Sorry for the delayed story, but I needed some sleep!
I went out yesterday afternoon about 4:00. It was warm, too warm for my taste when it comes to deer hunting. But I had a turkey tag also, so I figured I may as well go out.
Almost right away....about 5:00...deer started moving. They came out of a swamp behind me, and started feeding on acorns. A yearling doe was under my tree for quite a while, I figured I would let her be. About 5:20 this mature doe wanders through, and stands broadside for a few seconds too long. My intention was to put the arrow at about her last rib, and angle forward out through the front shoulder. Somehow I screwed up. The arrow was way to high, Almsot a spine shot. And she must have twisted on my release....the exit hole is farther back than I would want. Initial arrow penetration was't the best either..I like tem to zip right through, she took off with appeared to be 6 inches of shaft hanging out. Dammit.
I watched her go, and took a compass reading as she departed (thanks for pounding that into my head Ron
).
I climbed down after only about 5 minutes...it was warm, and I didn't want an after dark bloated deer affair...
I didn't take all of the bloodtrail pictures that I should have. About 5 feet from the initial impact there was a hug (20" diameter) pool of blood, and blood smeared on a sapling. Hmmm. For the next 30 yards, nothing. I went to the last place I saw her, using my compass reading, and WOW...she had turned to head down to the river and must have stumbled. Blood everywhere. I followed her trail as it went on a runway paralell to the river (more of a big creek). The blood was getting frothy, and there was lots of it. I was concerned because I had traveled about 125 yards....too far...I was kind of stillhunting the trail, reminding myself that I was on it about 30 minutes too early.
As her blood trail turned down toward the river, I saw movement on the other side. She was laying down in some heavy vegetation. She saw me, but didn't move. I slowly sat down. So here was my dilema. I wanted desperately to end her suffering, but I was afraid that if I approached her (I would have had to cross the water, she was about 40 yards away) and possibly spook her. Although I had good blood, I also know that ANYTHING can happen....trailing her through a swamp all night, and maybe losing her to the near 80 degree temps seemed like the worse option. We have all seen deer summon that last bit of adrenaline and sprint for another minute or so. In this swamp a minute deer sprint can cost a deer.
So the unfortunate, but I feel ethical choice was to quietly sit and watch her die. She would lift her head, get a smell of me, and try and stand. She couldn't. Then she started to breath heavy, and finally laid down her head. I gave her 10 more minutes, and then approached. She was done.
I was suprised to find that the arrow had completely penetrated. I still haven't recovered it. The Trailmaker 3 blade head had done it's job, and continued cutting right through as she ran, eventually working out the other side. entry and exit holes were large and flowing with blood.
I now had to drag her out through some of the thickest, nastiest swamp I know. I had her field dressed by 6:00, didn't have her in the truck until 8:30.
All in all, it was a pretty neat and memorable hunt. I wanted to kill a deer with the broadheads Tim had sent, and I wanted to refill my freezer with a full sized doe. I have the great fortune of having absorbed a smidgen of woodsmanship from my friend Ron LaClair, and I think I used some of the common sense he's "loaned" me on this bloodtrail. The compass reading, the decision to get on the trail early because of the temp, but to still hunt the trail are all things I have picked up listening to him. I killed the doe on my Uncle Jacks property, who just recently passed away. He was the man who spent the time making me a deer hunter when I was younger.
It was one of those days, that even though I was hunting alone, I had lots of friends helping me out.
Topic: Li'l Favorite and Trailmaker Broadheads.... (Read 761 times)
