Last couple of days

It seems every year, the rut (actual breeding) is on time; about November 14-18.   But, the path is takes to get there is sometimes different.  If the bucks start walking around November 2rd, the rut is more trickled.  If it's not until the 8-9, it is more intense.  This year where I'm at it seemed to finally pick up about Monday.  My last couple of days were fun and not so fun.
 
Saturday evening at 4:15 brought a doe to me.  She stood under me for 35 minutes eating white fungus off a few trees(I don't know what it is but see it all the time).  While she was bait for a buck, I couldn't take it any longer.  She was about 12 yards quartering away a little.  Put the pin where it counted and released.  The arrow went in at about the top of the lungs.  As she ran the fletching part of the arrow was the only part still in her.  She ran about 80 yards stopped, wagged her tail, snorted then took off on a death run.   It was strange.. as soon as I shot coyotes above started howling.  I couldn't quite grasp the entire situation accurately in the heat of the moment.   I texted my buddy "jerky."   I waited till dark to track.   Couldn't find any blood.  3 of us looking.   The low that night was to be 26 so I would come back in the morning to get her.   I was back a daylight and came across the blood trail on the way up in the woods so I started there.   From there I followed blood for about 100 yards.  It did a small circle around a stump and stopped.  The blood was bright red and I ended up finding my arrow with bubbles.  I grid the area and followed the stream for 300 yards; no deer.   I was there for 6 hours looking.   It's been a long time (well over a decade) since I lost a deer.  I remember I hit one thru the backstraps about 15 years ago.  While it bothered me, I knew the deer would be fine.  This deer though, wasn't and isn't.  There is no way the deer survived that shot.   I just couldn't find her.  We'll revisit the shot placement in a little.
 
At home Sunday afternoon while watching football, I just couldn't take it.  I had to go back out and look.  The meat would still be good I thought.  Therei s laurel following the stream so I picked it apart.  Long story short; no deer.  On the way home at 3:50, there was a tall tined buck standing on the road.  Coming up on him, I could see 4 points.  About 13 inches wide and alot taller than that.  About 7 inch tines.  He's gotta have browes.  He was rutty and he was a big deer.  I could argue he was 3.5 years old.. nice mass too.  With already being upset, pi$$ed, lacking confience, not really wanting to hunt, I put the window down and told him I was gonna shoot his **** tomorrow morning.  That night, I told my buddy we were going into the bottoms and shooting that buck.  We don't know the area well, but I've been there.   My buddy has a super bright light, so we had no issue figuring out the area in the dark.  
 
Fast forward the next morning an hour after light, here comes two doe about 75 yards and I hear some tending grunts behind them.  They went up into the rocks and here comes the buck.  For whatever reason, I carried binos for the first time ever.  Put them out and it's that buck.  Nice.  Gave him a grunt and he looked.  Put me hand behind my tree and tipped the can.  Straight line to me.  Picked up the bow and watched 3 inch browtines coming towards me.  He stopped perfect at 25 yards and let out this nasty roarish grunt.  He turned around and walked away.. I let him go.  Don't know why, I just did.  I had to pi$$ so I let him get about 80 yards and let 'er rip.  He turned and watched me and wheezed at me.  That was cool.
 
Next morning, we decided it was finally "time" to go into the spot we've been waiting for. We hung stands there at the beginning of the season.  It's a nasty cut and climbing trees isn't possible so we hung some stands.   At about 7:00 I hear leaves crunching, waited for them to stop and tipped the can.  He came right down and stood under me.  4 on one side and a goody lookin' 90 degree angle spike on the under.  Looked up at me (big blob in a small double tree) and walked away.  The sun came up and one hour later I text me buddy and said let's give it a little longer.  15 minutes later I hear crunching (deer are so loud in nasty cuts), here comes a 4 pt.  I took a cell pic.  Not a good deer pic but it shows the area a little bit.
 

 
 
As he walked away, I heard crunching above me.  Turned around and saw a wide arse moving thru the laurel.  Waited for it to stop and tipped the can.  Straight to me.  I could see antlers and determined he was an 8 pt at about 15 yards.  Big deer, antlers not so much.   As he stood under me looking for love, it was time for redemption.  He started walking and I drew and stopped him at about 10 yards quartering away, put the pin where it belongs and released.  The arrow hit the exact spot I hit the doe and immediately blood started spraying.  He ran 60 yards and stopped.  Got tipsy and did a death run.  Heard him fall seconds later.  Heard two "bloodly" gurgly breaths and that was it.  Sat down and said, "why did you shoot that buck.  It doesn't matter now as there is no catch and release in shooting a deer."  Went back to the vehicle, called my buddy and we followed blood for about 50 yards and there he lay.   First ever ground shrinkage for me on antlers but he is okay.   Nice buck but not worth a shoulder mount.  He is a big deer.   It didn't replace losing that doe but I felt a little better about myself.  There are deer everywhere in this area and a lot of really nice bucks.  Probably 7-8 good bucks in about a sqaure 600 yard area.   Buddy is in his stand now; hope he gets one. 
 
 
Found like this.
 

 
I hit the doe in the same spot but the angle wasn't quite as steep and quartering.   I suspect I got the back of one lung on her.  They can go a long way on one lung.   Still upset and still feel bad but still feel she is dead.   No reason I shouldn't have made a better shot.
 
 
I didn't notice the broken left g3.  
 

 
 

That's what deer hunting is, high's and lows. Bow killing one where you hunt is tough, congrats.

Great job Jon!
 
Bummer on the doe.  Maybe it will feed the yotes enough to save another deer for a while.

Congrats on the buck, Jon. There's nothing wrong with killing that deer, don't even question it for a second.

Don't beat yourself up over the doe. You took what was a responsable shot, waited to search, and spent hours looking for the deer. You did all you could. We've all been there.

I haven't got the chance to hunt one day this archery season, since our son came 4 weeks early. I've been checking the hunting boards on here once in a while hoping to see some bucks. Posts like this one is the only good thing left on the hunting boards.

Way to be Jon!! Sorry to hear about the doe, at least you gave it your best!

Nice. Shame about the doe, but if you archery hunt long enough it happens, hopefully not too often, I know the feeling. Congrats!

Sorry bout the Doe and congrats on the Buck- Have had similar experience with high penetration  when the deer is too close to the stand. Seem to just get a high lung hit on only one lung sometimes and it takes the Deer quite some time to expire with little blood trail.
  After it happened to me I never took shots too close again. Fortunatley I had been able to see the deer move far off and bed down a coupla of hundred yards off-pure luck..  I never would have been able to follow that skimpy then non existent blood trail. That was after a hit that looked perfect with a nice pass through as well. Just didnt get into the boiler room enough even though it looked like it did.