Sick to my stomach

[mt hunter22]

sorry to hear of your loss,like someone said ,if you can get back in there look for birds and smells..i have horses and jack russels which do an excellent job of tracking but i am in montana,, but will be heading to nevada this week.

 

[justin davis]

If shot is marginal i like to wait 3-4 hours. if it is a gutshot I wait 6-8 hours before tracking. I made the mistake once on a bull i hit further back by picking up the trail too soon.

Sorry that happened to you. Regardless of trophy we all hate to wound/ kill something and have it go to waste.

 

[Slim Jim]

sorry to hear of your loss,like someone said ,if you can get back in there look for birds and smells..i have horses and jack russels which do an excellent job of tracking but i am in montana,, but will be heading to nevada this week.

I'm really thinking of heading back this weekend to try and recover at least the trophy. I have to go back to work Wednesday till Friday then I'll head out. If you are anywhere near the Rubys and want a sweet location on big bucks, give me a hand and I'll put you right on some good ones. Thanks

 

[rodney482]

If you go back look for birds..

 

[realunlucky]

Good luck Jim. All you can do is your best effort once you've done that it's out of your hands.

 

[CaseyU]

Really wish i was not working. I would love come help you up there!! Tough luck man!!

 

[Sunspot]

That sucks Jimmy and it happens sooner or later. On a gut shot, I wait at least two hours even if the going is slow and the longer the better. Try to keep positive because you have an epic hunt coming up.

 

[VANDAL]

I had a similiar situation happen to me last year. It sucks and I feel bad for you. After I hit the buck it started raining so I didn't wait long after the shot and jumped him. He ended up going about another 500 yards and died in the bottom of a canyon...close to a creek. I found him 8 days later. The only way I found him was from 2 magpies. There were no crows or ravens. If you go back up, sit on a high vantage piont. Be patient and sit there for a long time listening and glassing. Don't expect to see a lot of birds either. I was thinking I would see circling crows, and a lot of birds but that wasn't the case. The birds might also not be right at the kill. Last year the magpies where about 100 yrds from the carcus. I smelled him from about 60 yrds to find him.

Hopefully that helps...I bet you have a good chance at finding him if you go back. Good luck. Don't let it get you down.

 

[Slim Jim]

I had a similiar situation happen to me last year. It sucks and I feel bad for you. After I hit the buck it started raining so I didn't wait long after the shot and jumped him. He ended up going about another 500 yards and died in the bottom of a canyon...close to a creek. I found him 8 days later. The only way I found him was from 2 magpies. There were no crows or ravens. If you go back up, sit on a high vantage piont. Be patient and sit there for a long time listening and glassing. Don't expect to see a lot of birds either. I was thinking I would see circling crows, and a lot of birds but that wasn't the case. The birds might also not be right at the kill. Last year the magpies where about 100 yrds from the carcus. I smelled him from about 60 yrds to find him.

Hopefully that helps...I bet you have a good chance at finding him if you go back. Good luck. Don't let it get you down.

Thanks brother and everyone else for the encouragement. Hopefully I'll find him

 

[robby denning]

sorry buddy. Happens to the best of 'em.
Just get back out there. Wounding loss is figured into the game management.

 

[mt hunter22]

sent you a pm..

 

[AGPank]

Good luck. Sorry to hear about it. Been through the feeling on a bull a few years back.

 

[Jeff Martin]

Sorry Slim, it has happened to all of us !

Hunting is an emotional ride for sure....large part because we have respect for our prey.... Get back on that horse brotha....keep your head up...

 

[Buster]

I'll second Mr kelly's water theory. As long as there is water in the area, gut shot mulies seem to always head that way. I hope you get a chance to go for another look, at least for some closure in your mind.

 

[trdhunter]

Best of luck. Wish I was closer to help out. These situations suck, but doing all you can do helps some when its said and done.

 

[jjenness]

It sounds like you gave it a valiant effort, and sometimes that is all you can do. A few years ago I hit a monster muley, pushing 190, high in the back. I went back for 7 days in a row with my lab and never found him. Then on the first day of rifle season I saw him again with a little hole in his side. He looked healthy as ever, but unfortunately I wasn't able to get a shot at him. Keep hunting hard and good things will come your way.

 

[unm1136]

Sorry you lost your animal... To quote Patrick Smith: "If it is easy, it wouldn't be called hunting, it would be called fetching."

pat

 

[vegas hunter]

Sucks that happened to you Jim. Wish i could make it up there with you this weekend. It really is a part of hunting that sooner or later all of us will experience.

 

[Shrek]

Move on and go fill the tag. Like Robby said , wounding loss is in the management plan. There is nothing to salvage now. Since the antlers were in velvet even they will be chewed up.

 

[weaver]

I know the feeling Jim. It sucks but sometimes shit happens. Dont let it hold ya back on your elk hunt. Good Luck