Drew blood, no recovery

[tasaman]

Well yesterday was opening day on Ft Campbell here in KY. I could have gun hunted but since I got a new bow I really wanted to try it out in the field and christen it with a kill. She is a Mathews S2 and drilling golf ball size groups at 40 yards.
Hunting on Ft Campbell is difficult because the areas that are open and what you can get lucky enough to get into may not be an area you have ever been in before and that was the case this time. I went into an area blind in the dark I've not hunted before and when it became light I was pleased with my tree selection. Good shooting lanes and plenty of cover to draw the bow undetected.
Didn't see anything by 745 so I got out the fawn distress call and blew on it a couple of times and waited. About 5 min past and picked it up again and blew on it one time and a doe I could not see became very upset about 15 yards away from me and started blowing back at me. Scared the bejeezus out me at first but I let her calm down and blew it again. Bow already in hand I could see her slinking through the thicket trying to get around me to see the kid causing the commotion. As soon as she stepped into the lane and paused I let her have it.
Now for the bad feeling. When I picked up the arrow it was blood covered. I wasn't hard to find with all the yellow jackets licking the blood off the of it. The bad part is this. That was the only blood I could find. I got on hands and knees and didn't see another drop. I went into the thicket for 100 yards on any and all trails I could find and she didn't leave a trace. I had to abandon after 2.5 hours to searching due to other obligations.
I believe she may be ok for two reasons. One, the blood on the arrow was light and bright. I could see the arrow hit and from placement it could only have hit either heart or no vitals at all. She was 30 yards maybe plus 2 or 3 and I held with my 30 yard pin low on her chest. I'm believing I just nicked her real low. I'm hoping she'll be fine.
Oh, was one expensive shot too. I am using Rage broadheads now and those suckers aren't cheap. That one is trashed till I replace the blades. Also broke my luminock and tore a fletch. So, added up it was about a $25 shot.
I am confident I did all I could to locate her. I did find a 4 inch ringneck snake in the pine needles so that gives you a clue as to how closely I was looking. I'll post a pick of the little critter when I get a chance.
Today is a new day and I am going back out for a morning hunt. Same gear with plenty of confidence but I must say yesterday is going to be on my mind for a long time. I hate to draw blood and not be able to find an animal. I know it shouldn't but I still can't stop thinking about her and wondering if she survived or dead.

Ed

[dougedwards]

It is a very sick feeling not to recover a possibly wounded animal but nothing is automatic when it comes to hunting. Even when using lighted nocks it is very difficult to see exactly where the broadhead enters the hide. One trick that I use when I am at the end of the trail of any sign of the deer is to spray a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water on the leaves around the last blood sign. Hydrogen peroxide foams up like crazy when it hits any bodily fluids and could give you a clue as to which direction the deer headed.

Such is hunting and most all of us have lost them so just put in another lumenok, refletch your arrow and insert the next Rage. Maybe the next one will be bigger and better but one thing is for sure.......there is nothing like the rush of bow hunting for deer and the uncertainty of it all makes for a more enjoyable hunt.

Doug

[dpoor65]

one little trick that I have used on deer and elk is have a compass in you pack and after the shot, start where you hit the animal and get a compass reading to the last place you seen the animal follow that reading to a main trail marking blood with hunter orange tape tabs. check that main trail closely and more often than not they take that trial, if not then return to you last spot before the trail and follow your compass heading again until you hit another trail and repeat the above....it has worked every time for me for those that bleed externally very little...you can put a major mortal wound on an animal and they bleed very little and make it 100 yards...I shot a 14 pt whitetail with a muzzle loader (heart shot) made it over 200 yrds and bleed less than a table spoon of blood...the compass was the ticket this time and many times before and after that....good luck