Stuff I learned about hunting while hunting

Share your deer hunting knowledge, give tips on how to hunt deer. Ask any questions you may have about deer hunting.
Forum rules
Please stick to deer hunting tips and tactics in this forum.
Message
Author
J. Holden
Posts: 90
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 2:28 pm

Re: Stuff I learned about hunting while hunting

#31 Post by J. Holden »

Well, I unfortunately have a lesson that I learned yesterday that I'll share. It's regarding the tracking of wounding game. My son and I were hunting a piece of public land that we've hunted before but never had a shot at a deer let alone seen any while hunting.

Yesterday morning a little after 7 a.m. my son calls me and in a whispered hush, excitedly tells me he shot a buck. Feels like the shot was good, the buck kicked and ran my direction.

Without getting into to many of the details we were pushing the deer. After the shot I didn't give enough time before taking up the trail. At first blood it was amazing what we saw. Blood everywhere (he shoots a compound with expandables). There was no exit wound as the arrow stayed in him. It was such a good trail I let him track it for the first few 40-50 yards. This is where the story turns.

The blood started to become intermittently good, difficult to follow, back to good and then back to difficult. The deer was zig zagging through thick grass, thick cover, swamp, back into thick cover and grass. For miles this went on. We started tracking about 40 min. after the shot and called it of around 12:30. four and half hours we followed this deer.

In hindsight I will encourage, almost demand, that my son use cut on contact broad heads. We found those two deer he shot. I'm wondering if the quartering away angle didn't allow for the full expansion of the broad head.

Also, and this is on my lack of experience, when there is great blood at the beginning and you don't find the deer within the first 50-100 yards you need to back out and come back later. At some point the thought did cross my mind but I didn't listen to my inner voice and kept going.

The deer ran into an are of the swamp where the water became so deep that we couldn't follow with out hip waders. I'm sure he'll die, I just wish it was my son and I that could be the recipients of his sacrifice.

-Jeremy

Crazynate
Posts: 444
Joined: Tue May 23, 2017 9:54 am

Re: Stuff I learned about hunting while hunting

#32 Post by Crazynate »

Thanks for sharing that story. Sorry to hear about your son losing that buck. Unfortunately it happens. Deer are tough animals and they're are many spots you can hit where they'll bleed a ton then stop. It easily throws me off when that happens. A few years ago same thing happens to my buddy. He shot this buck through the briscket. Blood everywhere for a long long ways.long story short we never found it. A week later I shot this buck in the rain and the chest wound closed up like a small cut. It was impressive to see a hole that big clogged right up. I learned exactly how tough deer can be. I have lost of few in the 20 years I have been hunting. I wish it ever happened but those instances helped me recover mor deer in the long run.
Goodnight Chesty Wherever You Are.

User avatar
Shadowhntr
Posts: 4614
Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2016 4:47 pm

Re: Stuff I learned about hunting while hunting

#33 Post by Shadowhntr »

Nate posted some good stuff.... ;)

All I can offer up, is that most of us here have been in your shoes or at least in a pair very similar. There is no quick way to get over the heartbreak unfortunately and time heals. You guys are doing the right thing by seeking those improved resolute actions that have a better chance to have prevented the loss, and then putting them into action. There is only one way to learn, and that is by mistakes being made.....either by you or someone else. So often we hear answers to a problem, but being human as we are, those answers very often dont really have true impacting meaning until we go through that type of situation.
For you and your son....just remember a mistake can be a negative, or a positive...depending on how you handle them. The negative side only brings blame, accusation, darkness and depression.. with no help either now or in the future, so don't dwell on that. The positive side brings growth, understanding, and experience... now and for your futures, and THAT is the place to be. Mistakes should be nothing more then a tool to gain experience and growth.

Besides here are a few things to consider. As Nate mentioned they are very tough and the deer is likely to make it.

