Now that I've had time to cool off I'm still a bit sick to my stomach. Yesterday afternoon I headed back out to the woods to try to fill my first deer tag with traditional equipment. I hunt public land which can be a struggle at best sometimes but in our area if it's not public then it's an overpriced lease. I went to the spot I've hunted for the biggest portion of my life. When I got out there I saw a truck parked at the trail head for the woods that is across the road fromantic the field I hunt. No big deal I decided I would drive around the block to the other side of the field and hunt the opposite corner ( field is pretty massive) so I didn't disturb anyone In the woods or possibly in the corner of the field where I normally hunt.
Fast forward a few hours and I'm sitting in my stand watching the field as I hear rustling coming from the woods behind my stand working towards me. At first I thought it was just a squirrel gathering acorns but to my surprise once it gets next to my tree on the trail I see it is a very old grey in the face buck. Now he wasn't tall, nor wide but he was heavy at the bases. This was obviously a buck so old he was on the decline. After around ten minutes he walks around a big oak tree which allows me to stand up without being seen. I am ready and waiting as he steps around the tree at about 8 yards and stops slightly quartering away. The next thing I see is my arrow as it burries down to the crest right in the lungs. At that point he takes off like a rocket down the edge of the field.
To say I am excited is a complete understatement. At that point I'm so jittery I cannot stand so I wait a few minutes before trying to climb down. Once down I gather all my gear and take my stand back to my vehicle and grab my bundle of rope to make a drag. I waited another 15-20 minutes before I decide to go look do by this time 40 minutes or so has passed since the shot. I walk back to my stand and find where he was standing and it's not long before I start finding blood. At this point I am working nice and slow looking ahead each step to make sure he is not bedded down at the field edge which until this point he has stayed dead in line with the bare field between the beans and the woods. I'm about 150 yards down the bloodtrail when I reach the dog leg in the field not knowing things are getting ready to take a turn for the absolute worst possible.
I get around the dog leg and blood is starting to really pour and the trail is still following the field edge but while scanning down the edge I do not see a downed buck. At this point I'm thinking he has veered off either into the beans or the woods. Roughly 250 yards into the trail I find the blood soaked back 8" of my arrow smashed into the ground where he has obviously taken a tumble and my heart jumps with excitement. Now ten feet further I see a massive puddle of blood.
Getting up to the puddle I discover the most sickening thing I can imagine...the blood stops and there are tire marks from a 2 wheel cart. I searched and searched praying it was a coincidence but no more blood was to be found. I followed the tire tracks which were not there the day before and they led right out to where that truck was previously parked but no truck to be found.
I hate that....
That sucks!
What a low life piece of s#*t!!
I hate a thief.
Nothing you can do about it.....but hunt some more
Good luck
Tim B
Dang I really hate to hear that.. So sorry bud!
I usually jot down tag numbers from vehicles near me on public land. Just in case....
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Oh, and I've had this happen to me on public land as well. My first archery deer was stolen just like this, except it had ran across a road and died not far off the road. We heard a truck stop, tailgate shut, gravels flying as they took off. Definitely left a sour taste in my mouth.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Sneaky, that's a darn good idea..
Had the same happen to my buddy years ago.
They pulled the arrow out and stuck it in the ground.
At least he got his bent 2117 back :(
I've had it happen before but it was several years back with a doe that died right along the road like sneaky had done to him. This was just a bit worse as its not often you get a shot at something that old on public land and being my first with traditional gear as well. All I can say is I hope the meat is tough and gamey.it's still early in season though so maybe I will get lucky and get a shot at the big bruiser I saw the day before that was cruising through the center of the field
It's a slim chance but you need to report this to the local game warden. It's usually just the one or two guys working an area by themselves and they rely on tips from hunters to get the bad guys.
You're right...that is sickening.
Sorry man.
If you go back to the area and see the same truck...write down the info..plate#, make & model..color..etc.
Otherwise try to shake it off and keep it fun.
I've heard so many of these stories and witnessed a couple on public land that I don't wait for the deer to die anymore.
I get up and start trailing.
