I've made a few posts on a buck I shot last weekend. To recap, shot it, thought I saw it stagger, spent about 45 minutes searching and never saw any signs that I hit it. Shot a nice buck later on that day and after looking at the game cam, I thought it showed where you can see the dust flying up in front of the one I missed.

Well, I sat in the stand this morning for a doe and ended shooting a coyote right at quitting time. Yesterday and today he came out, so it was time to teach him a lesson. I decided after shooting him to go check the area I looked for the buck.

I ended up finding him, not 20 yards from my search area, and only about 50 or so from where I shot. I had spent most of my time in the thick stuff. Someone had mentioned to check creek beds, which is where he was. I'm absolutely disgusted with myself.

The tough lesson, if your gut says you hit him, follow it. You have that instinct for a reason. I could have done more instead of thinking I did enough and focus on the evening hunt. I have a lab who actually is gun shy but real good at finding things. Could of used her. Could have prayed harder and trusted in the Lord more. I could have followed the advice I sought on here. 20 yards is all that separated me from a beautiful buck, a life that I took.

Thanks for the advice y'all, you were spot on. If there's a next time, you better believe I wont give up so easy, and I hope others can learn from my mistake. I thought about taking the rack, even took out my hacksaw and started cutting it, but it never felt right and when the blade broke I took it as a sign that I didn't deserve it.

Sorry about your luck. Glad you found him though. Depending on where you hunt and how many buck tags you have I would have tagged it and done a euro.

Teach yourself to not let your brain relax once you shoot. Deer hunting is a lifetime of learning the sport. I'm still perfecting it after 35 years of hunting.

You should have at least taken the head for a euro mount. Mistakes happen, not taking the head was mistake number 2.

X2

I don't mean to pile on but a 45 minute search on a deer you were pretty certain you hit was inexcusable.....

When you "practice until you can't miss", you need not depend on your gut to decide whether or not you hit your target. And as a result, you will look until you find what you know you did not miss.

You should go back and get the head. Have it euro mounted to honor the buck and remind you to be more committed to finding your future animals when things don't go as planned.

I know what i would do but lets not talk the man into doing something illegal if he doesnt feel right about it.

That was kinda a point of this post. In your mind you talk yourself into doubt, especially when you can't find evidence that your shot connected. I thought I did my diligence, looked with no signs, checked game cam pics that showed what I thought was a miss, but all around I ignored my gut and gave up.



This is excellent advise, and I think so too. It's obvious I need to get to the range more.



I didn't realize it was illegal to take a rack like that.

It's not illegal.....IF you tag it! I'm glad you went back and looked. I thought by the way you described things the first time that you hit it and simply didn't find it.

What happened, happened. You can't undo it but you can learn from it and not only not make the mistake in the future but try to help others in similar situations. I appreciate your owning up to it. Most people would never have posted this last post.

I would hunt with you anytime! You've got integrity and that is in pretty short supply nowadays.

Mel

Thanks, Mel, I really appreciate that. I'm a firm believer in learning from your mistakes and helping others not repeat them.

In Nac county, you can only shoot one buck with a 13" + spread. So, can't tag him. Good thing the blade broke.

I'm the guy who said look for water and go down hill. I also told you ya hit em. When I saw Ur pic this morn I noticed his tail was down cupped. A pretty good sign you hit him. Lack of Blood won't tell ya nothing. Now that's behind us so do whatever you want with the deer. I would not care anyway. Don't beat Ur self up. But shoot a lot before next year. A lot I will even help you if you need help.

Have you already used your tag on another buck? If not Thats BS not tagging him and leaving the rack, just so you can shoot another buck. You killed him, then you found him, now you should tag him.

8pointdrop... Before walking on water READ the OP....
Shot a nice buck later on that day

Just because you didn't find him 20yds short off your
Search you still deserve that trophy
Agreed mistake #2 not picking YOUR trophy up and doing a euro

That head should be hanging in a tree right now so you can find it in the spring while shed hunting.

sh*t happens...it's obvious you feel awful about it. I'm with a few others in that I would still want that rack...take'er easy

Who said anything about walking on water? I missed the" shot another buck" part, but its still BS. Lets just keep shooting until something drops where we can recover it easy without tracking. Less than 50 yrds from we're he shot it, but couldn't find it.

Sounds a little like, "if it don't drop, I must have missed" to me. He'd have been kicked off most leases I've been on for it.

Not wanting to kick you in the nads over it ThecloudX. I've lost one before and it sucks. You said you learned from it and I hope you're right. I learned from mine, if he looks like he might need another one in him, do it. I had a second shot chance at mine, but thought he was going down.

X2
I hope you knew what to expect when you posted this. I truly believe you learned your lesson the same way most of us did.

You can add me to that group for sure. When I first started hunting as a kid, I didn't know what I didn't know.

What part of that would be illegal?

Go get that head.

I knew what to expect, still a good example to others that it may happen to.



I know you're not kicking me, no worries. I can assure you that "just shooting until something drops" is definitely not the case. And certainly not "if it don't drop, I must have missed".

The reason I made this post was so others can see that even if there's no sign you hit, if you felt you hit then you should do everything you could have done. Like I said, there was no blood to follow, or anything of the sorts. And even the game cam pictures show what I thought was me shooting in front of him. Obviously there was a lot more I could have done, in hindsight I wish I would have. I'm thankful for every animal I take, and knowing I wasted even one has me disgusted with myself. I would tag him in a heart beat, if I could.

As far as I'm concerned, the season is over for me next week because that's the last legal time to shoot a doe, and I have no interest in a spike.

Since it's illegal to take the horns, because I can't tag him, I'm not going to touch them further.

Thanks, bdotson. I concentrated in the thick stuff, wish I would have followed your advice. I'm going to spend a lot at the range here real soon.