Boogered one up , not found

[DixieReb]

Wednesday morning and Thursday morning of this week my wife calls me at work about 6:20-6:30 both mornings to tell me there’s a nice buck out back with a doe, so I’m off on Fridays and I set out behind the house in a shooting house I built on a trailer frame, two does came out and that was it. So I get up and brave the 24 degrees this morning and at 5:42 I see headlights coming down the powerline right of way behind my 20 acres, within 10 minutes of that I see a flashlight and some jerk is climbing right up near my property line. At 6:12 the buck comes out with a doe and I think he smells the jerk behind me and starts to bolt, in a few minutes the buck stops and gives me a broad side shot at about 145-150 yards. See him bolt and run to neighbors property, wait two hours and start tracking him, looked like a good hit, blood all through woods and after about 200+ yards all blood stops. Never found him, walked and looked from about 9:00 til 1:00. I’d say he was about 15-16” wide, good mass, horns very tall. Just unfortunate for the buck and myself, had a good rifle rest as I had it laid across a sand bag. Oh well, win some lose some. Might have not took the shot if the a-hole wasn’t behind me at my property line. I had always rather have a clean miss than to wound one and never recover it.

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

I use orange tape to mark blood. Helps get a look at where it might be headed. Got a thermal now that I'll use. Did ya hear him fall? They also like to run in the most thick sticker infested and crawl under awful places to die. Even had em double back. I know you know all this. Just sayin. Wish I was up there to help. Stinks.

 

[DixieReb]

I use tape too, last blood found was over 200 yards plus away from where I shot him, son in law helped me zig zag afterwards in hopes of finding a drop or two to get back on his trail, we covered a grown up 80 acre field and went up and down all visible deer trails, walked around a beaver pond in case he back tracked and went south, rested awhile and extended search in direction he was traveling out to half mile away and we just tuckered out, never another trace of the buck found. Buck gave no indication of going down hill to a water source, tracked him up hill the whole time until blood just petered out. Cold here this morning and his blood evidently clotted up quick and he quit bleeding. He’s hurting from 150gr 30-06 round for sure, who knows, he might live and heal. Damn sure a depressing thing to go through, not my first time and sure it won’t be my last

 

[RidgeRunner]

I guess if the other fella picked it up there would be signs of that?

 

[DixieReb]

The other feller was south of me, deer traveled west after I shot it. All blood stopped on an 80 acre tract to the west of my 20 acres. Lived on this 20 acres for 33 years now, first deer I’ve ever shot here, always been in a club up until this season. Plenty of deer and turkey here that I keep fed. Haven’t been hunting at all this season as I’ve been focused on buying some hunting land rather than leasing again. Wife said awhile back to put some of my cell cameras out to see what all is coming out here and I said no I didn’t have any interest in what was coming out here at the homestead, that is until she saw a decent buck twice this week, the one I boogered up. Got 6 feeders out here, pull lots of deer and turkey in every day, see bucks out here all the time but have always gave them sanctuary up until this morning

 

[DixieReb]

When I say see lots of bucks here regularly that’s your typical spikes, cow horn spikes , 4 pts and 6 pts and small 8 pts. Rut is wide open here, all these smaller bucks been chasing does left and right here. The 8 pt that I drew blood from this morning was no wall hanger by any means but he had good mass, as I looked him over in binoculars his bases were almost as big around as a beer can. Fixing to get me a good stiff toddy and honestly mellow out and pray I only scratched him. Good luck to all ya’ll and hope you drop them in their tracks

 

[Southalabama]

Ughh

Always depressing for one to get lost. Sometimes like finding a needle in a haystack.

 

[woodsy85]

Aw man, hate to hear that. Hope he lives to die another day.


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[hallb]

Call a dog in if you have permission to go on meighbors

 

[Zeroed in]

Go back to the range, seems like you need it.

 

[Longtooth]

Blacklight now that it's dark out.

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

Blacklight now that it's dark out.

