Sick to my stomach

[shoot-em-dead]

As some of you know, I drew a second deer tag for any antlerless in the Cheney unit. I have been hunting everyday (spot and stalk) and have had some close opportunities but for one reason or another things were just not right. I had my chance tonight with a decent doe 40 yds broadside and looking the other direction. I felt really good about the shot so I let my arrow fly. She hunched and stumbled away up over a hill about 50 feet behind. I slipped in as quiet as possible to take another shot if needed. When I came over the rise there was nothing in sight. I started looking around and spotted her already 700 yds or so off. Just barely walking. She stopped and turned and that is when I wanted to puke. My arrow was still hanging out but I hit too far back. I mean way too far back. I heard my arrow hit bone but  . She kept on going till she was over the next ridge. I followed and spotted her again on private property still going at the same pace. Slow but not stopping. How far will a gut shot deer go?  She had to cover at least a mile in an hours time.

[Michelle_Nelson]

She will go for days.

[shoot-em-dead]

That sucks. I just keep replaying it and I felt it was a good shot. I practice year round and have taken four deer with this bow and I just flat don't know how I pulled that far.

[LongTatLaw]

if u bow hunt...it happens brother!

some may disagree but a gut shot deer I often get aggressive with and push hard to get another arrow in....  they often dont move outta that slow steady pace...even if they clearly know ur following and clsoing!

I made a bad shot or two in my day and when ive let them walk hoping they pile up close...ive never seen em again...

every time ive seen that slow walk and hauled ass to catch up and stick em again...ive been glad I did!

thats why I have a otherwise useless 80 yard pin on my bow.

hang in there bro!

[andrew_12gauge]

I actually had this same thing happen on a doe here in idaho this past weekend, shot her at 8:30 in the A.M. just a little far back and quartering away so i was hoping i got lung, me and a couple of the guys that were with me backed out and watched her for about an hour she bedded down, and the guys that were with me just kept saying lets wait her out, well over the next couple of hours she got up and moved a coupla times but we were able to keep her in sight, finally at about 10 she got up and started moving and looked like she wasnt gonna stop til she got over the hill, so i said its now or never and decided to go after her, so i stalked over as quietly as possible and saw her lay down under a tree, went to go and try and sneak an arrow in got within about 5 yards of the tree, had to get on hands and knees to see under the tree and all i could see was her ears brought up my binos to look at her since it was so dark and realized i could see her head and throat but no body decided i would try a throat shot but when i went to draw she jumped and we followed her for another mile down the canyon she was in and then decided to back off and pick up the trail later in the afternoon, came back at 3 and picked up the trail but lost it, one of the guys stumbled on her bedded down but couldnt get a shot and we never saw her again, i felt horrible about it

[NW-GSP]

I just took a 3x3 whitetail this weekend and had an awesome shot till he ducked down and was hit high on his back , It was too dark to track him so I had to go back in the morning I was really worried that night if I would find him but the next morning I found him seventy five yards from where I shot him. I was lucky and hit the top of his lungs

[jmoyer2]

Sorry to hear that man. Happened to me on a black tail last year. To be completely honest, shes probably gone, but it never hurts to try tomorrow morning. See if you can pick up the blood trail. good luck. 

[ICEMAN]

Shootemdead, not only a bowhunters nightmare. Many a rifle hunter has had this similar incident. This is all part of hunting I guess. Wounded game, lost. Sad.

[georgia redneck]

Such is the life of a bow hunter...it happens to us all eventualy it seems hang in there and do'nt lose confidence in you'r shot