The "Moose Antler buck" & the good, bad & then the ugly..."

[South MS Bowhunter]

In my case i'm leaning to a either I hit high above the spine (deer jump the string) and through the tender loin or low and through the brisket area.

It was near dark when I shot so it is an unknown, but those types of hit would produce those types of signs.

I went back the next morning and found a fist size patch of blood where I last heard the deer blow.

From there no other blood, and I grid searched for the about 6 hours till I was satisfied the deer survived with only a little education.

[Danny Rowan]

Holy cow, that is a great buck. Too bad about the meat but stuff happens and the "Great One" lead you to him in the end.

[Lowrider]

Mr. Keefer my wife and I really enjoyed reading your story. I think you did a fine job in telling it and gave all of us an education on what can happen when we make a shot. I am sorry for your loss and wish it would have worked out for you. My prayer is always for a clean kill or clean miss. This morning I cleanly missed a wall hanger.

[Stumpkiller]

Holy cow!  I should have waited for the whole story.

Pity to lose the meat.

[Matty]

Wowzers

[drewsbow]

congrats

[Keefer]

Just to let folks know I did tag him the evening I found him on the 14th and left him there overnight in hopes no critters will feast on him till I got back the next day for pictures and I have some better ones and will post when time allows.
 I wanted to see from asking a local taxidermist that evening if he thought the cape would be salvageable after being there since Saturday and we had rain on Sunday night sometime into Monday morning and ground was damp .
 He said it was cold that day but after a few days and rain then some what warm days it would have issues but he saves capes from managed kills on farms and deer folks just want European mounts and he may have one that will work and wont increase the charge to mount him if that is my plan.
 I talked it over with friends and where I hunt it's something we don't get a chance at to get a deer on the ground with a recurve this often and I think I can manage to give this buck the respect as this is the best of words I can come up with since his body was left to feed the birds of the air and the critters on the ground.
 Someone mentioned to me and I repect his wisdom and he said "You may not know as to why you never found him that day but our Father knows" Well I have had a recent hospital stay with a 3 day loss of blood in early October finding out I had diverticulitis  and that day when I took that shot I looked back towards where he came from and tore a muscle in my stomach wall and this was my Dr. telling me this today.
 He did his exam and the way I turned in my Huntmore twisting my body instead of just using the seat to swivel I got that charlie horse cramp and a burn like I ripped my guts out.
 So who knows but only our Creator as to why ?
Thank you all for the "Holly Cows" and the Wow's
   I actually went back and started laughing cause I was feeling a bit low and ashamed due to the meat spoiling !
     Keefer's <')))><

[Stumpkiller]

In the bigger picture no deer ever goes to waste.

Beetles, flies, chickadees, woodpeckers (you don't think they learned to eat suet at the bird seed store?), right on up to coyotes.

Even a lost deer is a feast to some of God's creatures.

And no deer can look forward to a nice pension and retirement home.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Congrats Keefer!

[Rays Arrow]

Those are impressive antlers

[Tater]

Congratulations that's a very unique rack, too bad about the meat but it happens.

[wingnut]

It is amazing how our mind works after the shot.  I can't count the number of times I saw or felt a perfect shot and tried to talk myself out of it while waiting 30 minutes.

A good lesson though is to always follow up on the shot no matter what.

Mike

[Gator1]

Keefer well told story.  You just never know.

[Possum Head]

Wonderful account! Congrats he's a hoss

[ron w]

Holy cow.......     what a slammer.

[hybridbow hunter]

Wonderfull trophy wow !

[Herdbull]

Keefer, Well done! I'm glad the chair worked for you and helped facilitate your shot. We often learn from the successful hunters who take game where everything goes as planned. We simply learn their plan. I have always taken the notion that we gain much more by learning from our mistakes, and find reward in our failures. God's Wink has helped you connect that huge buck to all of us. It also made you tell a story that may have been hard to tell. Thank you and God bless you. Mike

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

I have never met the perfect hunter and I'm sure I never will ( myself included ) we do our best..

Glad you found him , outstanding deer...

,,,Sam,,,

[wooddamon1]

[Gen273]

Awesome Buck, Congrats Keefer!!!  Thanks for taking us along on the hunt through your story!