2nd Brown down

The previous Friday I hunted I ended up getting soaked by the rain. When instead, I should have held out for the Saturday hunt with clear weather. I gambled and lost, but that's hunting and you if to be in the forest to hunt. So I rested up, took care of work through the week and started hunt-cation on following Friday. I climbed in my stand, and waited for movement. If wasn't long at all before a pair of does came right into the field of view. At 15 yards I was able to make a solid shot and released a crossbow bolt to her vitals.

By 730 I was back down on the ground and tracking the deer, my shortest stay in a tree stand yet. I tracked the deer pretty well, as the shot did hit vitals and produced a solid blood trail. She ended up crossing a road and then a ditch which led to a semi open area with grass. The blood trail disappeared. I had starting tracking the deer almost instantly which I would discourage. The deer ended up going so much further because I pushed her from laying down to expire. Even a solid shot to vitals can allow the deer to travel pretty far and wounded animals should be given ample time to lay down.

The hunters on tv shows do this all on the time but not usually for the animals benefit. They don't want to track the deer down at night and do their big video shot in the dark. So they wait until morning, say they were thinking about the deer all night long, and first thing in the morning do their hunting show deer search. Well I am not hunting star but tracking down a wounded animal is imperative. I take high percentage shots and commitment to the animal I shoot.

So when I did find the deer I shot was with a bit of luck. The other deer that had been with this doe when I shot remained around her when she finally laid down. I was trudging through the woods and spooked the other deer. Then I could see the deer I shot laying under some thick bush. I was so glad to have finally found it, but since I pushed the deer so far, it on significantly increased the distance to truck. This meant a lot more dragging by myself. Yet another benefit to not push a wounded animal after the shot. This was the second deer I was able to harvest and it will be used to make some sausage with my new grinder. Now the work begins.