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The One That Got Away

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
It's been an awful last two days to say the least. On a whim I decided to take a personal day on Monday. Just had a feeling... Decided to hunt the stand that I really thought would be a hot one this year. It had been really slow, but I was seeing deer there. On a daily basis I was seeing small bucks... spikes, 4 points, a 6, the occasional small 8... nothing to get excited over, but it was deer. Only drawback was the doe sightings had been minimal.

7:30 approached and I started second guessing myself as most of us do. "Not sure why the hell I chose this stand. I haven't seen a doe in like 3 weeks here." No sooner did that thougt cross my mind wen I caught movement down to my right coming from the thicket. One doe... two doe... three doe... four, five, six... 11 doe ended up coming along like a parade. I couldn't believe it. I kept watching behind for a lovesick fella, but nothing. 11 doe and no buck?!?! They proceeded to stroll by and would stop to feed directly in front of me and circle around. They then began to look up my way. Now I'm frozen...I have my left glove on and I'm holding it over my face to try and hide any shine as the sun is directly on me. My set up is not one that you see on TV. The are is steep hills and deep ravines. In order to get into my stand, you have to climb a steep bank, grab the slack from the ratchet straps, and pull yourself up. Then step off the steep bank directly onto my hang on. No climbing sticks needed. I can reach behind me and touch the hillside. Perfect setup... I'm 30 feet above the trail and nothing can backdoor me.

Anyway, back to the doe. They continue to look my way and now appear to be watching past me, more like over my left shoulder. This goes on for quite some time and they begin to get fidgety and continue their parade from right to left. As the last doe finally heads around the thicket, I can finally move when I hear a faint short grunt. I look left and standing at eye level at 10 yards is the 10 point. He is coming down the steep bank, where there is no hint of a trail, and is now looking my way. I'm frozen again with my bow still on the hanger. I did NOT expect this! He proceeds to tickle his antlers in some branches, puts his head down, and slowly walks down the bank toward my shooting lane. He disappears behind some grapevines and I grab my bow. Of course, I'm shitting my pants. He gets to within 5 yards of my lane and I draw. he inches forward to where he is behind a cluster of saplings now and sticks his neck out to catch a whiff of the trail doe that still has a tail sticking out from the thicket. He grunts again and I can just tell he is getting ready to turn away from me toward that doe and not go into my clear lane.

I have my pin on him and decide to try and thread the needle. Now or never. 30 feet up, 15 yards away... steep angle. I release, he dips, and heads up the logging road (yeah, the one he was SUPPOSED to come down) and disappears.

I can see my arrow and have no clue if it was a hit and I'm m'fing myself for not being sure and for, what appeared, shooting low. With the stand facing east, the sun glare just made it hard to tell exactly what happened. I waited about 10 minutes to make sure the buck was out of view and I got down to check my arrow. Some blood on it, but not a lot. In fact, at first I thought I missed. Then I see blood everywhere. I waited another good bit and then began following just to get a grasp on where he was going. I found great blood all the way up the logging road (some with a big bubble in it) and into a clearing of a right away. At that point I pulled out and decided to wait until noon to begin tracking. Based on the blood I had found, I was sure he was going to die.

As many of you saw in the live thread, I tracked from noon yesterday until 4:00. Took a break then went back out from 6:00 to 8:30 before losing blood again. Today I left work and was on the trail from 10:00 until about 2:00 when we lost it again in the swamp bottom. The swamp actually isn't far from where we stopped the night before and there is a good chance we bumped him last night and that is why we lost blood today.

Based on everything I saw and what others said that I talked to, it seems it was a one lung hit. Crazy... the arrow was almost clean. Either it was a helluva graze or I one lunged him and when the arrow exited the lower area it got wiped clean by fat. I have no idea. It is possible that the arrow deflected in the saplings and it grazed him opening up a nice gash, but why the bubbles? They weren't small bubbles like a traditional lung hit. It was a single big bubble. Strange.
If it were a one lung hit, one thing I didn't do was allow for the steep angle and imagine where the arrow would exit. No doubt I should not have aimed dead center of the vitals, but should've aimed higher to catch both lungs.


My dad and I gave it hell trying to find this deer. His old friend, Mike and my buddy Dave also chipped in. It wasn't a lack of effort, that's for sure. Below are some pics of the blood, a huge clot we found, the 10, and the path he took. The gold star is my stand location and the red line is his path. The power tower is where we lost blood yesterday. The end of the line is where we lost it today in the swamp bottom. Also, when we went out last night and were at the tower, we could hear all kinds of snorting and running down in the pond/swamp bottom. And, from what we could tell, there was only one possible bed and it was below the tower where he would've heard us up there that night.

Any input is welcomed as to theories of what may have happened. I just hope he survived.

deer track 2.jpg

blood 5.jpg

blood1.jpg

blood2.jpg

blood3.jpg

blood4.jpg

blood6.jpg
 
Last edited:

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I know it sucks brother, but I was happy to be there with you for the highs, and even the lows. They are amazingly tough creatures. I think with the steep angle, it was a single lung hit. Tough pill to swallow.
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Craziest part that I cannot wrap my brain around... I can't see this being a graze with the amount of blood and the clot that was found. So how does the arrow pass through and not look covered in blood or fat? Could the fat have cleaned it off?
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1447810666.041226.jpg
 

Joel

Senior Member
3,049
113
Centerburg, Ohio
I'm no expert here so I'm not going to try to come up with theories on what happened. I do know it sucks and hope you get another shot at a good one soon.
 

