shooting a deer in the lungs. Instead of waiting a short period and trailing it, you must wait much longer. It's hard to wait. The excitement, the anticipation, the hope (is there blood? Can I trail it? Did it go far?) always makes me start off on the trail much sooner than I should. Sometimes it works out for me, other times it hasn't. You need discipline trailing a gut shot deer. I don't have enough of it. His story will reinforce me if it happens again.
This guy waited five hours to start tracking the buck. He knew he made a bad shot and waited. The arrow passed right through and he had a decent track. The thin red blood and the occasional leaf with digested food helped him get to the spot that the deer layed down that morning. Unfortunately, five hours wasn't enough. The buck jumped up and ran off. He marked the spot and then waited until the next morning - almost 24 hours after he had made the shot.
His patience paid off. The dead deer was recovered and he now has a success story. He's a good hunter and an example of just what we owe these animals if we're going to be sticking them with broadheads.
Here's the pic:
61311