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Recovering bow shot whitetails

Let's share another less favorable situation that I wasn't exactly proud of. Suppose we would call this a western hunt. Ill say I was just really getting into archery at the time, probably 18 years ago.

I took what would be my longest shot on game, 55 yards. Shooting a larger cut expandable late in the afternoon. I watched the arrow lob in & impact low & back. The buck bolted for a distant draw. A hundred yards from the impact point the deer jumped a fence. The intestines were spilling out of the wound location as he cleared the fence. Recovered the arrow & found no blood to speak of.
I was feeling ill as I new the placement was much less than Ideal. Watched the buck make his way into a finger of a draw at a walk roughly 250 yards from POI. I opted to leave him be till morning. Made my way back to a tent & slept poorly that night due to concern over how the recovery would go.

Early the next morning I took up the track where I last seen the buck. Wasn't long & I found a bed with blood. Found a few more beds in a short distance before jumping the deer. Deer was phisicaly drained & did not go far before laying down exhausted. I approached him & delivered another arrow to finish him off. If I had pursued that deer the previous evening I am sure I would have lost him.
 
SD Guy said:
Let's share another less favorable situation that I wasn't exactly proud of. Suppose we would call this a western hunt. Ill say I was just really getting into archery at the time, probably 18 years ago.

I took what would be my longest shot on game, 55 yards. Shooting a larger cut expandable late in the afternoon. I watched the arrow lob in & impact low & back. The buck bolted for a distant draw. A hundred yards from the impact point the deer jumped a fence. The intestines were spilling out of the wound location as he cleared the fence. Recovered the arrow & found no blood to speak of.
I was feeling ill as I new the placement was much less than Ideal. Watched the buck make his way into a finger of a draw at a walk roughly 250 yards from POI. I opted to leave him be till morning. Made my way back to a tent & slept poorly that night due to concern over how the recovery would go.

Early the next morning I took up the track where I last seen the buck. Wasn't long & I found a bed with blood. Found a few more beds in a short distance before jumping the deer. Deer was phisicaly drained & did not go far before laying down exhausted. I approached him & delivered another arrow to finish him off. If I had pursued that deer the previous evening I am sure I would have lost him.
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So how many hours was it from the hit to when you 1st bumped him the next morning?
 
Been a lot of years have passed so my recollection may be a bit off, though Id say 12 hours from initial impact to 1st bump. Five minutes at most after the Initial bump he was put down with another arrow.
 
SD Guy said:
Been a lot of years have passed so my recollection may be a bit off, though Id say 12 hours from initial impact to 1st bump. Five minutes at most after the Initial bump he was put down with another arrow.
Click to expand...
You made the most of a crappy situation we all dread. Well done on that.
 
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