I turned 39 this year, and the wheels fell off. I guess I have not taken care of myself health wise, and I have paid the price. Consequently I have not spent near as much time hunting as normal because I have been sick with one thing or another most of the season. No worries, I was really more concerned about getting my son a deer, than myself. I did a little hunting in October, very little in November, and a few days in December. It seemed as if when I could go and was healthy the weather, moon phase, or some other problem kept deer movement to a minimum. I had not seen many mature deer this season, and does were really hard to come by as well. I missed a cull buck the week before Christmas, lack of practice I am sure. My son and I returned on Thursday after Christmas with intentions of hunting through the weekend. My son shot the cull I missed with his rifle Thursday evening, and I was blanked. Friday morning was cold and wet with a heavy fog and drizzle. I love hunting those weather conditions, although it can make tracking difficult. I had seen several small bucks and was really not expecting anything else when this deer appears. I was really unprepared and had not even put on my release. He fed around for a few minutes while I got ready and then presented a perfect broadside shot at about 23yards. The arrow looked perfect, he jumped and then jumped out of the feed pen and hit the brush. I thought I heard a crash a few seconds later. I forced myself to wait 20 minutes, but the shot looked perfect so I got out to find my arrow, which I could not. This is where it gets a little wierd. I decided to follow up the blood, and the trail was significant. There were several large puddles of blood about 12" across with foamy blood. I have never seen a deer go more than 50 yards with a blood trail like this. I went about 50 yards and lost the blood. I started circling and found that the deer had doubled back towards the feeder. I tracked him to the brush directly behind the feeder, when I jumped him. This had been at least 40 minutes since the shot, and I was literally feet from him when I was looking for my arrow. I waited a few minutes and decided to follow. I again followed one of the easiest tracks I have had with blood everywhere. It made no sense to me how a deer could bleed this much and not be down. I tracked him to one of the cross fences on our property, and saw that he had jumped the fence. This concerned me as a hurt deer will not usually jump. I decided to head to the house and give it some time. After breakfast I got back on the track on the other side of the fence. (Still on our property.) When he jumped the fence the wound really opened up and I literally did not have to look at all I was just walking the blood. Another 75 yards and I found him piled up under a cedar. I then saw that my shot was low. When I cleaned him I saw that I had just cut the tip of the heart, and the lower lobe of one lung. He is not my biggest buck, but with the season I have had, I was happy to get him. That evening my son shot his bow buck so all is good.
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