Thanks guys. I was actually really surprised I reacted as calmly as I did because my adrenaline was absolutely JACKED.
I knew that if I didn't take a shot I would bounce from deer to deer, waiting for a better shot which could potentially lead to not taking one at all.
Surprisingly enough, my shot really didn't affect the rest of the herd. They went about their business after she ran off and I just crouched back down in the brush.
I had 3 tags, and actually did reload and shoot another (bigger) doe. I made a great shot at 15 yards. Unfortunately, she caught my movement, jumped the string, and quartered into it at the last possible second. I caught her high and on the shoulder at a bizarre angle. She hit the ground pretty hard, dislodged the arrow, and broke it off against the tree - which ultimately startled the rest of the herd.
I'm still really sick to my stomach about it. The thought of wounding an animal eats me up but there wasn't any blood. A little bit on the arrow but that was it. I tracked her for 6 hours and kicked her up several times. No blood in any of her beds and she was only limping slightly. Bounding fine, and continuing on with her normal activities.
She kept on coming back to investigate me but never in bow range. It was odd. She was a really curious deer but I was losing the light and had to take care of the first deer. I had been in the woods since 9 a.m. and I was absolutely freezing.
I'm going back out to that spot Monday. Hopefully we'll meet again.
Topic: My First Deer! (Read 8475 times)
