I’ve been chasing an 8pnt since the 1st week of Oct.
Last Sunday morning I had him at 7 yds but standing on the other side of the tree my stand is in so with no shot I had to watch him walk off again.
This morning at 7:30 the stars lined up and we connected. After watching him come and go for 30min He finally gave me a 24yd broadside. I seized the moment and sent a RamCat tipped Injection thru him. The deer jumped over a 4 ft tall bush he was feeding next to. I was positive I had heart shot him and sat back to soak up the adrenaline rush.
I text my Best Friend and shared the news. Told him I was going to get my Pup at 8 and I’d send pics then.
8 rolls around so I walk to the truck and get the dog, I take her to the spot where deer was standing and off she goes in the correct direction and I follow and follow and follow. I’m thinking she’s got to stop any second he couldn’t have gone far. After walking 60yds or so I hear hear start barking, look at the gps and it says she’s 150yds. I think to myself how did he get that far. I’m walking along takin my time texting my buddy. When I get about 75yds from her over the top of the brush I can see the deer’s horns in the air. Now I’m thinking he is down and can’t get up, Wrong!! I grab an arrow and start trying to sneak with next to no cover over 4 ft tall it’s a challenge.
I ease to within in 40 and can see the deer is on his feet and not pleased with my Jadg Pup in his face, Gidgette hears or smells me and falls back a little and the buck comes thru the thick stuff after her. At 25 he clears a piece of brush giving me a shot and I pounded him frontal with another Ram Kitty, on impact he wheels around and blood is gushing and down the draw he goes with Gidgette in pursuit.
Another 100 yds I hear her barking again, this time I was sure the deer was done.
I can’t say enough about my Gidgette dog, she is killing it in her first 6 months of life. I am so confident in her after these past 3 trips.
As for my shots, This episode takes me back to the basics, after you take so many animals with out a hitch you can get complacent, I should have given the deer an hour. The blood on the ground where Gidgette bayed the deer tells me he was Down and checking out. had we been a few minutes later he would’ve been expired. The arrow had passed thru both lower lobes of the lungs and cut a gash in his heart. He just needed time and I pushed the envelope.