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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: YORNOC on December 01, 2010, 03:21:00 PM

Title: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: YORNOC on December 01, 2010, 03:21:00 PM
Sad story with a happy ending. A friend of mine shot a young buck but hit it far back. He trailed it for about two hundred yards and gave up. Just damn gave up!  I could not stomach this so I got on the trail and gave 100%. That means hands and knees crawling with nose to the ground searching for drops of blood on the forest floor the size of pin heads. This little buck was a MASTER!!! He lead me through hell and back. He belly crawled through thorn thickets, waded up a brook, went into a swamp outta Star Wars, he would not give up. I trailed him for TWO DAYS! 11 hours day 1, 7 hours day 2. I jumped him several times, TONS of bright red blood. I could not believe he was alive. Finally I found him in a thick young spruce grove that the sun didn't even penetrate. I loosed an arrow and he collapsed immediately. I was shooting from my stomach! Couldn't even sit up so thick!  He was a warrior.
I am doing a european mount with his long  spikehorn rack, and he will forever be remembered for his sheer will for survival.
Don't ever give up on a wounded animal unless ALL possible options for recovery have been exhausted.If you choose to shoot, you better damn well be ready to finish the job! You owe it to them and yourself, if you are the hunter you believe yourself to be.
God bless the wild critters, we can all learn from the meekest of them!!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: ishiwannabe on December 01, 2010, 03:27:00 PM
Well done and well said man!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: bornagainbowhunter on December 01, 2010, 03:30:00 PM
That is great that you decided to finish whay your friend started.  My cousin shot a buck this year (very nice one at that) that had been gut shot.  He did not know when he shot nor when he drug it out.  He brought it to my house to skin.  I asked him how many time he shot it, he looked at me like I was nuts, then realized I was pointing to another set of holes in the guts.  It was shot with a bow days before.  You could not hardly tell with the skin on, but it was a dead giveaway when we nocked the clothes off.  Them critters are sure tuff.

Congrats on the fine warrior buck!!

God Bless,
Nathan
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Benny Nganabbarru on December 01, 2010, 03:30:00 PM
Very good.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: saumensch on December 01, 2010, 03:31:00 PM
:clapper:     :clapper:    :clapper:
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Corvus on December 01, 2010, 03:45:00 PM
Nobly done David!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Stumpkiller on December 01, 2010, 03:46:00 PM
Good job.  A beautiful hunt turned sour for me on a canoe-in camp when I (stupidly) shot almost straight down into a nice 8-point.  

Short version is I spent the rest of that day and two more in a huge hemlock swamp (Balsam Swamp as a matter of fact) as you describe.  Wet to my waist sometimes wading between hummocks and finding drops of blood only occasionally.  I spiraled, I fanned, I tried everything I could think of.  Never did recover that buck or my arrow.  I was heartsick.  It was more than 10 years before I hunted from a treestand again.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Geo S on December 01, 2010, 03:49:00 PM
Great tracking  job !
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: cacciatore on December 01, 2010, 03:55:00 PM
Congrats for your determination.You can say I am the hunter.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Spinealigner on December 01, 2010, 03:58:00 PM
Good read.  Congrats
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Ben Maher on December 01, 2010, 04:00:00 PM
:thumbsup:
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Keith Zimmerman on December 01, 2010, 04:05:00 PM
Congratulations!  Your friend owes you big time.  So where was the deer hit?
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: bucksaw on December 01, 2010, 04:14:00 PM
Good job David. Drive, persistence and relentless pursuit. A true hunter.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Bill Carlsen on December 01, 2010, 04:22:00 PM
I knew it was tough  hunting in Mass...but not that tough. Nice job.
Where did  the other guy's arrow hit?
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Mint on December 01, 2010, 04:24:00 PM
Well done. Hopefully your friend learned a lesson on trying your hardest to find a hit deer.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: jhg on December 01, 2010, 04:24:00 PM
I wish there were more examples like yours David.
 You represent the very best in a hunter, and hunting.
  I can think of one elk lost in particular that showed a lot less commitment to recover, since it might have meant not hunting the rest of the trip.

