My first lost deer

[wollelybugger]

Sorry if you took this as a insult, only refering to the loss of deer in hunting situations including firearms. As far as hunters go I don't judge anyone else and only hunt with a few others who I share the same ethics. The loss of a deer is not something I take lightly and make every effort to find a wounded animal. When I stated it happens to the best of us that is part of hunting, would like to say I retrieved every animal I ever shot at but some have not been recovered. Sorry to say that there are a lot of slobs in the woods and we find dead deer every year from those who don't follow up their shots.

[Rick P]

I know I'm not well liked here. I also know I sometimes offend people. Guess what I don't care! The future of hunting, the ethics and traditions of our great way of life and the prevention of flat out cruelty are more important then your, mine or anyone's feelings!

Bob you are among the hunters. Never loose that respect and compassion.

[Rick P]

Wolleybugger

I find any waste of life offensive. Glad you work hard to prevent that. It would be more helpful if you dropped the PC and pointed out these slobs are wrong.......the general public is starting to think we all lack any real morals.

[wollelybugger]

Rick, sorry to say the next generation didn't grow up like we did. Hunting was handed down through mentors who showed you how to track a wounded animal and helped you with ethics and sportsmanship. That is not happening today because the kids have to much else to do. They can't understand wounding because on the video games they always die. Its a whole new world, be glad you are in Alaska and not hunting in Pa. where people steal your tree stands and rude behavior is the norm instead of the exception. Garbage is thrown all over the woods and beside our Trout streams. Guys in four wheelers drive over farmers fields and think nothing of it. Hunters trespassing on other peoples property and arguing with the property owners when confronted. You talk about slobs, try fishing and have another fisherman walk through the stream your fishing. I caught a man climbing in my tree stand this year to hunt and was mad because I wanted to use it. Thanks for the chance to rant, I feel better.

[Kevin Dill]

I have come to believe that worrying about an animal's suffering is not necessarily a positive thing for hunters, who want to produce quick kills and recover injured animals. Introducing undue human emotion into the equation can be a formula for problems. I've noticed after 40 some years of hunting that the guys who are total predators when on game, are the same guys who get their animal and have the fewest losses. I strive to be a stone cold predator when it's time to kill an animal. I may let my emotions play into the situation much later...but I keep them out of the picture until the animal is recovered...or not.

If you hunt, you are trying to kill. Killing with an arrow often takes time, which means an animal is alive but dying. Some animals will not be found, and others will not die. Some guys get emotional over this and some don't. I'm in the latter group. The death (or not) of an animal has just never played into my emotional psyche.

For me, the best I can do for the animal is to be efficient...and that means not letting my feelings get the best of me.

Great topic!

Kevin

[LimbLover]

I just recently got my first deer in December but I hit another on the same hunt. She jumped my string and I caught her in the shoulder. She shook the arrow out and I tracked her all day - kicking her up several times. She looked fine and there was no blood.

I still feel bad about it. I've lost sleep and dreamt about it. Even with a 99% chance that that deer is fine - I know I maimed it and it kills me.

It happens. It sucks but it happens and not just to bowhunters. I don't know how many rifle/muzzleloader hunters I've heard who have lost deer.

The fact is, you slowed it down for something else to finish it off. If it dies, it will not go to waste. Hell you can't even leave the remains of a carcas outside overnight without something finishing it off.

[sdpeb1]

Kevin that's an interesting point of view. I think my "emotional" response to this  experience was a combination of causeing the suffering of an animal and  my being absolute shock at the bad shot. I did a lot of shooting the last few years(almost daily) to become very proficient at shooting my longbow. And then to miss so miserably when the opportunity presented itself really hit me hard.

 I don't think many of us have any problem being a cold stone predator when we are executing the shot on an animal or you wouldn't hunt, but many of us feel some remorse afterwards. My problem now could be some lack of confidence when I get the chance again, that's is something I will have to be on guard of.  --Steve

[Boone the Hunter]

well said kevin, I love the outdoors and the animals in it, as well as respect life and want to always be a responsible hunter. That said I am going to the woods to kill, and practice a lot to ensure i'm effective with my weapon. When a bad shot happens I'm really bummed and use it to learn and become better, I don't know of any hunters that are very successful that haven't had some bad shots. I guess in the end i'm saying be diligent but don't beat yourself up to bad if you fail because it's all part of the game, and how you become better.

[Buckeye Trad Hunter]

It happens to everyone.  At least you tried to recover the animal and you felt bad that it happened.

Don't be surprised if this gets pulled soon.  Wounded animal threads usually don't make it this long.

[Broken Arrows]

When I made a bad shot on a 3 point mule deer the rest of the season wasn't the best but one thing it did for me was to shoot & shoot and make sure I had the right gear arrows ect. I hunt with my friend how's shoots a compound and that makes me try even harder to make better shoots then he dose he made a bad shoot last year and 30 minutes later I made a good shoot and had my deer. The biggest thing is don't stop!! just keep on going and don't look back.

Dave

[riivioristo]

Some time ago I saw some pictures from a situation, where a wolfpack had attacked a moose, she was down already, but still alive...kinda terrible to see the suffering, moose is so big, that even a wolf has to chew some time to kill that big animal...you have made clean kills so far, so you have saved those deer from far worse...this time something went wrong and you learn from it, next time will be different. It is easy to me to say, but leave this behind and go on...in the chain of hunters and prey all can and does happen. Dont give up!