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Post by harmonist34 on Nov 18, 2018 14:54:18 GMT -5
Thanks for the thoughts, all. I think you're probably right and a clean miss is the most likely explanation, as I had originally thought.
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Post by harmonist34 on Nov 18, 2018 9:07:37 GMT -5
So I had an eventful hunting day that ended in disappointment...and now nausea. Around noon, I had an 8 point buck walking near the top of the ridge above my stand, following a 6 pt that had recently chased a doe. It happened fairly quickly, and he started to turn to go up the ridge and offered me a quartering away shot at around 85 yards. I was following him in my scope as best as I could as he moved along the ridge and after he stopped I got set and fired. He took a few bounds up over the ridge and disappeared.
I'm using a CVA Optima V2 and shooting Hornaday XTP 240 grain bullets.
When I checked for blood about 30 minutes later, I found nothing where the impact would have occurred. I then started going back and forth and around in half circles from that spot. Looked for 45 minutes or so and never found a drop. I was second-guessing whether I had started in the right spot, so I went back down the hill and sat in my stand to rest for a while, then re-oriented myself and went back up the hill to the spot, this time going out farther in the directions he might have travelled.
Looked for another long while and got farther away in case the blood started later, and still not a drop.
I concluded that I must have missed, given no blood whatsoever and no visible impact on the deer (falling, kicking, limping, etc.), and the reality that the sequence was pretty rushed and I may have been less steady in reality than I remembered.
But then last night, a friend texted me about his hunt and mentioned that the buck his son shot (and recovered) with a rifle traveled 200 yards before the blood trail started.
So now I'm kicking myself and wondering if I concentrated in too small an area. I can't get back down there, but I asked the other guy hunting in my area to keep an eye out in that portion of the property.
What did I do wrong in this scenario? I'm sure I'm not the first or the last person this has happened to. When you don't have visual evidence of a hit, you can't find blood, and the deer goes out of sight fairly quickly, how do you ensure you've searched long enough and far enough to be sure you don't have a deer down somewhere that you could have recovered?
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Post by harmonist34 on Nov 13, 2018 13:21:04 GMT -5
Skunked. Saw one fork or six towards the end but not close enough. Tried to trail a buck another guy wounded yesterday but lost it after an hour or so.
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Post by harmonist34 on Nov 13, 2018 9:55:19 GMT -5
In Ft Harrison again. Dead today. Found out guys in the spot I planned to hunt yesterday shot a six and a big eight they didn’t recover, then another six later that they did. Going to try and trail for a bit in case they’re findable.
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Post by harmonist34 on Nov 12, 2018 14:26:14 GMT -5
I’m cold and haven’t seen anything for quite a while. Been in this tree since just after 6. Surely I’m due a chance soon, right?
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Ft ben
Nov 12, 2018 12:11:30 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by harmonist34 on Nov 12, 2018 12:11:30 GMT -5
In the rookery. Seen four but no shots.
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What a Day
Nov 12, 2018 12:08:34 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by harmonist34 on Nov 12, 2018 12:08:34 GMT -5
Nicely done!
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Post by harmonist34 on Nov 12, 2018 11:24:45 GMT -5
Nice work, Dave!
Had two does just walk by around 70 yds. Been a fairly slow morning by Ft Harrison standards.
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Post by harmonist34 on Nov 12, 2018 10:03:26 GMT -5
Saw a young 7 or 8 cruise into bedding but I’m set up too far away.
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Post by harmonist34 on Nov 12, 2018 8:36:53 GMT -5
I’m in the stand at Ft Harrison. Had somebody beat me to my spot so I’m set up one ridge over. Have seen one doe but not close enough for a shot. Deer blew at the guy over where I wanted to be. They’re here!
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Post by harmonist34 on Nov 9, 2018 9:59:00 GMT -5
Aaaaaaaaargh. Watched the doe for 15 minutes and she was standing at 25 yds for at least 10 min, but no shooting lane. Theb15 min later had beautiful young 8 cruise by. After he was out of sight I gave him a few grunts and he came around the ridge right back to the stand. I was at full draw with him at 11 yds behind a tree. Needed him to take two steps. But he saw or smelled something and turned around. Sooooooo close.
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Post by harmonist34 on Nov 9, 2018 8:57:25 GMT -5
Had a rough time getting into the tree. Was raining some and I learned not to climb a shagbark hickory ever again.
Have seen a mature doe for 20 minutes at 60-70 yards and had a young 6 pt appear about 25 yds from me at 8:40. Rain has stopped but trees are still dripping. I didn’t take the right approach since I didn’t know exactly where I was going to hang, so I think i really hurt my chances for a mature buck. Hunting is hard. Here comes another doe...
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Post by harmonist34 on Nov 3, 2018 15:30:32 GMT -5
Saw two nice 8 pters at daylight on the road leading to where I hunt. Both bucks out in empty fields all alone. Saw a doe and then a bobcat from the stand. Busted by a buck (smallish?) at noon when I went to sit down after standing a while. On the one trail that was downwind, of course, so I was barely watching it. Still hunted to another spot and saw three doe down in the valley. Moved to a spot at the edge of bedding for the rest of the day. There’s still time!
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Post by harmonist34 on Oct 27, 2018 16:07:41 GMT -5
What a buck! Wow.
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Post by harmonist34 on Oct 27, 2018 15:40:19 GMT -5
Well, nothing today. I will hear the crunch of acorns underfoot in my dreams tonight. The amount of nuts on the ground this year is nuts.
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Post by harmonist34 on Oct 27, 2018 11:42:03 GMT -5
Haven’t seen a thing. Getting pretty tired.
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Post by harmonist34 on Oct 27, 2018 9:06:51 GMT -5
Another hunter rattled me in at the end of the ridge I chose from the nap to start the morning on. Guess he saw the same things on the map! Assume he saw me but never acknowledged. I headed over the next ridge. Only one tiny rub and tiny scrape but plenty of beds. Going to keep moving...
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Post by harmonist34 on Oct 27, 2018 5:37:55 GMT -5
Heading to an area of Morgan Monroe I haven’t scouted. I think I’m going to hunt from the ground today. Just don’t feel confident enough in finding a good spot to commit to walking in in the dark. Good luck all!
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Post by harmonist34 on Oct 25, 2018 14:27:04 GMT -5
Wish I were. I've applied many times with no luck. One year I was drawn for both. Another year I got in for one. Last year got neither. This year got one. Who knows?
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Post by harmonist34 on Oct 23, 2018 21:04:33 GMT -5
Would love to connect with some people from the forum who will be out that day. Might want to exchange some contact info in case somebody needs some assistance tracking/hauling, especially late in the afternoon. I think they're pretty adamant about deer check in by 5 p.m. each day.
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