Joshua
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Charles K. on December 01, 2010, 04:28:00 PM
It's the 'little things' that separate the good from the great.....great job!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Blaino on December 01, 2010, 04:35:00 PM
YORNOC,
I wish all hunters had the same hart a passion as you.  Nothing boils my blood like "i bloodied one up but didn't find it"

well done sir
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: broketooth on December 01, 2010, 04:42:00 PM
yornoc, i beleive you are a hunter in the truest sence. your freind should be ambarassed.  as for myself, there is no possible way i would have been able to sleep at night unless i know for sure it was done. and that means " the meat is in the cooler" if i had a hat i would tip it to you sir. shoot straight . ruddy
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: swamper on December 01, 2010, 04:56:00 PM
nice job
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Earl Jeff on December 01, 2010, 05:08:00 PM
Best read I had in a while. Way to go.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: mcgroundstalker on December 01, 2010, 05:08:00 PM
Great read David. Keep it up.....  :thumbsup:  ...

... mike ...
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Stone Knife on December 01, 2010, 05:14:00 PM
You are a true hunter sir   :thumbsup:
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: twitchstick on December 01, 2010, 05:18:00 PM
:clapper:    :clapper:    :clapper:
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: lpcjon2 on December 01, 2010, 05:23:00 PM
good on you    :thumbsup:
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: GingivitisKahn on December 01, 2010, 05:23:00 PM
Well done!  That's how you do that!

   :clapper:
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Covey on December 01, 2010, 05:24:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by twitchstick:
 :clapper:      :clapper:      :clapper:  
I aggree 100%!!  Jason
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: rastaman on December 01, 2010, 05:30:00 PM
Did you autopsy him?  It sounds like your buddy maybe got some muscle?
Great job on the tracking sir!  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: LongStick64 on December 01, 2010, 05:30:00 PM
Bravo,

this reminds me of the time I helped a friend get ready for a bowhunt. We scouted the area for a few days and from what we could see, there was a nice buck in the area. We picked out a couple of stand sites and my friend offered me a spot. I let him pick first, sure enough he picked a spot with quite a few rubs and scrapes. When I asked him if he was sure, he asked me why. I pointed to the swamp 50 yards away, I told him are you ready to go in there after him, because that is exactly where he is going to go after being shot. He picked another spot. To this day we see that buck every now and then, he's a true Swamp Master.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Cottonmouth on December 01, 2010, 05:38:00 PM
Way to stick with it!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Wannabe1 on December 01, 2010, 05:42:00 PM
Great story and determination! Congrats and look forward to seeing the mount. Any pics of the little warrior that we can view now?   :thumbsup:    :clapper:
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Jmatt1957 on December 01, 2010, 05:42:00 PM
well done....
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: YORNOC on December 01, 2010, 05:43:00 PM
Thanks for the kind words everyone, but I'm sure most reading this do the same. We may not recover all of 'em, but you have to try. I lost a woodland caribou in Newfoundland due to my own careless shot. I have never gotten over it. The last I saw that animal it was limping over a hill, it haunts me forever. We spent three days looking for it and I had to fly home devastated.
As to the shot on this mighty little deer, he shot it high in the rear leg. The femoral artery was hit but just slightly, so it bled but not enough to down it swiftly. Our conversations since have him rethinking his ethics. He is a great guy, just made a VERY poor decision to shoot.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: YORNOC on December 01, 2010, 05:46:00 PM
Pics of the "mighty one" coming soon, its pouring here right now! Got 'em just in time.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: maineac on December 01, 2010, 05:58:00 PM
Excellent!!  Great job!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Chris Shelton on December 01, 2010, 06:02:00 PM
Awesome story!!! You and I have that will to never give up on a animal till its in the freezer! My friends made fun of me for spending a few hours one day getting a squirrel!

An animals an animal, no matter how small they all deserve respect!

I have friends that would also just give up after barely a walk, and it makes me sick!

