My 2016 Illinois Buck

[Goldentriangle]

I wish this thread was as happy as the thread with my daughter's first deer. I shot this buck with my slug gun on the first evening of second shotgun season in December. The shot was about 70 yds through the timber at last light. When the deer stopped his head, neck, and front shoulders were hidden behind a large white oak. I made sure that the crosshairs were clear of the tree but they still were on the lungs. Apparently I just muffed the shot cause I shot him right through the paunch. I could tell immediately by his reaction that he was gutshot. I can only blame myself on this one since my slug gun has always been a tack driver.
The Buck trotted downhill towards a large creek. I actually heard a loud crack and then a splash.. Knowing where I hit him I backed out until the next morning.

After not finding any blood at the impact the next morning, I followed his path down to the creek where I last heard him and there he laid. Coyotes obviously found him first. As happy as I was to at least find the buck, this whole deal sickens me. Over the years I have left 3 deer over night and the yotes have gotten everyone. I hate to see a deer go to waste... Not the way I wanted to finish my deer season but it is what it is.



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[T-Max]

I see on TV and read other places where people leave deer overnight. I am in the same boat as you. The couple times I have had to do that we have recovered a clean carcass the next day.

 

[Buckeye]

I feel your pain that happen to me this year too

 

[Chummer]

I think you have your answer going forward. I have lost two to coyotes, I will not wait again if possible. Coyote population keeps growing so leaving a deer now is not good odds.

 

[swat1018]

I'm putting a dent in them around my house. I've caught 15, and my buddy has shot 6 in the last 5 weeks. I'm not going to let up.

 

[Buckeye]

Same here in Ohio seems nobody hunts coyotes anymore I get tons of trail camera pictures of coyotes every time I pull cards

 

[Doe Shooter]

It hurts to lose one that way. IMO I will not wait overnight anymore. The same thing has happened to us too many times. I might add we've had meat spoil over night with bigger deer when night temps were in the 20's. We will give time and go after them with flash lights.

 

[Blizzard Ridge]

It is a fine line of the right thing to do in these situations. Do you wait to allow plenty of time for the deer to expire and a chance coyotes get him? Or Do you go in after him and take a chance at bumping him? I usually give the animal about 2 hours and start my search, most lethal shots will have done their job in 2 hours or less. If I start the track and the deer has went father then what I thought he should or I have found a location where he has bedded up I will back out and wait until morning to continue the track. The way I see it is if I didn't find the animal within 150 to 200 yards more than likely it is going to be a long track that more damage than good is going to take place beating the brush in the middle of the night. If it is a gut shot deer you should know fairly quickly when picking up the track whether the deer is still on it's feet or not. In my experience a gut shot deer is going to bed up ASAP. If it is a well shot deer it will more than likely be found dead before you come to the first bed of the gut shot deer. At that point I would back out, more than likely it is going to take this deer several hours to die and the odds of the meat still being good and yotes getting it are going to be a higher chance of possibility. I have seen yotes finish off gut shot deer that were still alive. They will find that gut shot smell faster than anything else. I have been lucky enough not to have to make that decision very many times but I have went through several kids and friends tracks that have taught me a little bit about when to back out and cross my fingers. Sometimes I don't think there is a right or wrong decision.

 

[buckdeer1]

Archery liver or paunch are the only things I leave over night and if you sneak out they won't usually go far before laying down,alot of times less than 100 yards

 

[g squared 23]

Cant blame yourself on that one, or at least I wouldnt. Gut shot deer CAN bed down quickly, but if you bump them they will travel for miles in circles. I left a doe 24 hours in 10 degree weather a few years ago and followed scant blood for HOURS. I had given up and was walking out and happened across it, and realized I had walked past it hours before when it had walked through the first time. It had been dead a while as the stomach cavity surrounding the guts was green, but all the meat was cool and edible. The ground cover was thick and the temperature knocked down the smell, but I easily could have lost that one to coyotes.

Time to start trapping and shooting those gd things I guess. Gets my blood boiling.