Shot a doe today!

[koger]

Cold as heck this morning, 19 degrees, on stand at 7:15 am, so much wool and carhart on I looked like the Michelin man. Wife and I have had a great year, lots of successes, but I did manage to loose a good 8 point that we blood trailed for 400 yds, been pretty bummed about that. He just stopped bleeding and that was it, open timber, looked for 2 days. This morning was on stand behind some fields, only thing for them to eat around here now, that and a little honeysuckle. I was done in, cold fixin to get down, when I saw something out of my side vision and here comes 5 does. As I reach for my bow they spot me and veer up the hill, stopping about 35+ yards away, up hill, just looking at me. Big timber so no brush in the way. I pick out the closest one, about 110# doe, ease my Quinn up, draw back slow, anchor and pull on through. The does just stands there and we both watch the arrow heading for her. Whack! Right behind the shoulder, but some high. She takes off with the other 4 deer, they run around the ridge and out of sight about 80 yds away, cant hear her crash, but I am about deaf anyway. Wait 15 minutes, get down and go to the shot sight, 5 feet away blood on both sides, light but steady. I go 20 yds, decide to back out and go home, drink some coffe and give her an hour. A neighbor came over with ML problems, got him fixed and had been nearly 2 hours since the shot, I figured good to go. Got my gear, went back over to the woods and picked up the trail. I had went about 120 yds from where I stopped and heard something running, looked up and thought crap, didnt wait long enough. The I look through my binos and see 3 coyotes heading over the ridge. I went another 30 yds around the hill and there was my doe, or what was left of her. Hams gone nearly, throat and one shollder also. I had shot her high, but she hadnt lived probably a couple of minutes, had hit top of both lungs. She had run hard to keep up with her buddies, had them do that before. I was really bummed, I hate losing deer, have lost very few in 30+ years of hunting. But I told myself I made a good killing shot, did what I thought was right by backing out,not pushing the deer, crap just happens sometimes. I will shortly be resuming my ongoing war with the yotes

[rraming]

Time to do some predator hunting - congrats on the doe!

[Warden609]

[Missouri CK]

you did the right thing.  Nice shooting and you just got short changed by another predator.

Chris

[Fletcher]

Sorry to hear it, Sam.  Sometimes you're just damned if you do and damned if you don't.  We make a decision based on our evidence, learning and experience.  It's the best we can do.  I left a doe overnight once.  Went back early in the morning and found a skeleton and half a hide.  it looked like the Piranhas had found her.

[Onewldcat]

That's crazy, sounds like those yotes owe you one.  They make great target practice.

[The Night Stalker]

The same thing happened to me this year for the first time. Now I am hesitant to wait. So far, I did kill one coyote as paypack

[Glenn Hickey Jr.]

The war with the yotes sounds like a job for a 6.5 or two or three.

[koger]

Glenn you are soooo right!

[maineac]

I'll be restarting my battle after our season closes today.  They are efficient critters.

[pruski]

The exact same thing happened to me this past october.  Big doe at 7:00 am, perfect double lung. Hunted till 9:00 then got down and had a great blood trail.  She went a good 150 yrds.  I coundn't belive my eyes, Yotes tore her up bad, disembowled and everything...  I was bummed.  SP

[lpcjon2]

That sucks Down with the Yotes.We have the same problem in my area.