First light found us back in the woods at the only blood we found the night before, on a well-used trail that carved through the edge of the hill just below the lip of a high ridge, with a thick valley to our right and high ground to our left. We continued another 100 yards on this trail, and were still unable to find any more blood. After returning to last blood multiple times, and still unable to find any more clues, we knew we should be looking for a dead deer rather than sign from a wounded one. My Father-in-law headed down into the valley, figuring if the deer was wounded badly, downhill would be easier for it to travel. Knowing there was a well-used bedding area at the end of the ridge, I decided to stay on the higher trail in hopes that this deer went back to her bedding area to lay down.
Well over 150 yards from the point of the last blood, I slowly and quietly moved through the bedding area when I spotted a bedded deer 40 yards ahead of me in a blowdown from this summer’s storms. I couldn’t tell which way it was facing, so I ever so slowly moved closer with my nerves escalating with each step. I finally managed to get within 20 yards, and learned that it is actually quite easy to stalk within bow range of a dead deer. I had found her nearly 200 yards from the last blood smack dab in the middle of the bedding area, proving that knowing your hunting land thoroughly can be as important after the shot as it is before.
Upon closer inspection, it was immediately apparent that she had been quartering towards me at the shot, as the arrow entered a little high but farther back than where I had thought it did, and the exit wound was yet even further back, exiting well behind the diaphragm, which explained the lack of a good blood trail.
While I’m not terribly proud of the shot angle, perseverance and knowing my hunting property resulted in the recover of my first deer with my recurve. And in only 9 more years, “Kaylee’s Autumn” will be hanging beside me while we wait for another bear to wander through.
Thanks for reading along! I've been waiting to do one of these stories for quite a while!
Topic: Messed up an arrow! (Read 1215 times)
