Well, pooh

[GunnyMack]

We were getting rain all day. Big front here in the NE but it let up around 3pm.
I decided to get in my blind for a few hours.
I hardly got in the blind zippered closed before a doe was at 10 yards! A second doe then a little 3 point( barely forked on one side) an he started pestering a doe and they all moved off.
I sat there for another hour or so and my eyelids got heavy. Next thing I know a big rack/ big bodied buck is at 10 yards!
He was starting to quarter away as I buried my crossbow scope on 'the pocket' of his right side.
I saw my lighted nock go through him and he took off like a scalded cat, tail down. He ran to the left turning more left then right, stumbling a little. I watched until topography got in the way. I figured I'd find him dead .
Then it started to rain again!
I took to the track after looking for my bolt, without success on the bolt.
I finally found blood, good but not a great trail.
Tracking was a bit difficult though a field that had been rained on all day but I kept at it for about 200 yards. He kept going downhill.
At the neighbors lawn I lost all sign. Thankfully the neighbor and our club have a great relationship!
Anyhow I decided to give him time and wait until daylight and I'll go back in the morning to continue my search for this buck.

I cant tell you what his rack is but I'd lay even money he is an 8 point as I've been seeing multiple 8s on my camera.
It happened very fast, I feel my shot was good but I've never really liked quartering away shots, much preferring broadside, 4 holes through lungs instead of one lung with 2 holes.
Should I have given it a few more seconds? Probably ,but as I said it happened fast and it felt good.
Say a prayer I can recover him in the morning.

[Lastmohecken]

Good luck, hope you find him. I have generally had really good luck with crossbow kills. One buck I hit a little far back, still a double lung shot but right on the edge of the lungs. He didn't go very far, but didn't push him, after jumping him up once while trailing. I left him for 4 hours or so, when back and found him sitting up, still alive but woozy. He tried to get up, but I shot him again with the crossbow as he was trying to get up. My first shot was mid-way up, but on the back edge of the lungs.

hopefully, you will find him in the morning.

[wvfarrier]

Hire a tracking dog. Worth the cost

[GunnyMack]

Well I spent 4 hours looking this morning. Probably walked as many miles. I looked high and low, followed the stream up and down stream. Not a buzzard nor crow hanging around.
After spending that much time I think my hurried shot just skimmed along the ribs never getting inside, leaving a flesh wound.
I broke down and bought the extended bow tag and will head over there around noon tomorrow, look for signs of birds working and then sit the afternoon.
While looking for the deer my camera showed deer in the area yet.

[Pat C]

Darn hoped you found him.

[AJMD429]

.
Amazingly (considering some of the other stupid rules), I in Indiana we are allowed to use thermal drones to retrieve game. You can't use drones to assist in the actual hunting, and you can't use thermal imaging to hunt though, which actually makes sense. (What doesn't make sense is that we can use 7mm Remington Ultra Magnum to hunt in our semi-densely populated state... )

[GunnyMack]

So from last Thursday I have been to the farm everyday but one. I hunted Saturday and Sunday, very little activity. Yesterday I went to do a little housekeeping in the cabin, set up a feeder. In the 4 days I saw exactly 1 buzzard.
Im thinking that my bolt with 3 blade mechanical hit in the right spot but skated along the ribs never getting inside and out through the brisket. A ghastly wound but survivable.
It appears our rut is in full swing as my 2 cameras are not showing much activity where I was getting pics off and on daily just a week ago.