My first thought was that I had perhaps hit her leg, grazed her chest but surely the hit was non fatal. The blood trail, however, was compelling so every few yards or so I marked the trail with toilet paper. I had gone about thirty yards and my flashlight showed me two glowing eyes. She lay in about six inches of water and what I thought was her running thru it was her thrashing her last in it. I was delighted but puzzled. Where did I hit her. I turned her over and saw this.
It was then I realized I had left my headlamp at home and didn't have my spare deer cart in the truck (we keep another one out on our 23 acres all season). I called Laura and told her the good news but that I would have to come home to get the cart we had there. It was a tough job dressing her out without the headlamp especially in the water. So I dragged her to the apple tree and did what I could until I got back with a headlamp and cart.
After getting the cart and finishing the field dressing I got home just as the in-laws drove up. Tomorrow I will get her registered and to the butcher but for now I simply have to say that this was one time that being lucky was better than being good. The lumenok on the arrow did not work so the flight of the arrow, in my mind, is not certain. By the looks of the fatal shot it looks to me that if she had simply stood where she was I would not have gotten her. But when I replayed the shot this morning at the stand sight and found the arrow it appeared that it would have been deadly, nevertheless. But, after all, it is Thanksgiving and to say that I am thankful for the outcome would be an understatement.
I still have two buck tags left one of which I must fill during firearms season and I still have my "special archery" tag which entitles me to an antlered second deer. Next week I plan on being more of a morning hunter at this stand as bucks, for whatever reason, seem to pass thru with good shooting light.
I was shooting my DAS recurve with Winex limbs set at 59#. The arrow was a Beman MFX 340 with 100 grain insert and a 150 grain Razorcap. On shots like this I am glad that I use multiblade heads...I think the bloodtrail speaks for itself.
By the way, I found a new tool to very useful that I had presumed to be a joke. It's called a Butt Out and it made removing the intestine and bladder easier than I have ever been able to do it with a knife and zip saw.
Since I was alone and the in-laws showed up when they did there are no hero pics...I'm not that photogenic anyway. I would also add that when I found the arrow this morning it had no blood on it...none whatsoever. If I had found the arrow before I inspected the hair I may have assumed a clean miss and a superficial wound. If there is a lesson in this incident it is to follow up on any hit on any animal no matter how minimal you think your shot may have been. Blood on the ground, at least in this instance, told me more than blood on the arrow.
Topic: ...hair was flying everywhere... (Read 656 times)
