WannaFal
October 29, 2005, 16:29
I dont get many chances to go deer hunting. Ive got 4 kids and have to do a lot for them. When I get days off from work Ive got to get them to school but I do what I can and go into the woods at every chance even if its tyhe "wrong time" or I dont have much time whatever.
I got my first shot of the season this morning at about 9am. He was coming out of a tree line about 75 yards up on my right, crossing perpendicular to my line of sight. I was in a stand with a wide "desk" type top on it. I used a sand bag to prop the front of the rifle up (7mm mag) and made the shot. When he went down he was just past the crest of the hill and I couldnt see him. I waited about 15 minutes and never saw him move, which if he had stood while I was watching Id have seen him easy.
I climbed down and went up there and hes gone. Moved while I was climbing down I guess. Theres lots of bright red blood, some bone, "looks" like some lung (but not a lot) and a big spot of lots of hair but no blood in the hair. Theres 3 good spots on the ground 1' sq each of blood. I trail him back into the trees and about 30 yards away, poof, no more blood. For 2 hours I crawled on hands and knees looking for drops, nada. 2.5+ more hours walking the woods looking for him, nada. Didnt have any grown-up help available. Tried 2 dogs and neither worked out.
Theres a big (wide and deep) gully to funnel him in one direction, yes I walked the length of the gully checking its bottom/sides. I walked the other side too. At the end of the gully is a pond. This isnt a big section of woods.
Only thing I can figure is that somehow I pulled the shot and hit him low like the top of his front leg but below the shoulder. He was walking and I set the crosshairs out past him and waited for him to "walk into" the shot, he was going slow.
Man I hate losing one, I feel like crap.
Ifs and woulda, coulda, shouldas, if I had just sat awhile longer I coulda got another shot or maybe hadnt pushed him and hedve bled out.
I got my first shot of the season this morning at about 9am. He was coming out of a tree line about 75 yards up on my right, crossing perpendicular to my line of sight. I was in a stand with a wide "desk" type top on it. I used a sand bag to prop the front of the rifle up (7mm mag) and made the shot. When he went down he was just past the crest of the hill and I couldnt see him. I waited about 15 minutes and never saw him move, which if he had stood while I was watching Id have seen him easy.
I climbed down and went up there and hes gone. Moved while I was climbing down I guess. Theres lots of bright red blood, some bone, "looks" like some lung (but not a lot) and a big spot of lots of hair but no blood in the hair. Theres 3 good spots on the ground 1' sq each of blood. I trail him back into the trees and about 30 yards away, poof, no more blood. For 2 hours I crawled on hands and knees looking for drops, nada. 2.5+ more hours walking the woods looking for him, nada. Didnt have any grown-up help available. Tried 2 dogs and neither worked out.
Theres a big (wide and deep) gully to funnel him in one direction, yes I walked the length of the gully checking its bottom/sides. I walked the other side too. At the end of the gully is a pond. This isnt a big section of woods.
Only thing I can figure is that somehow I pulled the shot and hit him low like the top of his front leg but below the shoulder. He was walking and I set the crosshairs out past him and waited for him to "walk into" the shot, he was going slow.
Man I hate losing one, I feel like crap.
Ifs and woulda, coulda, shouldas, if I had just sat awhile longer I coulda got another shot or maybe hadnt pushed him and hedve bled out.