Second...even if the deer dies it will not be wasted. Many other important creatures and organisms that are imparitive to the survival of us and the planet will profit from its death. Im not trying to down play the importance of the recovery of game, but if a loss happens we must keep it in perspective. How many times are we really sick to our stomach from deer loss, or others judge us because of one....and in a weeks time us or the judges drive past a dozen deer hit on the highways from motorist who smacked them, and care only about the vehicles damage? I get that instance is a safety issue, but the deers death and its going back to nature is just as real.....and nobody questions it. By the hundreds every day they are hit. Hunters only lose a tiny fraction of that number. We do all we can, but that's all we can do.
The element of surprise can never be replaced by persistence.

stumper
Posts: 2688
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2016 7:40 pm

Re: Stuff I learned about hunting while hunting

#34 Post by stumper »

No judgment ever gonna come from this guy. Feel for y'all and the only thing you can do is get back out there and try again. Success does not teach as much as failure.. Thank you for sharing.
Nothing clears a troubled mind like shooting a bow.

Carpdaddy
Site Admin
Posts: 9469
Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2013 7:36 pm

Re: Stuff I learned about hunting while hunting

#35 Post by Carpdaddy »

Wow; sorry to hear that. Most if not all of us have been there, I know that doesn’t make it easier, just know that it is not unfamiliar.

User avatar
Graps
Posts: 6696
Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2014 8:39 pm

Re: Stuff I learned about hunting while hunting

#36 Post by Graps »

I've lost two with a bow , the first one I thought I missed and I got up and was looking for my arrow . I discovered I had double lunged it and it had layed down a short way off and I kicked it up and that blood trail was huge and just diminished to nothing and I never found it .
Every sense then , even if I'm sure I missed , I will stay put for at least a half hour .
"Maybe the truly handicapped people are the ones that don't need God as much." ~ Joni Eareckson Tada

Captainkirk
Site Admin
Posts: 12787
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2014 8:19 pm

Re: Stuff I learned about hunting while hunting

#37 Post by Captainkirk »

Been there, done that. Worst was a deer I gunshot at 35 yards; legs folded and she slid downhill with her legs folded up. Easy peasy, right?
Wrong. 4 hours later we gave up as dark approached, lost her in a mossy swamp. She should have been DRT but not to be.
Aim small, miss small!

J. Holden
Posts: 90
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 2:28 pm

Re: Stuff I learned about hunting while hunting

#38 Post by J. Holden »

Well I can add to my previous post. My son and I went out on Halloween back to his stand. I had hunted earlier that morning/afternoon. I met him after school at the parking lot for our permitted hunting area and got him all situated. I really was just sitting in the woods observing while he hunted. This season has been a little different for me as I'm mentally in a place when I'm hunting that if I see deer great, if I get to shoot deer even better. But regardless if I don't bring home some meat so be it. I must say that I've actually enjoyed my time more than ever.

Anyway, about a half hour into our afternoon sit my son sends me a text, "BUCK, BUCK, BUCK". Isn't technology great? I respond back and gently remind him to take a deep breath, pick a spot and be patient for the right time. About 15 minutes later he calls me and says he shot the buck, complete pass though and he can see his lighted nock. I congratulate him over the phone and tell him we're not moving for an hour. He's questioning me because he can see the arrow. I told him we're going to learn our lesson and wait. He reluctantly agrees.

Meanwhile we're texting back and forth and he tells me he has two does coming his way and asks if he can shoot. I told him he's got the tag so he can. In the back of my mind I'm thinking it's a lot of work and we're not even sure if we have one blood trail to follow. Maybe it's not a good idea to make two. Well the Lord answers that question and the deer turn and head away from him never offering a shot.

It's almost time for me to head his way and he sends another text, another, bigger buck is headed his way. What should he do? I remind him of the rules and that he can't shoot. Another lesson learned. He told me later if he had known that second buck was coming he would've waited. Of course, we all would right?! But that's public land and you either pass on the small ones and risk going home empty handed or you shoot what's legal. Another great lesson learned for him.

