hoochie
09-30-2014, 08:53 AM
I had been scouting a huge area for a couple days, and had found that the Mulies were in the area at first light, and a small group of White tails would come in there in the evening. I had wondered if at last light, some bucks would come in in the far back of this area. My wife and I sat in the middle of a huge area, I don't know.. 40.. maybe 50 acres?
No sign of any mulie bucks. Something told me we should move and head back toward the road, and back to where I had seen the white tails. Sure enough, I spot one. Then we see a buck just a bit farther off. I could not see them with my eyes, but they were easy to see in the Binos.
We sat patiently as they came across from the West, and then down in this gully, then up to the level we were on. The deer started slowly right in our direction. I still had lots of shooting light left, but wasn't really paying attention to the sun on the horizon.
I take my shot from about 230yards. The deer bolt off. I thought "OMG did I just miss?" I cycle another round and watch the deer in my scope. He ran for what seemed like 5 or 6 seconds, then dropped. I saw him go down, my wife watched in the Binos.
I started walking out toward the deer, and she said "the other one is right near it.. keep walking that way" I had a reference point of where I thought the deer was in relation to trees, stumps etc. I walk out and turn around to get a reference from where I took the shot. The sun was right in my eyes and it made it hard to see.
I mistakenly looked back at another large stump ( you know when a tree goes over, and all the roots are still attached.. I shot from one of those). I look back at where I thought I was and tried to get my bearing again.
I could not find my deer.
Now its getting really dark and logs start to look like the white belly of deer, my eyes are playing tricks on me. I had to get out a flash light.
I honestly must have searched an area of about the size of a football field and could not find my deer.
Now its getting to be somewhere near 8:45, total darkness, and the moon was not very big at all... so no help there.
I was mad at myself, frustrated, and sort of confused. I know damn well I saw the deer go down.
I barely slept.
03:30 the next morning I'm wide awake, made some coffee and kept replaying it on my head over and over.
I haven't had this happen before, and there was a large pack of coyotes we could hear every night. I was concerned that something would get to my deer before I did.
Just before first light we head back out, and retrace our steps. Things somehow looked a little different at first light.
I went back to the stump, picked up my brass. triangulated again. My wife says "see the stump over there 100 yards or so?.. that's the one you kept looking back on to reference from last night" I asked her "are you sure? why the heck would I have been looking over at that one?"
Within 10 minutes I found my deer. Untouched!
The shot was prefect. Just where I wanted it to go. just behind the front shoulder on the left side, clean through and exited the right lung.
I looked around at the area, and I figure that the night before I was starting my search about 30 yards from the actual location, and working away from the deer, not toward it. I got my White tail, nice 3X3, and what a huge relief. I swear, it was better than xmas, birthdays.. omg it was just awesome to recover the deer.
I know its a long story, but may this never happen again, and may it never happen to you!
good luck out there everyone,
cheers
No sign of any mulie bucks. Something told me we should move and head back toward the road, and back to where I had seen the white tails. Sure enough, I spot one. Then we see a buck just a bit farther off. I could not see them with my eyes, but they were easy to see in the Binos.
We sat patiently as they came across from the West, and then down in this gully, then up to the level we were on. The deer started slowly right in our direction. I still had lots of shooting light left, but wasn't really paying attention to the sun on the horizon.
I take my shot from about 230yards. The deer bolt off. I thought "OMG did I just miss?" I cycle another round and watch the deer in my scope. He ran for what seemed like 5 or 6 seconds, then dropped. I saw him go down, my wife watched in the Binos.
I started walking out toward the deer, and she said "the other one is right near it.. keep walking that way" I had a reference point of where I thought the deer was in relation to trees, stumps etc. I walk out and turn around to get a reference from where I took the shot. The sun was right in my eyes and it made it hard to see.
I mistakenly looked back at another large stump ( you know when a tree goes over, and all the roots are still attached.. I shot from one of those). I look back at where I thought I was and tried to get my bearing again.
I could not find my deer.
Now its getting really dark and logs start to look like the white belly of deer, my eyes are playing tricks on me. I had to get out a flash light.
I honestly must have searched an area of about the size of a football field and could not find my deer.
Now its getting to be somewhere near 8:45, total darkness, and the moon was not very big at all... so no help there.
I was mad at myself, frustrated, and sort of confused. I know damn well I saw the deer go down.
I barely slept.
03:30 the next morning I'm wide awake, made some coffee and kept replaying it on my head over and over.
I haven't had this happen before, and there was a large pack of coyotes we could hear every night. I was concerned that something would get to my deer before I did.
Just before first light we head back out, and retrace our steps. Things somehow looked a little different at first light.
I went back to the stump, picked up my brass. triangulated again. My wife says "see the stump over there 100 yards or so?.. that's the one you kept looking back on to reference from last night" I asked her "are you sure? why the heck would I have been looking over at that one?"
Within 10 minutes I found my deer. Untouched!
The shot was prefect. Just where I wanted it to go. just behind the front shoulder on the left side, clean through and exited the right lung.
I looked around at the area, and I figure that the night before I was starting my search about 30 yards from the actual location, and working away from the deer, not toward it. I got my White tail, nice 3X3, and what a huge relief. I swear, it was better than xmas, birthdays.. omg it was just awesome to recover the deer.
I know its a long story, but may this never happen again, and may it never happen to you!
good luck out there everyone,
cheers