I know you said you were shaky and didn't want to climb down until you collected yourself...which was smart.
...could of ended up in the ER (or worse) which is way worse than losing the deer.
I've felt the same shakes after the shot....it's actually one of the reasons I switched to ground hunting only....lol
So...give a call to the local authorities...tell them what you can remember.
If you happen to see the the SOB's out there again..get the info and call the authorities to add to the report.
...other than that..brush it off..and relish the feeling of accomplishment...I mean...YOU KILLED AN OLD BUCK ON PUBLIC LAND WITH A TRAD BOW!!!
No one can steal that from you! :clapper:
Some people are just unbelievable
That blows brother, some folks just have no common sense, or sense a all.
Is this "lowest of the low" worth your peace of mind though...... absolutely not. Maybe you'll find out who it is so ya can put a name to scum and advise wardens, but don't waste your good time on that selfish bastige!!!
Very sorry that your deer was stolen. A thief is about as low life as it gets. There is nothing good to be said about the guy that took your deer.
This is a bitter pill to swallow, and hard to get past. Having said that, do not let others low life actions deter you from that which you love to do. My hunting the last several years has been challenged by those who's ethics are like you have experienced. I since then have realized that I not only need to outsmart whitetail, but people as well. Don't let this discouragement get in the way of your compassion for getting back out there.
Sorry that you had to encounter that. Some people definitely lack character. I hope you get a chance to kill a big deer this season.
That sucks rotten eggs!!!!
Bisch
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Well, let me say what the game warden might. Some fella comes up on a nice downed deer, with no one around. Doesn't know if anyone is even trying to recover the deer so he tags it for himself and takes it home.
This is exactly why I don't follow the current fad of leaving a deer a half an hour before tracking it. I'm after it the minute I'm out of the stand.
You have the satisfaction of knowing you made a clean kill shot. Terrible that people act like that knowing it was a fresh kill and someone was more than likely tracking it. You did everything right and can hold your head high and get back out there....
I hope the guy is proud, bad enough that he or she is a thief but most like a liar also. He won't say how he or she really got that buck. Put it behind you and get back after them.........hey man you did it with a long bow, you can do it again.
Sorry to hear you got picked. Its the curse of public land hunting. Shake it off and get back out there. Know in your heart that you did it right, made a clean shot and if you did it once and can do it again. Good luck and above all else have a great time doing it.
Man that sucks big time!!
Wait a couple weeks and then make some visits to local taxidermists. It's a long shot, but if he would steal it he would probably display it on his wall too.
Made me sick just reading it because I knew what was coming! That really sucks. You wouldn't happen to have got a license plate or at least a good look at the vehicle would you? I don't know if it would help but it might. Visiting the taxidermist is a good idea. Also check butcher shops and ask to look at the heads that they have to see if you recognize one. Not sure how you would prove it but it's worth a shot.
Hunting public is rough. There are always guys out to ruin your hunt. I've had them park by my truck and lay on the horn, let their dogs follow me to the stand, and even walk in after me to yell at me from the opposite ridge if I'd seen anything. Good luck with the rest of your season. I hope it turns around for you!
There a just some weird narcissistic people out there. Who would even think to do something like that?
Hoosierarcher,
I'm sorry that you had that experience -- there are definitely rascals out and about and that won't ever change. I must also congratulate you on a good setup, waiting for a good shot, making the shot, and waiting an appropriate time to follow-up. If you are ever in Arkansas, I'd be happy to have you hunt my private land for a week, where the only thing you need to worry about is that I might grab the last biscuit if you are not fast enough:).
Highlandhunter,
What a great offer. A lot of great people on Tradgang, and I must say I have come across a great deal of honorable and down to earth people who are traditional archers. Good for you Highlandhunter!
Devils advocate and I'm by no means calling you a liar or saying you're wrong. You say 250 yards in the lungs? That's fairly far. A double lunged deer wouldn't make it that far.
A single lunged deer could go farther or be unrecoverable. The amount of time isn't great though it is long enough. The fellow would have to find the deer and go to his truck for cart. All the time hoping the deer shooter didn't show up cause a confrontation would surely happen.
