My PA Whitetail Interesting Back Story
Whitetail Deer
Spent Saturday afternoon sitting in one of my favorite ladder stands which is located about 100 yards behind our cabins outhouse. This corner of the hay field has always produced during the early rut. Around 5:50pm I heard a buck grunt in the woods off to my left... the buck appeared like a ghost in front of me. At 38 yards my trusty Hoyt finished the job. He died 20 yards behind the outhouse. Made for an easy drag.
Now.... walking up on the deer I found a second hole. Low in the body and straight pass through. After gutting the buck... there was ZERO damage to the chest cavity or guts. You can see from the picture it’s amazing that a “bolt” can do this without fatally wounding the deer.
Back story... my neighbors daughter (13 years old) set up in a fence row after watching this buck cross every evening. This was 10 days before I killed him. They tracked and tracked and tracked this deer for miles all over. Amazing animals
That's crazy! Didn't hit any gut or artery? Initial shot fatal in the log run, you think?
Did not hit anything really... just meat/fat. It bled really well for them for a long time. But unless he would have gotten an infection... he was just fine.
But obviously didn’t learn his lesson about being out during daylight lol
They’re some tough animals. Congrats, Chris!
Shot one like that last year. Maybe a little higher. Thought he was dead on his feet. Decent blood at first then drops, then nothing. Chip shot i just plain messed up. It is a game of inches sometimes.
I shot one a week after my brother once. He hit low. Tracked and lost. Assumed he died. I shot him a half mile away. He was fine and healing up well. Nice buck!
Great buck, cool story. Deer are amazingly tough. You’d be surprised what they can survive
yep, she hit the lower void ;0)
Congratulations, good ending to the story.
Good story, 13 yo girl must be kinda bummed. If it were me, I'd have given it to her. Just me, tho., not saying you should.
TrapperKayak... she was upset for sure and the thought crossed my mind. But there is a part of me that says everyone needs to learn that lesson at some point in your hunting career.
If it was the next day and it came in limping.... surely would have no issue giving it to her. But this buck was full of life and about to go chase does around my field.
Thanks for sharing the story. That is really unusual and good that your success brought closure to your neighbor's mystery.
Keep the buck, maybe share some jerky or steaks. Keep encouraging her to keep trying until she gets one.
Kids being shielded from failure is a growing problem.
Tears and heartache are great teachers, and can provide great motivation.
Congrats on the nice PA buck.
writer, good point. PA, Agree somewhat, but It was probably not some lesson she needs to be 'taught' in this case though, probably just a low hit due to whatever - no one is a crack shot all the time. I was thinking maybe she'd get discouraged and not want to hunt again if it results in this kind of loss, she's a kid and they are impressionable. Could go either way, so I see both points. Share a steak or two and call it good.
I was thinking the same thing Trapper.... I probably would have given it to her and told her congrats and probably fibbed a little and told her I finished it off for her..... Helping to keep that young lady headed in the direction of a hunting lifestyle would be more important to me than that buck...... But I’m not judging..... You have every right to keep it yourself PA.
Chris, you did the right thing.
Cool story PA! Very cool. I definitely would not give it to the kid. Not because I'm selfish but because
1) the kid shot it 10 days ago and is 13 years old. She knows darn well she didn't kill it. That's like playing basketball with a 15 year old and pretending you suck so they can run up the score. They're smart enough to know better.
2) The result is the result. It is long over. That girl has made whatever mental peace she has with the situation. It was 10 days ago. There's not point in pretending anything now.
3) I don't believe in paving the road for kids, but I know that is to each his own, and kids end up being wonderful adults when brought up both ways. But I was taught you need to earn everything whether it comes to money, jobs, sports or hunting and nothing comes free. Of course we default to the way we were raised, but after reflection I've always agreed with it.
Did you take any pictures once you opened up the animal where the arrow passed through? I'd be curious to see where it went through. Deer are some wicked animals. I shot the same buck twice one time, years apart - though I made him a limper with the first shot. They sure are tough.
She missed. That’s OK. Nobody owns these animals.
Nice buck. Looks like a hoss.
Very well said Adam couldn’t agree more sir.
Deer are tough. My buddy hit this deer on Nov. 4th. We were getting ready to do another grid search on the 6th when my son checked a trail camera. All we can figure is his leg must of been back and must not of penetrated. I shot this buck a year later.
KC, is the little dark spot on that buck (pretty much right where I aim on every broadside deer I shoot at - maybe an inch lower than that spot) is where your buddy hit the deer? Maybe it’s the angle, but it looks like that spot is plenty far enough behind the shoulder to penetrate?
Giving it to her would be like a participation trophy.
Nice buck. Did you tell her that you harvested it? I know that I personally would love to know that a deer I wounded not only didn't die a slow death, but that it was harvested and the meat was fine.
I see too many whitetail hunting shows aim for the "heart shot" and are usually low and back in that "lower void" area. I always teach my kids double lungs.
Busta That's where the Broadhead hit. He was broadside when he shot
KC9, ^^ It looks like two identical hits, one a few inches at 5 o'clock to the other one. What was he, a ghost? Which one is the actual hit, the upper one? The lower one, with proper penetration, would have killed him. Both should have, actually.
Just one hit.. upper mark
