Bow Season 2019-2020

Finally starting to cool off. Still 65 this morning but only getting up to 69 today. This next week will down to the 40s and 50s and night and highs of mid 70s in the day. Love it. About time.
Tuesday thru Friday I hunting mornings and saw no deer. This morning at 8:15 I had a spike show up to gorge himself on those green Persimmons. I waited ten minutes or so until he was finished and moved forward to where I had a clear 15 yard shot. Presented a nice broadside shot which I took. I heard the impact and he jumped and ran down the hill and to the east behind me. Watched glimpses of him go out of sight at about 80 yards or so. There is a steep ravine at the east edge of our property that adjoins the National Forest and WMA. It was quiet for a couple minutes after the shot and then I thought I heard him fall over. Wind was blowing from that direction and there was enough background sound that I didn’t wait a half an hour to come down like I normally do. Gave it about ten minutes and quietly packed up and descended in my climber. Walked over to where he was when I shot and to my surprise there was no blood, no fur, no arrow. Hmmm... how could I possibly miss that shot? I circled and crisscrossed the area where he was standing for 20 minutes and could find nothing. Decided to start zigzagging along the path he had run and continue looking for any blood. Got all the way to the ravine at the edge of our property about 180 yards away and still nothing. Went up and down and all over the side of the hill until about 9:45 and could find nothing. Again, how could I miss that shot? Went back to where I thought I shot him. Searched again for the arrow or flies or ants. Started brushing away the leaves until I had cleared a huge area to bare ground anywhere that arrow could have gone. Nothing. Pretty discouraged at this point and go back down the hill blindly crisscrossing that entire side of our property. I even heard a bunch of crows a few hundred yards away down by the road on the USFS so I walked down there and also found nothing. Went back to my stand, packed up and walked back to cabin. Somehow missed it...
Told my wife I as going to go back and search for another hour or two even though I was convinced I must have missed. Eventually worked my way back over to the bottom of the ravine which I had walked through twice already. This time I climbed about 50’ up from the bottom on the other side and moved parallel. Glad I did it because even though I could see the area I was walking from the other bank I had already walked, I had somehow missed him and walked by within 60’ many times.
That was by far the hardest drag I’ve had to do in a while. Would have gone for the ATV but it’s too thick for that. Sure am glad I was persistent and didn’t give up even though by the time I found him I had convinced myself I missed and was wasting time. I sure won’t forget that next time I shoot and think I missed. I always hate the thought of having one go off to die and not be found.

 

Guess I did forget and left that out. Straight on broadside lung shot. Right through middle of both lungs about 2/3 back from their front edge. 2” cut all the way through. I usually aim a tad farther forward and lower to catch the top of the heart too but have gotten my aim off before when I’m that close... I guess when the target is that big I screw up and don’t get the crosshairs right where I want them. Anyway, the doe I had shot earlier in the week got heart and both lungs. Aside from finding the arrow with blood I didn’t notice a trail with her either. Although I’ll admit I wasn’t looking hard or crawling around on the ground because I saw her drop.
I’ve been using Rage broadheads for years and never had a failure even when going through heavy bone. Perfect wide cut all the way through, just bleed internally and didn’t spray or drip that I could find. Weird.
Still no idea what happened to the arrow.

 

Thanks. Are you hunting there in middle Florida? Have you been seeing anything?

 

Good for you for having the self control to not shoot in the low light and risk a bad shot. At least you got to see some. It gets discouraging if you sit too many times without seeing some activity. Good luck on your next time out. Hopefully will be cooler.
I haven’t hunted any more up here. Will try again later in the year. Next time out will be to catch the end of muzzleloading and the beginning of firearm season at my friends in S GA in about a week and a half.