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2015 Hunting Megathread
- Thread starter ccm75
- Start date
I had a wonderful hunt today. Didn't see anything in the AM and relocated at lunch. Bumped a nice buck out of his bed. He didn't go crashing away though and didn't sound like he ran too far. So I figured in the evening he would come out the opposite side of the bedding from where I bumped him. So I circled the bedding area downwind nice slow and quiet. Took me about 3 hours to get around it. I set up my Lone Wolf Assault and settled in where I though he would come out. With about a 1/2 hour of day light here he comes. After drawing and letting down about 3 times he finally gives me a 20 yard broadside shot..... and I take it.. I thought I made a good shot. He made a huge leg kick - like they do with heart shots. But then he walked - didn't run - about 40 yards and bed down. So right away I had a sinking feeling. 10 minutes later he was still moving around so I knew I made a bad shot. He got up and walked 10 yards and bed down again. So I had an even worse sinking feeling.... About 30 minutes later it was black out and I got out of the tree and found my arrow..... It confirmed my fears... Stomach shot...
I feel absolutely terrible. That animal is likely still suffering and it's my doing. Tomorrow right at sun rise I'll be out running a grid to try to find him. There's a river near by and I'll be sure to walk the edge searching for him.
I was in a pretty gnarly oak tree and I had to bend around some branches to make the shot. So form was far from perfect. But still... I don't know. I keep running through it trying to think of what I did wrong... Sucks... Terrible end to an otherwise really nice day hunting... Doubt I'll sleep much tonight.
I feel absolutely terrible. That animal is likely still suffering and it's my doing. Tomorrow right at sun rise I'll be out running a grid to try to find him. There's a river near by and I'll be sure to walk the edge searching for him.
I was in a pretty gnarly oak tree and I had to bend around some branches to make the shot. So form was far from perfect. But still... I don't know. I keep running through it trying to think of what I did wrong... Sucks... Terrible end to an otherwise really nice day hunting... Doubt I'll sleep much tonight.
HorizontalHunter
NES Member
As much as we try to prevent it it still happens sometimes. Good,luck finding him. I hope that you get to him before the yotes.
Bob
Bob
Waiting for the sun to come so I can hit it.
Were you able to find a blood trail or did you not have a light with you? If no light I would highly recommend getting a good headlamp and keep it with you while hunting. Also in the future leave the arrow or something where you penetrated the deer so you can try to pick up blood.
Good luck finding him, if you aren't already in the woods stop at a store and get some orange marker tape, if you have a blood trail leave it where you see drops of blood so it's easier to see where he went.
FOUND HIM!!! Now the fun part.
Dead. Dragging him out now. Had to toss the tenderloin. But otherwise he seems fine. Oh the smell during the gut job though...
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Excellent!
Yea I have all that stuff. Black diamond headlamp. It's real nice. Also had a 150 lumen led flashlight. I looked around until about 9:00 but no luck. Funny thing is I must have walked right past him because he was right where I had last heard him before I took up the night search. So he must have expired last night and I just couldn't locate him in the thick thick brush. Because I know I passed within 15 yards of him. That's frustrating - but what can ya do. Visibility in the thick shit is like 5 feet at night. There was zero blood trail. Gutting him revealed I clipped the liver and punctured the stomach. As prior mentioned I tossed the tenderloins unfortunately. Not taking a chance. But the hams and shoulders seem fine. Pass the smell test. Even still I'll tell the butcher to turn them into hamburger which will get cooked to well done. I'll see how the back strap comes out. I'm optimistic.
He's covered in bags of ice in the garage now. Butcher doesn't take in deer for processing until after closing and it's a bit warm today..
HorizontalHunter
NES Member
Nicely done PBM.
I keep milk jugs in the freezer for that purpose. All of the cold but none of the mess. Sadly I haven't needed them yet.
Bob
I keep milk jugs in the freezer for that purpose. All of the cold but none of the mess. Sadly I haven't needed them yet.
Bob
Good work man! Thank you for going back and trying.
Took me 3 hours to find my moose then when gutting I nicked the poncho makes an awful mess on a moose.
Filled my turkey tag this morning and picked up 3 ducks this afternoon. View attachment 149866mm
Been watching a doe and two twins all summer in the back yard (plus a big fat single doe to harvest). They always come as a group, but today the yearling doe wasn't with them. Really frustrated with the shoot anything that's brown mentality that a lot of New England hunters have regardless of maturity. Hoping she was just staying in the trees, but they were a close group, the yearlings were still nursing.
kengog
NES Member
Awesome!
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I have a genera question for anyone who wants to answer it. I just hunted a spot today where at the trail head it says smith Forrest, and there are some signs nearby that say no hunting zone. No where does it say that hunting is prohibited in the whole place. So someone who lives nearby where I parked decided to write me a thoughtful note saying how I am wrong and they called The police on me and they took my license plate number etc. do towns have authority to give me a ticket for hunting on town open space land? And who is this person to give me a note like they are a lawyer or something!
I will assume MA since I don't know where Smith Forest is. Yes, towns can and often do restrict hunting (https://www.northeastshooters.com/v...sachusets-Bylaw-Guide-to-Hunting-and-Shooting). If the property is a WMA town laws do not apply. Otherwise, some people think it is their job to report/harass hunters. I had someone tell me they were calling the police because I was trespassing, at the time I was hunting a field the state stocks with pheasant, I laughed and walked away; I kept an eye on the field entrance just in case, but the police never showed, I assume they laughed at her too.
My lab was convinced there was a bird in this thick brush pile. It was pretty tight so I didn't think there was one in there but it made the mistake of trying to escape, I barely got the record button pressed in time.
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admcd
NES Member
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You can always call the town and ask.. Put the matter to bed rather quickly. Call the town planner and ask if there is an ordinance that prohibits hunting there. If not - you're good to go. Sometimes the anti(s) put up signs to push us off of a piece of land. Call the town and find out for sure. If it's not forbidden and/or they can't provide you the ordnance that would ban it - then you're good to go.
