Hunting updates from me (continues throughout the year)

[HunterofWA]

I finally was able to get out in the stand this Friday because my family just got back from a vacation to California, I checked the trail cam, saw some good activity during the mornings and evenings, and decided to start the hunting. I woke up at 4:30 am took a shower, got my hunting gear on, grabbed the camera, and headed out to the stand. I got there at about 5:15, got settled in, and found out I forgot the Binoculars! i was kinda annoyed because then I wasn't going to be able to glass the area like I had wanted to. But I finally convinced my self that all was not lost, and that I could still hunt without binos. Everything was dark, I mean pich black, the stars were shining, and I was freezing. I had only put one layer of hunting clothes on thinking "It's the early season, everyone always complains about how hot it is" Not this morning! But anyway I was sitting in my stand for what seemed like an hour, so I decided to look at my watch, I grabbed it out of my pack, and right as I grabbed it, it just died! So here I was out in the woods with no watch to tell me when shooting time was, or wasn't. I almost didn't want a deer to come. Well anyway, time dragged on just like it has been doing for the past 6,000 years...and no deer showed up. Once the sun cam up I had the displeasure of hearing a horrific concert played by the most unskillful Steller's Jay musicians I have ever heard, Every time they saw me blink an eye they would scream there heads of like it was the end of the world! Man I wish those were legal... We'll after another 3 hours I decided to get on home and then head out again for the evening hunt. I left home at 4:50pm and got  in the stand again, and I sat there watching a more enjoyable show from two skittish chipmunks.I sat in the stand for a long time watching the hours fly by in what seemed like minutes, I heard what I thought was a deer walking towards me but then it turned into just being some leaves falling onto the forest floor.  As soon as It was getting hard to see (at about 7:50) I decided I wasn't going to be able to shoot without the aid of a light so I decided to just hit the trail and get home. On my way, about 200 yards from my stand I shined my head lamp up and right at forty yards stood the doe I had been hunting for all day, from the looks of things it looked like she was headed right to the tree stand where I had just been hunting! I quickly looked at my watch, (I had to borrow my sister's) and saw that it was 8:02 three minutes of shooting time left! I looked back at the doe and made up my mind. Since I couldn't see her with out my head lamp I decided that I wasn't going to shoot, so I gave her a pass. Since she was right in the middle of the trail, I had to walk towards her in order to get home. I got about ten yards away and watched her walk into the woods. I had heard another deer crash into the woods, I think it was her fawn. After watching her carefully, I decided that she looked like a 3 year old and had a decent sized body so I've decided to continue to hunt for her throughout the season. But If she had only started heading to my stand earlier, I could have punched my tag on a real good looking doe. I hope to go out hunting this evening and do the same thing I did last night because she'll already be in the area.

[fishnfur]

   Enjoy your fall.  You'll gradually get better at being prepared.  Try to plan for every contingency.

[HunterofWA]

I guess this is how you learn, I'm pretty hopeful for this evening.

[csaaphill]

GL

[HunterofWA]

So I need some help here, I just shot a doe at 15 yards at the bait site, It was 7:36 when I shot, made a real bad shot, (right in front of the back shoulder and low with only about 4 inches of penetration). the deer took of like it was the end of the world, I had very little blood, very dark red. The deer ran about 150 yards, and then was silent. Can you track with a dog on a leash? I'm going to wait till after we get home from church to start looking. Let me know what you think, but please have a little grace on the horrible shot placement. I'm just a kid and It is my first time bowhunting.

[Blacktail Sniper]

When you say "back shoulder" are you meaning hind leg?

If so, sounds like maybe a lower gut/intestine hit or muscle mass of the rear leg? 

Did you recover the arrow?  Was there any green or nasty smelling material on it?

If gut hit, it will likely lay down because it will be very sick shortly, may die in place if not distrubed tonight.

If leg muscle, unless you cut a major artery, could survive.  When you say you are going to look after church, are talking tomorrow or an evening service tonight?

If you are talking about waiting till tomorrow late morning after church, I would sugguest skipping church, be at your spot at first light and start your search, slow and methodical. 