After the hour passes I slowly head his way and get his feet back on terra firma. He's still shaking with excitement and we have to both take a deep breath and not rush into the tracking job. We hug and talk thing's over. It sounds like he made a good hit, the deer jumped and kicked at the shot and ran a bit. He stopped, looked around, then resumed walking. Jack lost sight of him over a little ridge about 50 yards form his spot.

At the sight of the impact there's good blood, both sides. Past that in the direction the deer walked, nothing. UGH! You've got to be kidding me?! We go back to the shot impact and start over following several different trails. We walk around a little and I confer with a friend of mine. He instructs me on the art of making circles. He assures me we'll find blood eventually. In the meantime I have another friend who's closer that offers to come give us a hand. I graciously accept his offer as this is frustrating me and I think that may cloud my judgement. Jack is also upset and frustrated, understandably so.

We meet up with my friend and resume the search. Before long we're following trails in different directions, in the dark, hoping to just find something. After about 30-45 minutes my son hollers "I FOUND HIM!" Woo HOO! I ran over to him and sure enough the buck is dead right there. I inspect the area for his blood trail and he wasn't leaving much at all. My son's shot was a little further back than he thought and I found a sliced open liver upon the field dressing. In the end it all worked out. This shot was made with a cut on contact two blade. This is his third deer with a 2 blade, cut on contact broadhead.

Our frustration is that all 3 deer bled little and offered up very difficult tracking jobs. They worked no doubt. But we had to as well. I'm thinking Santa is going to bring some 3 or 4 blade broadheads to go with his new arrows dad built for him for Christmas.

Here's the best part, a few days later after letting the deer hang in a cooler I get to skinning/processing the buck. While skinning him I find 3 holes in him. One matches the width of my son's expandable broadheads and is in the left shoulder area where he shot the buck we couldn't find. Coincidence? Both shots were taken from the same tree stand location but the deer came from a different approach the second time. I'm thinking we found the buck he shot the few days prior. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

-Jeremy

User avatar
Shadowhntr
Posts: 4614
Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2016 4:47 pm

Re: Stuff I learned about hunting while hunting

#39 Post by Shadowhntr »

I'm almost afraid to ask....but I gotta! Which cut on contact 2 blade head your son use?
The element of surprise can never be replaced by persistence.

Mohawk
Posts: 403
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 7:24 pm

Re: Stuff I learned about hunting while hunting

#40 Post by Mohawk »

To preface what follows, I am not the best blood trailer, I love trailing and have some pretty decent success doing it provided things were done right after the shot. I have gotten a few calls where it's clear that the hunter almost beat the arrow to the deer to start tracking. Those deer may run into the next county before slowing down enough to leave a blood trail. With a good hit, a deer will usually run a short distance, look back, walk some steps and eventually lay down. I have had them run and die on their feet like the doe I shot monday. :D

Trailing ain't tough, as long as you got something to follow! However, if a guy has a scant blood trail, here's a few tips I use:
1. Use flagging tape. You can find this stuff at Walmart in sporting goods and the hardware depts., it's cheaper in hardware. I found some reflective flagging tape at Academy which I will use for night trailing. The reason for this is a hit deer will zig and zag through the timber. If you put tape on branches and brush, then you'll be able to look back constantly and check the line of travel. Plus if it happens to rain, the tape won't wash away.
2. Use a lantern. A lantern sprays light all over the ground unlike a flashlight that focuses light in a small area. We are set up as daytime hunters with rods and cones in our eyes to see color and a lantern floods the area with useable light.
3. I hate technology! But if you're called into an area you're not familiar with, google maps can give you a birds eye view of the property and knowing where a wounded deer may want to go. This is helpful if the deer was pushed early and forgot to leave blood when it left the area.
4. Hydrogen peroxide comes in a trigger spray bottle, and since a bead of water on a red leaf looks like a false positive for blood, you can squirt it with peroxide and if it foams up; it's blood, hang some tape!

Post Reply

Return to “Deer hunting tips and tactics”