wounding and not finding :(

[Shooter]

I can only remember one, it was about thirty years ago in PA. It would have been my best bow buck to date. He was only about 10 yards broadside. Thinking back I should have let him go a little further and came in behind his shoulder. As it was I hit him in the shoulder. There was quite a lot of blood for a long ways, and he broke off the arrow in some thick briars. I saw him twice and he was limping pretty bad, he was also brushing up along some trees and leaving blood on the bark so I feel he was hurt pretty bad. I was sick and almost quit bowhunting, but I know losing deer is part of it, I think I have been very lucky not to lose more.

[Texas Solo]

I lost my first deer last year, after 20 years of 100% recovery. This deer was skittish, and I should have held lower anticipating the reaction. It dropped, I shot high. But I have full confidence that the deer survived. Video tape clearly shows complete penetration just below the spine, yet there was no blood, just fat on my shaft. The deer ran off, stopped and "barked" at me, then continued off. We tracked well into the night with no sign to follow. This leeds to another thread as to wether the "void" area between spine and lung exists or not. I say yes, as I have the video to prove it

[Green Arrow]

my second bow buck i lost, hit him super low had good blood for 200 yards but lost all sign of him after that.
It happens just put it behind you and go after the next one.

[trailboss]

You just do your best to make the best shot you can and go above and beyond to track to a successful end. But sometimes it happens in spite of your best efforts.

And rest assured - it happens to gun hunters too.

Trailboss

[jake-1024]

I think if you bowhunt long enough it will happen. Like TB said, just do everything you can do to recover it and make your shot count. I have lost one deer so far and a few hogs.

[Right_wing]

A smart man once told me... At 20 yards or less you will recover 80%, at 30 yards or more you will recover 20%.

[bowboy]

thankfully ive never lost one in my life

[tkuehn5410]

Howdy! First post here! I was hunting at one of our leases in Dickens county this year after I had shot a great buck with my rifle and wanted to get the first bow kill so i shot a small doe because i didn't want too much meat. I had my chance and hit a little high an trailed about 300 yards and no deer. I was heartbroken and my wife and a buddy of mine searched for about 3 hours. I rushed the shot a little and want to make sure I don't make the same mistake next year.

[skeeter]

I never miss.






My arrow always hits something!


It sux to lose an animal. I have lost a few. I have made what I thought were perfect shots and lost animals. I lost a huge 6 point year before last and I still get sick everytime I think about it... Thanks alot buddy!

5410,

welcome to the fire.

[tracker]

Lost my first on this year. I vow to never let it happen again. It would have been my first buck with a bow and biggest deer I had ever takin'. I was pretty sick about it for the next few days.

[duck'n]

Lost a doe 3 or 4 years ago. Lost a hog 2 years ago. Sucks.

[Txag96]

I lost this guy 3 years ago...

[ByronB]

I have only lost one deer in 25 years of bowhunting. Hogs, well, I probably lose one per year. I may bag four or five but one always seems to get away. I wounded one this year that was about 150lbs. Hardly any blood. I hit it high so I feel like I educated that hog. They are just tough critters and anything besides a lung or heart shot probably won't put these critters down anywhere close to your blind.

[Bowhuntamistad]

I lost my first buck to another hunter(public land). All I found was a gut pile. I've lost a few does but the biggest upset was my dad nailing a gold class corsican ram at 9 yards and never finding it. 5 guys and a gal, two dogs and hours later still nothing was found, except a bloody arrow. Still haunts us to this day.

[Txag96]

Only to get him the next year... See the scar on his shoulder there?