Can't wait to see the pics!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: ArkyBob on December 01, 2010, 07:03:00 PM
Keep looking UNTIL there is NO possibility of finding the animal you shoot.  I have regretably had to GIVE UP on a couple of occasions and it makes me very sick at my stomach. Usually have a very hard time sleeping after it happens, playing it over and over in my mind.  I still can't figure out one from 3 years ago.  Good shot, I thought, good bright blood, pass through, good trail for 100 yards, then small drops, then nothing.  Looked from 4:00 in the evening til about 10:30, then again for about 4 hours the next morning.  No idea where that deer ended up.  Congrats on your find.  Hopefully your friend learned a valuable lesson.  

BOB
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: JoeM on December 01, 2010, 07:14:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by ishiwannabe:
Well done and well said man!
Absolutely!!!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Mike Vines on December 01, 2010, 07:26:00 PM
well done, and like you said...A very happy ending.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: CDR on December 01, 2010, 07:41:00 PM
Way to stick with it, great job!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: kyfiddledave on December 01, 2010, 07:44:00 PM
A true hunter and outdoorsman- my hat's off to you.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Andy Cooper on December 01, 2010, 07:45:00 PM
Now THAT'S a HUNTING story!   :notworthy:  

  :campfire:    :clapper:
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Cyclic-Rivers on December 01, 2010, 07:57:00 PM
:notworthy:  I am not worthy!

Congrats and Kudos.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: DannyBows on December 01, 2010, 08:49:00 PM
Well Done!   :thumbsup:
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: pronghorn23 on December 01, 2010, 08:51:00 PM
Good Job!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Bonebuster on December 01, 2010, 09:02:00 PM
You could share a hunting camp with me, anywhere, anytime!!!

Excellent story of determination and skill.

Few hunts are as satisfying, I`m sure!!!  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: SEMO_HUNTER on December 01, 2010, 09:03:00 PM
I have lost but a few in my lifetime and they haunt you for a very long time afterwards.
You did a great and nobel thing by tracking that buck down and finishing the job, but the way you described the wound he may have survived had you not found him. It's always better to be sure and finish the job with whatever it takes to get er done!
I hit a doe in the shoulder one season and knocked her flat to the ground, broke the shoulder and somehow missed the vitals. My brother and I tracked that doe for over a mile until the blood trail completely quit and she never laid down, not once.

The next year I saw her with twin fawns and how I know it was her was the hump she had in the top of her shoulder when she walked. The shoulder blade grew back a bit out of place and it produced a little hump under the skin when whe walked......we nick named her "Humpy"
Long story short......Humpy went on to live another 5 years raising twins every year until my uncle shot her during gun season one year. She didn't have any fawns that year and she was dry....no milk bag. Even though she survived a broken shoulder and a broadhead through the brisket she healed up just fine and got around just great like it never happened and raised fawns every year until she became barren, and ended up living an otherwise normal life.

I know that still doesn't make it right by any means, but sometimes there is a happy ending to a horror story........every once in awhile.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: S.C. Hunter on December 01, 2010, 09:07:00 PM
very nice!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: bayoulongbowman on December 01, 2010, 09:10:00 PM
100 percent club! yeah buddy! mark#78
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: DeerSpotter on December 01, 2010, 10:09:00 PM
Could we see photo's of the warrior !

Carl
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Mack Marine on December 01, 2010, 10:47:00 PM
:thumbsup:  We owe it to our prey, every effort to recover them after the shot.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: wildgame on December 01, 2010, 11:04:00 PM
that deer was trophy in its self!!!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: sagebrush on December 02, 2010, 12:06:00 AM
It's not the size of the horns that make a trophy but the difficulty of the hunt. You have a real trophy that is worthy to be hung with the best. Gary
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: YORNOC on December 02, 2010, 08:04:00 AM
On my way to get some pics. You shall behold the mighty one later today!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: eidsvolling on December 02, 2010, 08:17:00 AM
Your effort was a great way to honor the animal and hunting.  Thanks for posting this.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: BCWV on December 02, 2010, 08:27:00 AM
Way to go! If we hunt long enough, a lost animal is going to happen but I too have seen some give up to soon.
 I hate to hear a bowhunter use the term "I stuck one", it's usually followed by "but couldn't find it".
 Great job on your part.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: bolong on December 02, 2010, 03:40:00 PM
I could not agree more. Well said.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: huntin_sparty on December 02, 2010, 04:38:00 PM
Great stuff!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Mike Theis on December 02, 2010, 04:44:00 PM
A great example for your friend, and great ending. Way to stick with it.

