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More Ten Point Wicked Ridge Woes

If missing a turkey last week wasn't enough I added to my woes on Wednesday afternoon. I had a decent buck show up at 3:20 while hunting my creek bottom stand. Same exact scenario I had with 'ol Splitter. Same stand same shot and just a few yards further, about 14 yards. I took the shot and heard the arrow hit, but couldn't see where. The deer trotted off and stopped with his rear facing me about 70 yards away. I'm hoping he dies right there. After standing there for at least three minutes I know things are not good. He walked about 10 yards and stopped again for a good five minutes. I was trying desperately to see where he was hit but his rear end was always facing me. He finally headed up the slope towards the rear of my property. My mind said let him lay overnight, but I knew rain was coming before dark. I decided it best to follow the blood while I could and hope for the best. I found the arrow with one fletching missing and the broadhead had two badly bent blades, but it was a complete pass through. He bled fairly well at first, but not lung blood, no bubbles or froth. As I trailed him he never bedded one time and the blood became harder and harder to find. He finally crossed a property line I'm not allowed on and I stopped. It started raining and by morning all the sign would have been gone so I felt I had made the right call. I truly think I hit him in "no mans land" above the lungs and below the spine. Only thing that I can't understand is the bent blades on the BH. I had to hit bone somewhere.

This is the first deer I've lost in many years. It hurts knowing that I some how blew this shot and possibly wasted a deer. Hopefully he survives and shows up on a trail camera in the near future. I'd like to blame this on equipment, but I know it isn't the case. I will say I do know not care for the three crosshairs in the TenPoint scope. I'm thinking maybe they are making me not aim as precise as I did with a single crosshair. I'm betting all three crosshairs were on the body of this deer at 14 yards and maybe I just rushed the shot thinking I can't miss. Whatever the case that scope will not be on that crossbow next season. I'll go back to my single crosshair Bushnell Sharpshooter.
 

Buckmaster

Senior Member
14,362
191
Portage
Sorry to hear Dick. I wonder if he would have remained on your lot had you backed out that night. Sounds like Santa should bring you a red dot. One single dot will be good 0-30 yards and give you the convenience of shooting with both eyes open and in low light situations.
 
It was a tough call what to do. I gave him about 30 minutes prior to tracking him. The sign told me I wasn't pushing him. He wasn't running and had never bedded. If the rain hadn't been coming I'd have left him go until morning. I felt I was making the right call, but I will always question the decision just like you two have.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
Sorry Dick. Sounds like you’ve found the issues and are taking steps forward to fix it.

I’ve been searching for a specific scope for my daughter for over a week. One with a single crosshairs for this exact reason. I don’t want her trying to decide which one to use, they also take up a lot of surface area on the target.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Sorry to hear this. Did you go back and to a grid search of your property as he may have come back to his home area?
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
I'm sorry Dick. I'm always rooting for you. Hate to hear stuff like this. Frustrating for us all when it happens.
 

Gordo

Senior Member
5,515
121
Athens County
That's a tough break. I was never a fan of any kind of magnification scopes. Makeing me re-think the 4 crosshair scope on my dads tenpoint that I've been using.

Can't go wrong with a red dot. Killed plenty of deer with them on my Horton when I was a kid.