The one that got away

[BOWHUNTER45]

I take it that the mark on the side of his neck is yours ?? That's the only problem with a neck shot ..You best hit dead center or that's what happens ...I watched a friend shoot one in his bed and it was a nice too ...Pow and it flopped over ...as we were walking up on it , it jumped up and took off ..never had a chance to shoot it again ...little hair in its bed and very little blood ...Never seen him again ...

[bigmacc]

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Go find your own deer!  That is how fights break out when hunters rush to the shot hoping to tag an animal before someone else has a chance to finish tracking.  With that kind of neck shot I expect it wouldn't have mattered.  Sounds like the buck wasn't much effected in the short term.  But it still irritates me when I see it happen.

 ...Irritates me also....sorry for the O.P but at least an old timer got him.

I know a few old timers that are just as big of A-Wipes as their kids!

True story,I agree

[Bean Counter]

My first deer was a doe that I shot in the neck with a rifled slug. About 20 yards with a cheap shotgun that has bead sights. Probably wouldn't take the shot much further or with a bow but that's just me.   

[Buckslaya]

So the deer was chasing a doe a 1/2 hour after being shot in the neck?!?! Thats crazy if true!!

[RadSav]

So the deer was chasing a doe a 1/2 hour after being shot in the neck?!?! Thats crazy if true!!

My biggest blacktail was killed on the first day of late archery season in Oregon.  Rifle season hadn't been over for more than a week.  As he crossed the skid trail in front of me I noticed he had an odd gate but I didn't think it was much more than just being jacked on doe crack.  Took me some serious running and jumping to get in front of him as he was chasing does.  When I finally got the chance to send an arrow into him he was actually riding a doe down an embankment.  He dismounted when they reached the bottom just 10 yards from where knelt at full draw.  I'm not the worlds best shot but I ain't missing a weak loined big buck at 10 yards!!!

Anyhow, when I approached him a short 15 yards from where the arrow struck I noticed a hole at the top of his shoulder blades.  Looked like a rifle hunter had taken a front on shot through the neck with the bullet exiting dead center between the blades.  The hole was big enough I could put four fingers in the hole and down between the blade and the ribs on one side.  There were maggots working some magic at the top of the fins of the spine.  It was a nasty wound you would never expect a buck to recover from.  Yet there he was that day fulfilling his destiny!  One man's misfortune turned into this bowhunters dream come true!  Amazingly tough critters, especially during the rut!!!