This ladder has a very narrow shelf upon which you stand. I hate it and have repeatedly told myself to replace it. So the doe is in that first opening on the left side of the frame above. My feet/toes are pointing right at her and I can't turn my shoulder toward the shot except for twisting at the waist. Of course I can't move now as she is too close. She looks up at me, and tilts her head back checking the air current. She doesn't make me but she is hesitant to go forward. We play the old game, me my bow in front of me , her staring up at me, me with my eyes closed so we don;t make eye to eye contact. Finally she starts to move forward. She steps into the next opening ( the blurred one) and I slowly draw my bow. I am twisted funny due to the fact I can't turn my feet and I am also bent at the waist. This puts the lower limb of my longbow in between my legs. At release I feel my lower limb tip strike the inside of my right knee cap. The arrow goes low and she explodes forward. I knew what happened had caused the shot to be off but still felt I had lucked out and heart shot her. She blew thru the food plot, the arrow dropped out and she ran into the timber. Within seconds it was quiet and I assumed the deer was down.
After 30 minutes I climbed down, walked out into the food plot and picked up the arrow. The front 4 inches were missing and there was meat packed into the broken carbon fibers of the shaft. I went over to the edge of the woods expecting to see her laying there. But she was not. I went in under the canopy and found the first drops of blood. Very bight red. She got onto a deer trail that runs the lower contour of the ridge and she traveled right on the deer trail for 50 yards or so. Blood was easy to see. At the first deer trail intersection, I lost all blood sign. I assumed she would have turned downhill here and spent the next 45 minutes looking for blood in that direction. When I did not find any I returned to the trail intersection. The sun had now dropped behind the bluff. It wasn't dark but I was in the shadow so I turned on this little 120 lumen light I have for tracking. Instantly I saw blood going uphill! Not a good sign!
here is the path she ran.
The trail was still easy to follow . Twice where she stopped, she left a small pool of blood and one time it was filled with air bubbles. I followed her over the top of rattlesnake ridge and the blood began to get less. Finally after dark on the steep NW side of the bluff I lost it completely. After failing to find any further trace of her. I left it for the night and returned at first light today. I was only able to follow it another 25 yards and lost it when she crossed the fence onto the adjacent property. I did grid searches all morning but on a steep bluff that is very hard to do effectively. I did not find another drop of blood. I believe the arrow went thru the near arm and into her chest but only penetrated the closer lung. I am incredibly sad at the loss . When ever pain and suffering is inflicted needlessly to a living creature it is a very sad thing to me. I know what I do is very serious and I take full responsibility for it. I have always tried my best to avoid these short comings by being the best hunter I can be. I hope this is the last time this ever happens but I fear that it won;t be.
Topic: 5 pines farm 2013 (Read 11857 times)
