When do you stop looking for a wounded deer?

[Schaaf]

I will start off by saying I have never lost a wounded animal. I feel it has been more luck than anything but regardless it is something that I hope to prolong as far as I possibly can. While my younger brother was home from college for Thanksgiving we hit it pretty hard in hopes of getting him a deer to bring back to Missoula. Fast forward to the last day he was able to hunt, we were in a good position watching deer and with about 15 minutes left of shooting light he shot a buck that I knew was hit pretty good, but it didn't prevent the buck from taking off into the timber. We decided to leave him overnight and be back at sunrise. There was no doubt in my mind he was going to be laid up 100 yards into the timber and everything was going to work out.

The next day slowly came and with the sun rising we were following the blood trail. At first the trail was very consistent. After about a half mile the trail became very sporadic with decent sized pools but following the trail was becoming tougher and tougher. We spent the next day and a half looking for anything that would lead us to the next droplet. I could tell by the look on my brother's face that this was hitting him hard. I felt it myself too but I knew the pressure had to be ten times heavier on him. Two days after wounding the buck we packed up and headed fora very somber Thanksgiving with the family.

Over the next few weeks whenever I had enough time to make it worthwhile I would spend it looking for the buck. I don't know what it is that keeps pushing someone to continue to look but I certainly felt as though the buck deserved to be found.

While looking this morning I decided to go downstream from the trail and where I had always
assumed he would be. I had a feeling he eventually made it to the river before he died. It turned out heading downstream was the right decision. While sitting on the river bank glassing I noticed something that looked a little off just a few inches above the water.


I'll let the pictures finish the story...







23 days later and finally some relief.

 

[teamhoyt]

Wow schaff that's a good find and some serious dedication. pretty sure I would've quit looking about 22 days sooner

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Well done, Justin! You guys definitely did right by that buck. Hope you stayed kind of dry.

 

[Big Fin]

Wow, that is persistence. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Reeltime]

I'm glad your brother can get closure on this. I've lost one deer, and it baffles me still to this day.

 

[Nameless Range]

That's really incredible and a heck of a Christmas gift for your brother. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[mtmuley]

So what next? Keep the rack? Leave it? mtmuley

 

[MJE2083]

Wow what a find. I've only ever lost 1 deer in my life. I was 16 years old and bow hunting in PA. I was half way up the tree with my bow on the ground when a small buck came by. I stood frozen on my ladder for what seemed like an eternity until the buck was out of sight over a small hill, then I climbed down and grabbed my bow. 1 grunt sent the buck barreling up over the hill to within 20yards. I shot and was confident that I have made a decent broadside shot. The buck took off. I waited a few mins before making the mistake of walking over to look for my arrow. not knowing that the buck had run only about 35yards and stopped. I knew not to go look for the deer right away but I thought he was long gone. He saw me move and took off. I never did find my arrow, but there was a decent amount of blood especially where the deer had stopped. I waited until morning to look any further and despite myself and my grandfather spending the entire next day we never found the buck. Lost the blood trail in an open field. I was pretty upset about it, but I learned a valuable lesson that I will never move from my stand without giving the animal proper time no matter what the circumstances.

 

[Schaaf]

I took the head and am hoping to get a European done by next week when he is home for Christmas break.

 

[fishing4sanity]

Glad you found him, I'm sure it'll help your brother. I think most will know that feeling of losing an animal sooner or later, I know I do and despite looking long and hard nothing ever turned up. I know finding the animal even well after the fact would've helped me.

 

[tarheel]

Had to give you some satisfaction to find him.

After 60 years of hunting whitetails there is one bit of behavior that you can count on from them which I'll impart as advice. When wounded and able, a whitetail will head for water pretty much every time if there is any available. I'm sure there's some physiological reason for it, but you can count on it.

 

[bigdonniebrasco]

Looks like the backstraps are still good!

 

[fowladdict]

Wow! Glad you found him. Were you ever looking really close to where you found him?

 

[shoots-straight]

Wounded deer (many times) run to water. Especially if their stomach or intestines were hit.

Where was this deer hit?

 

[Schaaf]

I knew all along he was going for water. He just ended up much farther downstream than I ever guessed. I lost the blood trail about 400 yards from the river. Shot placement was a little low and back.

 

[mtmuley]

Maybe just me, but I wouldn't want a memento of a really bad day hunting. mtmuley

 

[HalfAce]

Looks like you discovered an alternative meat aging technique. lol.

But that's persistence. Good job man.

 

[Schaaf]

Maybe just me, but I wouldn't want a memento of a really bad day hunting. mtmuley

I understand your reasoning, mtmuley. You have made me ponder if my brother would appreciate the skull as a gift. I don't think of it as a bad day of hunting, though. I have found out more about my brother and I since that day than any day of hunting before. I believe hunting can teach a person invaluable lessons. I have found solace in that even if the memories and mementoes from that day don't bring a smile to my face.

 

[ashersdad]

Great persistence! Many would have given up.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Closure is good. Losing an animal is something that happens to every hunter sometime and knowing exactly what happens takes the edge off a bad experience. Glad you found his buck.