   :clapper:
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: YORNOC on December 02, 2010, 07:20:00 PM
Here he is, the toughest,smartest,trickiest critter I've met yet. The "Mighty Warrior" himself!  (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/2010buck007.jpg)
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Bonebuster on December 02, 2010, 07:22:00 PM
Beautiful!!!  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Jim Boettcher on December 02, 2010, 07:39:00 PM
Congratulations SIR! I'm sure he's your biggest trophy. And by that statement, I'm mean how much he means to you. Great job!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Andy Cooper on December 02, 2010, 07:56:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by YORNOC:
Here he is, the toughest,smartest,trickiest critter I've met yet. The "Mighty Warrior" himself!    (http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/2010buck007.jpg)
Your gun-bearer probably likes that title!   :D
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: IndianaBowman on December 02, 2010, 08:14:00 PM
The story and your perserverance are admirable, but the photo of your boy with the pop gun is priceless. I believe that boy has a "hunters" eye!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: broketooth on December 02, 2010, 08:14:00 PM
an absolutelt fantastic trophy  :clapper:    :clapper:
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: xtrema312 on December 02, 2010, 08:15:00 PM
Great deer and job tracking him down for sure!   :clapper:  

But I wouldn't be to hard on your friend.  Bad hits happen sooner or later if you bow hunt enough years.  A muscle hit that takes two days to pressure the deer before getting a shot on him is not in my book giving up on a deer.  I would have figured he was flesh wounded and would recover given the opportunity to rest and heal up particularly if I saw that kind of hit on the shot and found so little blood.  I have been there and done that.  The deer survived.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Dusty Nethery on December 02, 2010, 08:27:00 PM
Good work.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Cyclic-Rivers on December 02, 2010, 08:48:00 PM
was that deer popped?   :biglaugh:    Great photo Yorndoc.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: wollelybugger on December 03, 2010, 06:19:00 AM
Nice job and great tracking, had a similar situation with a 7 point but he turned bad on me because of the heat. Still have his rack but the meat was tainted.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: greyghost on December 03, 2010, 06:22:00 AM
Great story and pic.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: YORNOC on December 03, 2010, 07:24:00 AM
Hi Todd, your right, I wasn't hard at all on my huntin partner. He was harder on himself. He went over it again and again in his head, he did give up on a HEAVY bloodtrail though...which is the issue. The blood was so heavy the first day you would be shocked. Then just about disappeared. I've blood trailed my share, this was extraordinary.
Anyway, he was so disappointed in himself, he just stopped tracking. He was giving up on himself, forgetting there was another on the other end that deserved better.
Lesson learned.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: on December 03, 2010, 08:59:00 AM
Beautiful little buck-- glad you honored his life with your effort.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Buckeye Trad Hunter on December 03, 2010, 09:35:00 AM
Congrats and great job.  Also, good on you for taking up the blood trail and finishing the job.  :thumbsup:    :clapper:
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: KentuckyTJ on December 03, 2010, 09:40:00 AM
Nice work
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: misfire on December 03, 2010, 11:39:00 AM
Yornoc, I applaud your perseverance and congratulate you on your success. That's a fine looking buck and from your story most definately a trophy.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: swp on December 03, 2010, 11:43:00 AM
Hope the mods don't pull the pic cause of the gun.   :bigsmyl:
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Thumper Dunker on December 03, 2010, 04:21:00 PM
Outstanding.
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: bad arrow on December 03, 2010, 06:39:00 PM
Very impressive. Congratulations....Phil
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: straitera on December 03, 2010, 09:36:00 PM
Huge!! We think alike. Well done!
Title: Re: If you consider yourself a hunter,PIC ADDED!
Post by: Mudd on December 03, 2010, 10:01:00 PM
:campfire:    :archer: