Shot a small buck, haven't found him, how long will the meat be good???

[BOWHUNTER45]

I guess I should of not used the word bragging  thats what makes it sound so bad 

[rtspring]

Your a hunter in my book!! It happens to the best of us, Never happened to me on big game, but last year I looked for a goose for a day and half that I winged. we as hunters must do our part, sometimes it dont end with the results we want but atleast you tried..


RTSPRING

[newbie76]

I hope you find it. I have yet to shoot my first deer but I can imagine how that would be real tough to deal with. I like the idea of hanging up the tag....good advice if it happens to me.

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[C-Money]

N7XW, you should feel pride in your spirited effort to find your deer. In my book, getting advise on your situation is someting I would do too. Never hurts to ask for help/advise. 

[Glockster]

Jeeez I guess I stepped over the line again ...I just have a bad way of saying things and the reason is this ...I can remember in high school guys coming to school and saying how they just shot a buck and cant find it ...way to many times I have heard this and most of the time it is someone just talking BS just so they can say they just shot an animal ...alot of this goes on still goes on today ...Not saying this is what he has done but thats why I hate hearing sheet like this ... thats all ...hope he finds it !

MEOW.  A real MAN would apologize to another MAN if he truly believed he was in the wrong.  Instead of some havle azz "guys in highschool did this" story.  I guess the art of MANHOOD is lost on the dumbest generation.

[h20hunter]

Let it be or simply lock the thread. This has gone nowhere but downhill. Bear/deer/elk/grouse seasons are open and you ladies having nothing else to do but debate each others manhood? At least I'm at work doing nothing.

[JLS]

N7XW,

If you feel in your heart you gave it your best, then that's all you can do.  Learn from it the best you can, keep your chin up, and realize that sometimes things go bad.  Disregard the attacks from the screwballs.  It takes courage to ask for help in a situation like this.

I lost a muley doe two years ago, first animal I've ever not recovered.  It sucked, I punched my tag and went bird hunting.

[N7XW]

Update-

Thanks for all the support.  I am somewhat new to this forum and am finding there are a lot of good people here.

Well, I spent all day yesterday searching.  I checked that last part of the bloodtrail again, searched the immediate area in the thick brush – traded the bow for the machete and hacked through the crap all day long, searched the adjoining clearcut and heavy reprod and searched down by the creek.  I searched across the road a little bit even though there was no evidence he crossed it.  Found nothing, nada, zip – not even another drop of blood or tuft of hair.

What I think is strange is that the blood just stopped without any further evidence.  It makes it tough in continuing the trail.  I have a few more search plans in mind that I am going to work on after work this week and this weekend.  I may be searching for this deer instead of elk hunting – we will see.  I am going to start looking for birds and hope to find him by smell.

I am committed to finding this deer.  This was my first deer with a bow and I want to find him.  His antlers need to be on my wall as a small consolation to the wasted meat my poor shot placement caused.  If I don’t find him, I don’t know if I’ll continue on this year for deer.  I don’t think so, it just doesn’t seem right.  I think I’ll hang my tag and the arrow up as a reminder and lesson learned for exact shot placement in future hunts.

Thanks again guys, I appreciate the support and help.

[JLS]

Update-

Thanks for all the support.  I am somewhat new to this forum and am finding there are a lot of good people here.

Well, I spent all day yesterday searching.  I checked that last part of the bloodtrail again, searched the immediate area in the thick brush – traded the bow for the machete and hacked through the crap all day long, searched the adjoining clearcut and heavy reprod and searched down by the creek.  I searched across the road a little bit even though there was no evidence he crossed it.  Found nothing, nada, zip – not even another drop of blood or tuft of hair.

What I think is strange is that the blood just stopped without any further evidence.  It makes it tough in continuing the trail.  I have a few more search plans in mind that I am going to work on after work this week and this weekend.  I may be searching for this deer instead of elk hunting – we will see.  I am going to start looking for birds and hope to find him by smell.

I am committed to finding this deer.  This was my first deer with a bow and I want to find him.  His antlers need to be on my wall as a small consolation to the wasted meat my poor shot placement caused.  If I don’t find him, I don’t know if I’ll continue on this year for deer.  I don’t think so, it just doesn’t seem right.  I think I’ll hang my tag and the arrow up as a reminder and lesson learned for exact shot placement in future hunts.

Thanks again guys, I appreciate the support and help.

Sometimes learning experiences suck.  I hope you find him, so you can at least know what went wrong.  That's the hardest part, at least for me anyway.

[akirkland]

Man. The mental anguish you have gone through is tough. Good job on searching for the buck as long as you have. However, hanging your tag up would be the last thing I encourage you to do. I would get right back after it. And Im not even judging you for "bad shot placement". It happens, man. Regroup. Put the confidence back in your head. Go hunt! Make it happen!

[mfswallace]

Update-

Thanks for all the support.  I am somewhat new to this forum and am finding there are a lot of good people here.

Well, I spent all day yesterday searching.  I checked that last part of the bloodtrail again, searched the immediate area in the thick brush – traded the bow for the machete and hacked through the crap all day long, searched the adjoining clearcut and heavy reprod and searched down by the creek.  I searched across the road a little bit even though there was no evidence he crossed it.  Found nothing, nada, zip – not even another drop of blood or tuft of hair.

What I think is strange is that the blood just stopped without any further evidence.  It makes it tough in continuing the trail.  I have a few more search plans in mind that I am going to work on after work this week and this weekend.  I may be searching for this deer instead of elk hunting – we will see.  I am going to start looking for birds and hope to find him by smell.

I am committed to finding this deer.  This was my first deer with a bow and I want to find him.  His antlers need to be on my wall as a small consolation to the wasted meat my poor shot placement caused.  If I don’t find him, I don’t know if I’ll continue on this year for deer.  I don’t think so, it just doesn’t seem right.  I think I’ll hang my tag and the arrow up as a reminder and lesson learned for exact shot placement in future hunts.

Thanks again guys, I appreciate the support and help.

Not saying shot placement was why it got away or you can't find it but to ensure your shooting is not the issue maybe hit the targets up again for the rest of the season or until you feel that it won't be the shot that let's another one get away(never 100% but you can get to 99.99%) and 3-4months before next season start becoming more profficient with all types of shots(standing, sitting, kneeling, down angle, up angle, walk and stop shots, hike to get your blood pumping and then shoot...)

[N7XW]

As far as shot placement, I know I am dialed in with my bow, been tuning and practicing all summer.  Where I could have done better was taking an extra second or two to pinpoint the target (heart shot) instead of just aiming behind the shoulder.

[fish vacuum]

I am committed to finding this deer.  This was my first deer with a bow and I want to find him.  His antlers need to be on my wall as a small consolation to the wasted meat my poor shot placement caused.  If I don’t find him, I don’t know if I’ll continue on this year for deer.  I don’t think so, it just doesn’t seem right.  I think I’ll hang my tag and the arrow up as a reminder and lesson learned for exact shot placement in future hunts.

You've put in a lot of effort to find him. That's about all you can do. I like the idea of hanging the tag on the arrow. I think counting this as your deer for the season is a very sportsmanlike move.

[h20hunter]

I feel for you. My frist archery deer was hit back. Not gut but not liver. I had someone with far more experience than I with me. We waited and waited while watching the deer bedded down. I was able to get back up on it and finish it off but man was the waiting difficult. I was lucky.

It sounds like you've done a hell of a job putting the effort in. I think that is all anyone can ask.

Hope you find him.

[copasj]

Not sure if I would recommend hanging the tag or not.  On one hand it makes sense.  You've shot your one deer. 

On the other hand, this is your first attempt to harvest with a bow.  It's usually recommended when your trying something new, you get right back up and try again if things go south.  If you let the memory fester, it can end up with you never try it again...

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