wounded deer in archery

[banshell1028]

i have hunted for 12 years and today was a sad day. I shot a doe with its fawn and broke its back. I put another arrow in its chest and went to the house for an hour to give the deer time. By the time i got back the deer was still crawling. This was a very disheartening sight. I reluctantly had to knock it out with a rock before i cut its throat because it was trying to nip at me. This has never happened to me in the past. When i gutted the deer both lungs were shot through. Cutting the throat was a very cruel BUT ethical way to dispatch this deer. I had two friends with me while i was doing this. They both refuse to bow hunt again ever!!!! I will cointinue to bow hunt because that is the nature of the beast. The only reason i am talking about this is because i want other hunters to be aware of evry possible situation dealing with wounded deer. Although it may make you feel differently about hunting, it shouldnt make you stop hunting altogether. Dispatch the animal as fast as possible. SOme grief and dispair maybe.

[Slickhead Stalker RN]

Wow. Two arrows and a double lung shot and a hour later she was still crawling? What a tough ol gal.

I have never been bow hunting and have never really had any problems with the deer that I have shot dying a slow death(I haven't really shot that many actually), but I probably would have knocked her out and finished her off before I went to the house for an hour. I am sure she would have appreciated that. She couldn't have been too much of a threat after that second arrow. Just a thought.

yea thats a tough one to deal with but it happens.

[timberghost]

If there's any bright side to the story I guess it is that you did find her and was able to harvest the deer. Some people shoot the deer and never find them. I hope your friends don't give up hunting because of this. Ask any hunter and I'm sure that you will have 1 or 2 horror stories from them.

[stevenet99]

Yea that's sad, I hope I don't run into that situation. This year is my first year bow hunting. I've hunted 8 years gun and have always had my deer go down within 80 yards and never needed a second shot. This year though bow hunting opening week I took my first shot at a smaller buck with my bow and hit it.

Found a blood trail 20 yards away that started, I fallowed it for an hour in a half through real thick brush and prickers until it came to an end. There was a big circle of blood and it just ended. My dad and I spent over 5 hours searching and searching, but never found the blood trail continue along with not finding the deer or my arrow. I was bummed for this was my first experience like this. We tried all we could. I thought that was bad but I hope that situation doesn't happen again or one like yours.

As Ted Nugent says, all you can do is try your best and make the best shot you can as well as try hard to find the deer and sometimes a weird situation will come up and you can't beat yourself up over it.

Good luck the rest of the season guys!

[stairman]

You gotta be tuff about it. The fawn will be fine without her if the season is open. Were all gonna die, some of us will suffer. A coyote ripping it apart isnt much better. I have threatened to quit bowhunting after shooting deer and not finding them but know buzzards, coyote, and other critters will feast on it even though I wont. Be glad you found it, thank the gods for the feast and backstrap boogie baby!

[FULLRUT]

That sucks however its a more humain death than nature can offer. Let's see what are the alternatives. Starvation,Predation,wounded by vehicle, wounded by other deer. The human is the only predator that cares about making a quick kill. Other preditors dont care. When a pack of wolves are tearing apart a calf alive in front of his mother i dont think they care about a quick kill. Most drivers that injure a deer are usually on the phone with the insurance company after the collision not looking in the woods to make sure the deer is dead. Starvation really suck it is a slow process till the deer finally falls over and dies. I forgot to mention freezing this is a pretty bad way to go. Anyway don't beat yourself over it. That deer is actually lucky that you put it out the alternatives are worse Orly

[hunt NH]

Originally Posted by FULLRUT

That sucks however its a more humain death than nature can offer. Let's see what are the alternatives. Starvation,Predation,wounded by vehicle, wounded by other deer. The human is the only predator that cares about making a quick kill. Other preditors dont care. When a pack of wolves are tearing apart a calf alive in front of his mother i dont think they care about a quick kill. Most drivers that injure a deer are usually on the phone with the insurance company after the collision not looking in the woods to make sure the deer is dead. Starvation really suck it is a slow process till the deer finally falls over and dies. I forgot to mention freezing this is a pretty bad way to go. Anyway don't beat yourself over it. That deer is actually lucky that you put it out the alternatives are worse Orly

i am well awair of this, and im definatly not thinking about stoping hunting. just bow hunting. pluss i dont see why dept. of fish and game wont let you finnish off a deer with your side arm, if you have wonnded it with your bow.

[BruceBruce1959]

huntnh, in Vermont we're not allowed to carry Any firearm (rifle, pistol or shotgun) while bowhunting.
Our only means to end a deers suffering is by knife.
I always thought the same as you and wondered why doesn't Vermont let the bow hunters at least carry a pistol?
I guess they're just concerned that some hunters might use the firearm instead of their bow to shoot the deer.
the following is the Vermont rule

* No person taking deer with a bow and arrow or crossbow (special permit required)
may possess a firearm and no deer may be taken
by firearms during the archery season.

[hunt NH]

in nh we have pistol permits, and they trump dept. fish and game, so you can carry a pistol wile bow hunting if you have a pistol permit. but you cant use it.