Last night I shot a large doe. She came in in that last 15 mins. of shooting light and offered me a broadside shot at around 20 yds. At the release my bottom limb touched a small twig but at the noise she turned inside out and moved nearly a body length before my arrow hit. It looked like I took her just under mid point in the back left ham and she was gone.
I waited a few minutes and went to the shot location and slowly followed her knocked down goldenrod until it opned wher I found what looked like good blood.
Two hours later we were back on the trail and this old girl used all the tricks! She took us straight to "over-the-head" flora rose and briars, through wet golden rod and raspberry bushes. After 50 yds. and 1 1/2hrs. later we came to open woods with decent blood and then bumped her!
We backed out with me going back this morning. It rained all night and was still raining when I got back to our last spot. The direction she went was towards a group of ridge fingers that brought 3 streams together about 400 yds away. I made my way to the first drainage and crossed over so I could walk the edge and see both ridge tops. All the things you read about come into play in a situation like this. When it's a poor hit the deer go towards water...usually. They go down hill...usually. I had nothing more to go on than sound instincts and I made my way down to where all three finger ended. I looked as far as I could in every direction and there about 100 yds. away I saw what looked like a deer streched out facing up the final ridge.
By her body temp and the lack of bloating I could tell she had made it most of the night before expiring. Never just say it was a leg hit and leave. "ALWAYS" follow-up and use common sense before throwing in the towel.
Topic: Don't give up!!! (Read 307 times)
