... I had one get away wounded that I couldn't find.

At 4:30 PM on Saturday I was settled about 30 feet up a slick pine overlooking an active scrape line. That's when I heard the crashing about headed my way. Sure enough, a nice buck was in chase behind a doe. Both deer stopped about 35 yards out to my right behind some brush. All of the sudden she bolted traveling right to left and he bounded into a shooting lane showing me his vitals. Without really thinking I fired. Down he goes ...

The Ruger pounded this deer to the ground, and I'm thinking the work is about to begin. However, I notice his head come up and before you know he's turned himself and tries to get up. I send a second round his way. Just as I ponder sending a third, he staggers into the planted pines and disappears. I think I hear him go down.

After waiting 30 minutes I start the process of tracking and at first it was great. Nice big drops of blood that lead me directly on his path into the pines. 20 yards in and it stops ... done, over, not a spec of blood, nothing. I spent 2 hours on hands and knees in 5 year old plantation pine searching. I went back the following morning and spent 2 more hours. I haven't had this happen in 18 years and it's a hard pill to swallow.

My mistakes? I rushed the shot. I didn't take a proper rest that I had readily available. I didn't send a 3rd round properly aimed and squeezed off. Just a bad job on my part all the way around. So there you go ... all laid out and ugly as it is.

Now to learn from it ....

P

It happens if you hunt long enough and are a good enough hunter. Doesn?t make you feel any better, but it happens.

What KRal said is sad but true.

You kind of find yourself in a panic and just reacted. I think everyone is guilty of that sometime. Sorry you lost the deer. I know I have to use mental preparation for handgun hunting.

It happens, you can replay the hunt in your mind , over and over, learn from it.

WHO KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED, AND WHY. THE BIG LESSON IS: DON'T WAIT FOR THEM TO FALL, KEEP SHOOTING.

Yes it happens. I think everyone that has hunted long enough can relate.

Anyone who would be critical of you lacks experience. If you hunt enough it will happen at some point. Don?t beat yourself up.

Sorry this happened to you. No doubt it will make you focus like a laser the next time a buck is in your sights. What gun, load, bullet did you use?

Sorry to hear of your loss but you owned up to it & I'm sure learned from it.
I've stated several times over the years that I've never lost an animal but I've hunted for a very long time & shot a lot of game...& I did lose one back in the early 70's. I had just forgot.
Three of us were on snowmobiles in late November in very deep snow when I spotted what was probably the biggest, or close to biggest buck I'd ever seen. He was with 4-5 doe's.
I bailed off the machine & laid over the hood of my snowmobile & dropped him at a good 200 yds with my 6mm rifle. My buddies turned around & came back & we sit there talking for a couple of minutes & then some guys came through to our right on horseback & we talked with them for a few minutes & then went up to where the buck should have been & he was gone! We tracked him for 1/4 mile & then the tracks got into a lot of other deer tracks & we never found any more blood.
Then I realized what I had done. The week before I had been out on the big desert shooting Jackrabbits & I had changed the zero so it was dead on at 100 yds.... I had hit him low, down around the brisket probably, knocking him down & then taking my eye off him for a few minutes. Actually he had fell out of sight where none of us could see him. Bad mistake! So it does happen if you hunt long enough.

Dick

I?m just disgusted with myself ... I take pride in my woodmanship and shooting ability. I figured owning it in front of some of the best handgun hunters around was appropriate penance. LOL

I?m going grunt another one in this weekend ....

P

PsTAN, My experience just about mirrors yours... In tree stand with buck grazing about 50 or so yards... All I could see were his hind quarter... I relaxed... He made his move... I rushed the shot....He ran about 100yds and bedded... Should have waited longer because as I approached he got up and ran off never to be seen... That happened close to 30 years ago. You live...you learn...

I also missed (another) one recently. Second of the year. First with SBHH 44 Mag. at 40 yards. Second recently with 35/30-30 Contender at less than 40 yards. I simply rushed the shot and pulled off. Complete miss. I now know how much practice I did not get done before the season. Confession is good for the soul. 10 days left to fill the freezer with one more and I am working hard to resist the rifle temptation.

Don?t chew yourself up over this, every few years this happens, everything cant be perfect in the woods ll of the the time, we have all been there, on the positive side, that deer may recover just fine.

I feel your pain just happened to me a few months ago, been hunting for 30+ years and this is my second, first was when I was 17 yr old and swore never again. Well never say never stuff happens.

It's happened to all of us at one time or another. Like others have commented just learn from it.

It happens to all of us your not alone. Now get out there while u have a few days left to redeem yourself! There is no time for pity parties - Go Hunt!

Sorry to hear - I know how it feels to loose a wounded animal. Just remember that even the lion and crocodile wound animals sometimes, too.