Blood trail mistakes

[Shooter77]

A couple seasons ago I shot a buck in early October as it was coming out into a bean field that hadn't been picked yet. I knew I made a good hit and watched him fall seconds after. Knowing he was dead I climbed right down and walked out to where I thought I saw him flop over. I was wrong. He wasn't there. I was not where I thought I was, and I could not see a thing. The beans were brown but still thick, and the blood soaked in and disappeared. I figured no big deal, that I'd just come out in the morning and grab him. That morning track turned to noon before I realized I needed a dog.

That dog didn't even track. He went straight to the buck without ever putting his nose to the ground, and the buck was exactly where I thought he was. If he was a snake he'd have bitten me a dozen times. I don't know how I didn't trip over him. But sure enough, those brown beans completely hid him from me. I've been hesitant to hunt a bean field since.

When my son shot his first buck back in 2020, it did a high jump and ran off out of the field. the way the trees where on the edge of the field, I didn't see where the deer ran out of the field at. The grass was knee high so blood trailing was impossible. I looked for 30 mins in the field and into the woods for any sign of blood, tracks or disturbance. There was this monster oak that I walked by about 25 yards in the wood line at least 4 times. We never found the deer. I told him he must have just nicked the buck cause I found a few hairs at the impact area. 3 day later the farmer calls, says he's got birds just inside the wood line as he was brush hogging. We went out after work and there it was, laying beside that oak. it was on the field side and I walked on the other side it. I could have spit on it. I even remember this limb I got tangled in, it was almost touching the deer.

 

[huvrman]

Someone has probably already said this, but luminated nocks. Not only will you be able to find your arrow easier, but it's easier to tell where the point of impact is

I took a shot at a nice drop tine 11 two years ago using a lumanock. Was in a greenfield in the woods and I could have sworn the buck jumped the string and the arrow went over his back. Problem was I couldn't find the arrow…. I looked for that deer for 2 days. Even went out there at night looking for the arrow and nock. At midnight of the second night he showed up on camera but was touching the camera with his nose and I could only see part of his rack. At least he was alive. A week later he showed up again at night in the greenfield (on camera) with 2 other 8s. Seemed totally fine and no apparent injuries. What was odd, though, was whenever the 2 8s would spar, he would step away from them. Not the dominant attitude I had seen before from him. (I'd watched these 3 for months). About 3 weeks later he was shot a mile away chasing does. My lumanock was under the skin over his right shoulder, just above the spine. The arrow had passed through leaving the nock behind.

 

[SC Manimal]

My worst. Liver shot deer. Did not wait long enough.

Me too