Disappointing end to a tough season

[tnlonghunter]

Well, I ended my deer season last night. I was hunting on a friend's property for the Michigan private land anterless late season. About 20 minutes before dark a nice doe stepped out of the brush about 75 yards out and stood there eating. After about 5 minutes she turned broadside. I decided since there was no wind and a wide open clearing to take the shot. .50 prb from my TN longrifle with 75 grains of 3f Goex. I could tell from right off that it was a good shot. She just kind of ambled off with her tail down, and stumbled once or twice into a thick stand of evergreens. I could even see her mill about on the edge for a minute before losing sight of her.

My buddy and I looked for her for a couple hours, but there was no blood trail. On our hands and knees inspecting tracks and scrapes in the dirt, we still couldn't find her. We made plans to continue the search this morning. Since it's right at his property line, he was able to start early this morning. He called before I could get out there to say that he found the gut pile and drag marks, but someone had gotten there before us and stolen it. :cursing: :cursing: It had dropped less than 100 yards from where I shot it,but with the growth, cloudy night, and darkness we must have walked past it a couple times and never seen it.

This has been a pretty crappy season. I've only had one other shot, during archery season, and missed when the lower limb of my bow hit my leg on release. Haven't hardly seen anything else until last night.

At least I know now that I'm able to kill deer at a longer range. I guess 75 yards isn't really far, but it's the furthest I've shot a deer, even with a modern rifle (always wound up within bow range, even for guns). I've always been confident in my ability to hit minute-of-deer at 75-100 yards with my flinter on the range, but it's different with a live target. So I guess a boost in my shooting confidence is something. Now I just need to get better at tracking in the dark. That and find the moron who took my deer.

 

[outdoorman]

Really, there is no consolation to any of your situation. However, hopefully the person who took your deer really needed it for food.

It still does not make it right though. It leaves a guy with a sour taste in his mouth.

Outdoorman

 

[ruddyduck]

That's just bad luck I guess. Nothing you could do...you made a good shot and decided to play it safe and wait to track. It was the right decision. Everything happens for a reason...maybe they did need it more....who knows.

 

[paulvallandigham]

His tracks are much easier to see, and follow. Tak pictures so you can match his boots to your tracks, and have him arrested for theft.

 

[Runner]

I had one gut itself and run off anyway out at Busch using a bow one year. I at least got to ask the guy that had mine laying in his truck if he knew anything about my deer that ran in there near where he was hunting. He lied, but everyone standing around knew what had happened. I did not push it past that. No way to prove anything really.

 

[dallas10c]

My son has had that kind of year so far also..

During Junior only season, he hit a nice size doe that dropped and then got up and ambled off. We tracked it a good mile before cresting a hill to hear...BANG! He didn't even want to look.
Tonight right at dark he had a nice doe in his sights at 25 yards only to experience the first misfire he has had with his flinter in 3 months! There is always tomorrow....

 

[paulvallandigham]

Actually, the track evidence could prove that you put your arrow in the deer at the spot where it was hit, and at the angle, and side of the body it was hit. Tracks leading from your " Hit " location, to where the deer was killed or recovered by the poacher would then also tell the story, and indict him. Its all there, if someone wants to read it. As long as people can't fly, they leave tracks, and tracks tell everything to people trained to read them.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Well, unless the guy or guys who took took the deer were trespassing it was not "poaching" or illegal. The unwritten law hereabouts is you drop a deer it's yours no matter how many holes or how much prior lead it was dragging around. Most folks are sensible and forthright enough to surrender a deer they merely finished off. I've done it myself on a cripple that probably would have kept ahead of the nimrod who was pushing him indefinately (upper foreleg shot with a T/C Hawken .50), but who's going to fight a legal battle over a forensic determination on whether a certain shot was the killing one, or even who fired it. In NY the deer belong to the state and from there it's whoever put it down. Get a warden or the sheriff involved and probably each party will get half.

That's one of the reasons I like the .54 for whitetail. I want them down A.S.A.P. because we have many hunters in the woods during first week of deer season.

 

[bramble]

tnlonghunter,

I'm sorry that your season had a disappointing end. I've been in similar circumstances and the feeling is not good. You have my utmost empathy.

However, just playing the devil's advocate; what would one do if you found a freshly dead deer, with no-one else about? Yes it was your deer by all rights, but there are a lot of people (I won't call them hunters) without the ability or perseverance to track an animal.
Me? If I had any idea of who the hunter might be, or if I could identify the land owners, I 'd do my best to get in touch. I know most of the surrounding landowners here and would have a starting point for calling around. I would have difficulty leaving a deer to rot.
Mine is a relatively small community, so this situation would not be such a problem. I imagine it's quite different in other areas. I'm interested in opinions.

Again, tnlonghunter, my heart goes out to you. May the next season be more fruitful, and my you continue to enjoy the hunt.

bramble

 

[paulvallandigham]

I agree. That is why I learned to track footprints, and not blood, and why I track my animal down. I also take a business card and put it under the tongue where it is not readily seen, so that if the deer is taken from me, someone is going to have a lot of explaining to do to the cops.

I pick my shots, aim small, and miss small. I aim so that my .50 cal. PRB will break the opposite leg or shoulder after going through both lungs.

 

[playfarmers]

I agree. That is why I learned to track footprints, and not blood, and why I track my animal down. I also take a business card and put it under the tongue where it is not readily seen, so that if the deer is taken from me, someone is going to have a lot of explaining to do to the cops.

I pick my shots, aim small, and miss small. I aim so that my .50 cal. PRB will break the opposite leg or shoulder after going through both lungs.

More whitetails have dropped to the shot for me when the shot is through the off shoulder too. Around here we do not have the problem of other hunters laying claim to a deer that someone else shot, but I still like them to drop fast.

 

Sorry your season ended on such a sour note.

Around here and the way I was taught is the persons shot who puts the deer down gets it. Now if I am tracking a deer and some other guy comes upon it before me well there had better have been a shot or I'll wait for the game warden to show up and sit on my deer. lol

Really don't have a problem with stuff like that where I hunt but I'm sure it happens on state land wherever there are citiots to be found. I avoid those places at all costs.

Had a guy steal a stand this year and have all the proof on camera. Tracked the dummy to his car and then tracked his car to where he parked it. It was my neighbors stand and he didn't care that someone took it. Much nicer guy than I am by a long shot so nothing was done. What is going to be done though is I am gonna contact the landowner and tell him whats going on and ask if he wants me to keep an eye on the place for him as it is turning into a dumping ground and a place for kids to drink and do drugs. Yup found the baggies and everything.

B