Fullbore

Senior Member
6,439
126
South Eastern Ohio
We've talked and I've dealt with situations just like you have just experienced. Imo, this was clearly a single lung shot and this deer wasn't mortally wounded. Yes, it lost a substantial amount of blood, but traveled a long ways without bedding down. You will see him appear on TC soon or may even give you another opportunity.
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
Craziest part that I cannot wrap my brain around... I can't see this being a graze with the amount of blood and the clot that was found. So how does the arrow pass through and not look covered in blood or fat? Could the fat have cleaned it off?
View attachment 38652

I don't think there is a chance in heck that arrow went through a deer. My theory yesterday is the same today, you cut that sucker, but that arrow did not go through him, IMO. The bubble in the blood could be caused just from the "splash" of that volume of blood hitting the ground. That deer was not fatally hit, IMO. If infection does not set it, he will heal. You mentioned yesterday that you found gray hair, well if you were a shade forward, you wouldn't have the white hair that is common on a belly graze. Additionally, with that steep of an angle, you could have very easily cut his side and never went across his belly. I firmly believe that deer is not dead. It was a boo-boo, but I don't think it will cost that deer his life. Good effort, now get back after him!
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
29,629
234
Licking Co. Ohio
I believe it could have been a "fat" cleaning. Seen arrows with just a smear and deer were dead in no time. I'm a die hard on a good buck. I once looked for 3 days for about 10 hrs each. Only to find his sheds later on. I would not give up yet. If nothing else, grid search the area in a day or two. Watch for Crows and Buzzards while out there. Even listen at night for the coyotes. Love to see you get this one Mike.
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
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There is no blood at the baseline of those fletchings! I'm willing to bet the pic you have here shows the only blood on the vanes... turn that arrow opposite and take a look and I bet they are clean, right?
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I've seen arrows go through deer and come out clean like that. Both were steep angles and pulled a wad of fat out upon exit. In my experience with muscle hits (Flutey will recall one) deer will lick the wound if they can get to it and will do so until it stops bleeding. IMO, if this was soley a flesh wound, it wouldn't have bled that long. Just my opinion though.
 

buckstar25

Junior Member
691
81
T-county
Man, I feel your pain! uploadfromtaptalk1447812171465.jpg. I didn't see your initial posts but Zach made mention of it when we were out on the deer I shot. One scenario I have seen is a neck hit, it was a clean pass through, little to no blood on the arrow, massive blood trail, then nothing. That looks like "muscle" blood. I've seen a doe get shot through the neck and live.

At any rate, good luck, and Monday was bad for at least 2 of us. Above is a picture of my arrow exactly as it was after the shot. The buck started to fast walk as I was squeezing my shot. Almost no blood on the arrow and we lost blood about 350yds from the shot.
 

Mao

Member
1,695
109
Coshocton, OH
Sounds like an awesome hunt that lead to extreme disappointment. I can relate bud. I am still sick over the giant I missed Saturday. You did everything you could man. That's the way it goes. Persevere. Don't give up.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
I agree that this buck is still alive and you did everything you could to recover this deer. IMO, it's quite possible your arrow could have passed thru between the shoulder blade and rib cage and exiting low in the brisket area.

Get back out there and hopeful he's still alive and you can get another crack at him! Good luck Mike!
 

yotehunter

Member
1,527
36
spencerville oh
Yep had the same thing happen 5 years ago. Steep shot at 5 yards on a buck. I caught the top of the closet lung to me. Didn't know this at the time. Only one flecthing had blood on it and arrow was wiped clean. I knew in my heart that I didn't bum up the shot. He turned and ran back in the corn field. I heard the deer crash in the cornfield south of me 75 yards. I gave it 30 minutes. Got down blood was high on the stalks but it was every where. I got to about 30 yards from him and jumped him . Took him a mile later and found him in a creek the next morning. After I opened him up it was the bottom of the closet lung out of the bottom through the fat around the sternum. I'm sure that was why my arrow was clean. Man I feel for you Cotty. It happens to all of us keep your head up.
 

CJD3

Dignitary Member
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14,629
201
NE Ohio
Tuff story. I feel for you Mike. I would tend to agree with the others that he is not dead.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
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39,720
248
Ohio
I've got nothing to add. Only question I have is how far the path is? I couldn't tell if it was 400yds or a mile. How far was it before you found the bed?

Both sides (dead vs alive) make valid points. In your defense, you guys have made a very valiant effort to recover him from what I have read. I would be watching for crows or buzzards as well. NOT how anyone wants to find them, but when you make the efforts you guys have and still haven't found him. . . .That may be the only way to verify if he is dead or not. I hope you don't see buzzards. Sorry it has gone down this way for you Mike.
 

Dannmann801

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,640
191
Springboro
Mike, I'd have given anything to see your face when you looked over and saw that big boy at eye level! :smiley_crocodile:
Ain't gonna boo-hoo ya, I think you've got a real good hunting story there. I mean, a spine shot with a 3 step track job woulda been better, but still a helluva story. I admire how hard you tracked him, and I just hope you get another shot at cleaning his clock.