That really work??

 

[DevilDog]

That really work??

I use one (well UV light) and you can see blood with it that is invisible to the eye, or at least it blends in too much to the other vegetation. I love my blacklight (UV) and will never give it up for nothing.

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

Meat won't spoil, dang.

 

[Bay Ranger]

I use one (well UV light) and you can see blood with it that is invisible to the eye, or at least it blends in too much to the other vegetation. I love my blacklight (UV) and will never give it up for nothing.

Interested.

What kind of blacklight (UV) do you have? Brand? Pic? What light conditions do you need for it to work?

I have always been concerned about shooting a deer just before dark and then trying to track it.

 

[Viking1204]

When I say see lots of bucks here regularly that’s your typical spikes, cow horn spikes , 4 pts and 6 pts and small 8 pts. Rut is wide open here, all these smaller bucks been chasing does left and right here. The 8 pt that I drew blood from this morning was no wall hanger by any means but he had good mass, as I looked him over in binoculars his bases were almost as big around as a beer can. Fixing to get me a good stiff toddy and honestly mellow out and pray I only scratched him. Good luck to all ya’ll and hope you drop them in their tracks

After my hunting ttrip to MS I am a firm believer in using dogs to find deer. My son shot a Doe with a 30-30, good hit at about 65 yards and Doe took off into the briars. Hunting buddy had his new dog and wanted to see if the dog could find the Doe. It took him less than 2 minutes to find that Doe about 50 yards into the briar!

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

After my hunting ttrip to MS I am a firm believer in using dogs to find deer. My son shot a Doe with a 30-30, good hit at about 65 yards and Doe took off into the briars. Hunting buddy had his new dog and wanted to see if the dog could find the Doe. It took him less than 2 minutes to find that Doe about 50 yards into the briar!

Need to try that with my female Catahoula. She's got a good nose. When hunting in the yard.

 

[Bowhntr6pt]

Sorry to hear... if you hunt, it's going to happen sooner or later.

Obviously going that distance means you didn't hit any vitals, also might have been a little high on the body, would explain the sudden loss of a blood trails.

Question... did you notice the blood trail getting less and less or was it a rather abrupt stop?

 

[DixieReb]

Less and less and yes probably did hit him high as some blood in the dog fennels out in field had blood 2-1/2 to 3 foot high on the brush in places we tracked the buck. In my 56 years of deer hunting I recall this is about the 5th buck I’ve lost and 1 doe. I don’t give a hoot who thinks what when it comes to recovery of deer thinking every deer can be found once shot. That’s BS, I’ve been with 10-15 guys looking for deer circling around and around looking for blood trails that had stopped and deer were never found, had friends that’s had tracking dogs help over the years too and some deer just manage to disappear. Recently had a coworker hit a deer with a 300 mag, it was a buck that traveled over 2 miles after being shot, was never found. As far as going back to the range, I have my own 300 yard set up with a shooting table under a lean to. This is the first buck I’ve lost with this particular rifle, a 30-06 Remington 7600 sighted in 1” high at 100 yards. I’ve checked the optics, still shooting true. Aimed just behind this bucks shoulder after he spooked that morning, he very well could have jolted as the 150 gr projectile was dispatched his way, muzzle flash prevented me from seeing the impact on him to see his reaction that morning. If you deer hunt long enough as sad as I hate to say it, there’s going to be times you won’t find your deer. If some of you have a perfect recovery record on finding every deer you’ve shot , just hold on, your turn is coming on losing one. Saddest thing in trying to recover one is when you know from the trail you’re following that that deer is dead up ahead but has crossed a property line and you can’t get permission or are denied permission to proceed in looking any further, has happened to me and several folks I know. Happy hunting everyone and hope all of you drop them in their tracks !

 

[Viking1204]

Need to try that with my female Catahoula. She's got a good nose. When hunting in the yard.

The dog that found his Doe with no training was a Catahoula Curr and Lab mix!