If you wait too long into the day, you likely will lose the meat to spoilage, best chance to salvage is find it as soon as possible and before day temps start climbing.

[pd]

"I am just a kid and this is my first time bow hunting."

You are more than just a kid, you are an ethical hunter.  Hold your head high, and track that deer!

I don't know the law, but if I were you, I would either:
(a) Track the deer with my bow in hand, or
(b) Track the deer with my bow back home and my dog on a leash.  (Being on a leash or not is not important.  If your dog will come when called, it would be the same to me.) 

You don't want to have a hunting weapon (your bow) in hand, and a dog at your side.  This would be very bad.

Thus, my advice is to use the dog if you can.  The weather was very warm today--go after that deer at first light.  They blood will still smell strongly to most dogs.  As BlacktailSniper said, if "rear shoulder" means the hind quarter, then you probably just shot into muscle mass, and that deer will not die. 

Was the blood "foamy" or purely red & bloody?  If foamy, probably a lung shot, which should lead to death.  Can you describe the blood?

I would skip church in the morning (Sunday morning services).  The Good Lord would understand, even if your Mother would not.

[jmscon]

When you say "back shoulder" are you meaning hind leg?

If so, sounds like maybe a lower gut/intestine hit or muscle mass of the rear leg? 

Did you recover the arrow?  Was there any green or nasty smelling material on it?

If gut hit, it will likely lay down because it will be very sick shortly, may die in place if not distrubed tonight.

If leg muscle, unless you cut a major artery, could survive.  When you say you are going to look after church, are talking tomorrow or an evening service tonight?

If you are talking about waiting till tomorrow late morning after church, I would sugguest skipping church, be at your spot at first light and start your search, slow and methodical. 

If you wait too long into the day, you likely will lose the meat to spoilage, best chance to salvage is find it as soon as possible and before day temps start climbing.

 
Head out first thing and try to track it down. Don't bring your dog! First, it's illegal. Second, it might spook and wounded deer before you can get eyes on it from the scent of it. Even with a muscle hit it might not travel very far.
Good luck, get some sleep and I hope you find it!

[HunterofWA]

The blood was dark red and from the video I shot it low right in front of the hind leg.

[Jonathan_S]

Show the video to somebody who knows what they are doing. The hit might be fairly lethal depending on angle. You say it barely penetrated? Could it have hit the leg bone or are you shooting super low poundage?

[predatorG]

You didn't specify the leg question but I assume you meant the rear legs. Can you post the video? Sounds like you hit shoulder, no guts.

[fish vacuum]

I hope you skipped church.

[HunterofWA]

Show the video to somebody who knows what they are doing. The hit might be fairly lethal depending on angle. You say it barely penetrated? Could it have hit the leg bone or are you shooting super low poundage?

I do have low poundage and thats why there wasn't hardly any penatration. I just got back from searching and saw NO blood, No tracks, No nothing! I'm really discouraged because the deer is probably wandering around with an arrow stuck into it, or rotting on the ground never to be found. I don't have a dog and none of anybody has a dog that I could use. I don't have any hope left and it has left me wondering why I had ever decided to go bowhunting in the first place.

[Jonathan_S]

Walk the area in tight circles. Do that until you've covered 2-300 yards from the blind. What is your bow poundage set to?

[HunterofWA]

I don't know for sure what my poundage is at because we don't have any scale that works, not even a fish scale! It would take hours to search the entire area and I'm not even sure were it could be because the entire area is a bunch tall thick sword fern, and then a giant clear cut that is so thick with brush a flee couldn't make it's way through. I feel horrible and so stupid to have tried bowhunting this year. I only had 2 arrows left, the broad heads were trash so every time I practiced with them then they would totally miss the target and break arrows on what ever, so I had to borrow my brothers bread heads for his crossbow. I just wanted to hunt so bad this year because the bow was given to me by my dad last year and I busted my arm so i wasn't able to last season, and now I feel so dumb for even thinking that I, a immature boy could ever shoot accurately much less kill somthing with  a bow.