Now are you positive the blood seemed like a dead deer or just a deer bed? And were the tracks a set of two like someone approached and area just to turn around?
I'm just wondering if perhaps any chance lies that you misread. I'm sorry about your loss either way and I hope my words aren't mis taken
Sux for sure. Can't add to what's been said. Hope you have another opportunity this year.
%^$*! Bottom Feeder! I feel your pain my biggest buck to date all I found was a gut pile.
It's not what you know, it's what you can prove. Never forget it and adjust your methods around it. It sucks but honest folks are just forced to play defense.
Quote from: Bowguy67 on October 04, 2018, 01:57:01 PM
Devils advocate and I'm by no means calling you a liar or saying you're wrong. You say 250 yards in the lungs? That's fairly far. A double lunged deer wouldn't make it that far.
A single lunged deer could go farther or be unrecoverable. The amount of time isn't great though it is long enough. The fellow would have to find the deer and go to his truck for cart. All the time hoping the deer shooter didn't show up cause a confrontation would surely happen.
Now are you positive the blood seemed like a dead deer or just a deer bed? And were the tracks a set of two like someone approached and area just to turn around?
I'm just wondering if perhaps any chance lies that you misread. I'm sorry about your loss either way and I hope my words aren't mis taken
according to onx on my phone the line from my stand to where the blood puddle was is 219 yards. I just got back from checking out there again. The cart tracks lead from the opening for the first crp field and lead to the puddle and then go back across the field to where the truck was parked. I spoke with my dad this morning and he said last year he had a run in with the same people and told me where they were hunting and sure enough the opening was littered with mountain dew bottles. I've informed our local CO just to let him know of the issue in case it happens to someone else. The truck was an early 90's green square body s10 4x4. As far as running that far it doesn't take lono for a deer to cover that distance at a full run. I've cleaned a few that were great hits that covered further than that, have also had a few that weren't hit good that didn't go far at all, never stops amazing me how far a deer can go after hit.
Stinks, least you checked again. Sorry you had to deal w that
Here's a comment that i feel strongly about, i dont know if the thieves were shooting compounds or crossbows. I know that more than likely they are not traditional shooters. 99% of trad guys and 100% trad gang members are not wired like that. Sorry for your bad experience, but on the other hand you gained confidence in your setup and that is the key to being a successful bowhunter
Quote from: mec lineman on October 04, 2018, 04:22:05 PM
Here's a comment that i feel strongly about, i dont know if the thieves were shooting compounds or crossbows. I know that more than likely they are not traditional shooters. 99% of trad guys and 100% trad gang members are not wired like that. Sorry for your bad experience, but on the other hand you gained confidence in your setup and that is the key to being a successful bowhunter
I definitely gained confidence in the setup. I was worried even on a small doe but to see how it did on a big bodied buck like that I was very surprised.
Because you trailed the buck at least 250 yards, I think you did the right thing waiting before taking it up, tracking too soon on this one might have cost you the deer in another way.
I can't imagine what someone would want with someone else's deer? I doubt he checked it in, but you have telecheck in Indiana. The local warden could check those records to see if any bucks were checked in that county. It is amazing the number of cases conservation officers make with the help of telecheck or online checking systems.
Being bow season, and so near the beginning, the number is probably few. Generally such people are really poor liars and officers are pretty good at catching them in one lie, leading to more.
I do agree with the poster, if the fellow is slick, he can justify why he took the deer. Most aren't that slick though.
Man that sucks! A buddy of mine shot a forkie once and the trail ended when it got to a drive back in the woods. Was a real bummer! I just don't understand why someone would take someone else deer like that. Had to see a broadhead slit through it!
If you are going to try and do something about it, I would try and act quickly while you still have a blood trail to provide as evidence.
Don't personally see how a hunter could do such, even a dirt bag! But it happens like clock work, same type who steals another mans stand or camera. There's scum amongst us who have no respect for wildlife or another mans property. Sorry u had this happen sounds like a nightmare. I report any game crimes I personally witnessed and show no sympathy. Afew years ago on a neighboring property there where 5 buck carcasses found one morning in a food plot by a dirt road. All missing there heads, clearly shot at night out of season. Sad it's got to such a point.
