Deer 1, adkRoy 0

[adkRoy]

        What an exhausting day. Went hunting all morning. Froze in the wind. saw no deer but did see 19 turkeys. Went back to the truck and took a 3 hour nap. Went back out hunting at 3.  At 6 pm a big 6 point comes walking by my stand and I shoot him at 15 yards. Complete pass through of the arrow. He takes off running and I wait 20 minutes then get down to track. I find the arrow coated in blood but very few drops of blood on the ground. I start to track and only find a drop about every 10 to 20 feet. Not good. After tracking him 40 yards he hangs a sharp left and out into a big hay field. Now its getting really dark and I don't see him out in the field any where. So I call a deer tracking guy with a special dog. He comes out to help me.
     Now it is 9 pm when we start tracking with the dog. The dog followed the blood trail perfectly to the hay field. It then cut diagonally across they hay field and back into the woods. The dog then when straight down the steep hill into the ravine. It crosses the roaring stream and starts going up the other side of the ravine. (Now mind you I am doing all this with broken ribs) As I cross the stream, I slip on a rock and splash, I fell in. Now I am all wet, tired, hurt and still trying to keep up with the deer tracking guy and dog. The dog starts going up a well worn deer trail that cuts diagonally up the steep side of the ravine. This is where we find some blood on the trail. A good half mile from where I shot the deer.
     The dog all of a sudden leaves the trail and heads straight back down into the ravine. I go to follow, slip and knock the wind out of me. By the time I get my self back up, the guy and dog are gone. I don't see them or hear them any wheres. After 10 minutes my cell phone rings. It is the deer tracking guy telling me where he is and that he found a little more blood. The deer had crossed the stream again and was heading across someones back yard. By now were were over a mile from where I shot the deer. It had not bedded down anywhere that we could see. The dog tracked the deer across the yard where it crossed the stream again and headed back up hill. By now it is 10:30 pm, we are quite far from where I shot the deer originally, and we both think that I must hae hit high and back where there is no vital organs.
   We cut back out to the road and walked the 1 mile back to the trucks. I gave the deer tracking guy a $40 donation because they are not allowed to charge for their services. I was impressed that the dog was able to follow the trail for so long and that we found blood but it was just little drops here and there. I just got home a little while ago and I am both physically and emotionally exhausted.

[chuckrudy]

Sorry about the tough time that you had with the deer. Hope the ribs get better quick. b etter days are coming Iam sure. Good luck in  the future.

[Otto]

Wow Roy, what a tough day.  Rest up and get back out there as soon as you can.

How did you break your ribs?

[adkRoy]

Wow Roy, what a tough day.  Rest up and get back out there as soon as you can.

How did you break your ribs?

Walking out of the woods last weekend while hunting up north. I tripped on a branch and landed on a root. Crack!  Same ribs I broke in January when I slipped on ice and fell on my steps. 

[State Land Benny]

I hate that feeling of physical exhaustion that sets in after a hunt. The face feels flushed, I'm tired but restless, and then when you add the element of frustration or stress into the mix it's the worst malaise in the world.

[BowHunterDan]

Walking out of the woods last weekend while hunting up north. I tripped on a branch and landed on a root. Crack!  Same ribs I broke in January when I slipped on ice and fell on my steps.

If you keep that up, you'll be needing a walker to get to your hunting and fishing spots. Surprised you could draw a bow with broken ribs.....Tough son of a gun! Sorry you didn't recover your deer, that's happened to me too.

[30-30]

        Sorry to hear of your woes Roy, maybe you'll get another chance at it.

[adkRoy]

If you keep that up, you'll be needing a walker to get to your hunting and fishing spots. Surprised you could draw a bow with broken ribs.....Tough son of a gun! Sorry you didn't recover your deer, that's happened to me too.

I let the broken ribs keep me off the ice, I wasn't about to let them keep me out of the woods. 

[BowHunterDan]

I let the broken ribs keep me off the ice, I wasn't about to let them keep me out of the woods.

LOL! I always tell everyone, as long as I'm physically capable of crawling into the woods.