Don't worry, karma is a b*tch!!
That really sucks. Let's hope he thought he found a deer no one was looking for and needed the meat to feed his family. I know it's easy to always think the worst of everyone. He might have put it in his truck and drove around all night looking for you, thinking he was doing you a favor. One never knows...
I do not understand how someone can take something like that, They will never feel the satisfaction you get when you are the one that actually gets an animal like that yourself! What a piece of S......
I am sorry that you had that happen to you. I know the frustration of it because I had it happen to me once about 20 something years ago. However, this being your first trad kill makes it much worse. Don't allow this to get you down, stay the course and you will be glad that you did.
Just a what if but... What if that deer, obviously not dead yet passed the other Hunter who shot said deer and claimed it. It's happened before .
Now who's deer is it. How do you prove who made the fatal shot??.
That deer could been shot and dressed just minutes after you shot it.
Which knows , just something to consider.
Quote from: kevsuperg on October 05, 2018, 05:07:20 PM
Just a what if but... What if that deer, obviously not dead yet passed the other Hunter who shot said deer and claimed it. It's happened before .
Now who's deer is it. How do you prove who made the fatal shot??.
That deer could been shot and dressed just minutes after you shot it.
Which knows , just something to consider.
I understand your "What if..?" scenario.
...it's even possible the guy shot the deer (2nd shooter) not realizing the deer was already shot.
Got to the deer..realized it had been shot twice..and grabbed the deer before anyone came looking to claim it.
Even here the 2nd shooter is less than savory.
I think it's quite strange for a hunter to have loaded the deer into a truck w/o gutting the deer though.
It happens....sure...but not very often that I've witnessed or even heard about.
...makes me lean to the "pick and run" scenario.
250 yards is a long blood trail. Is it possible the other guy shot the deer when it was still on it's feet? Probably not but I'd consider the possibility. Don't know.
And it's a stolen deer even if the other guy put an arrow in it. Sounds like an easy backtrack to find you.
What I do know is it was not a traditional bowhunter.
<><
<— — — — — — — —<<<<<<<
Did you report it to the local police, state police and game dept. The guy may post it on facebook, etc.
Maybe he was in the stand and saw it fall and went straight to it and got it and got out.. All while you were doing the right thing by giving it time to die and tracking it slowly so you wouldn't jump it..
If you know his truck I would only be hunting for it all week until I found it and
confront him about it..
I am so sorry, been there before myself. The lack of ethics is the down fall of modern bowhunting in my opinion, mainly one form of bow. Mine happen similarly, I shot a nice Buck, backed out and gave him time, and got my gear. Went in and picked up the trail, which only ran 100 yards. I found massive blood pool. Something didn't seem right, so I started looking around and sure enough I found just short area away, found the pile. My heart sank, my gut twisted and instantly was really mad. I got ahold of the CPO, he came and we talked and they knew that there was someone doing this (they did end up catching them). My only consultation, was that I did everything right, legal and ethically for me and the animal. Just as you do, now wax your string and get back at it.
Sorry man, that's a tough break, I hope you get another.
Terrible and sorry for your experience as your hard work left you with a hurt empty feeling. Maybe you'll see that truck again so at least you'll know who he is. Just be careful unless you have some physical proof of his theft as even a deer is not worth the trouble that could come from confronting him.
Being a retired detective I have a habit of having a pad and pen on or near by and I jot plates down for almost no reason when I am in the woods. Just a tip for others that read this. With a plate number the CO could run the guy down and if nothing else let the guy know he did wrong. Then you can get a copy of the report and find out who the guys is for the future.
I'm a big believer in Karma. It is real and it WILL come around to get him, sooner or later. You can count on that.
Sorry to read this. I've had it happen to my buddy during gun season...4X4 cruising up and down the road listening for shots and watching for wounded deer. Like you, we came across the gutpile while tracking the deer and followed the drag marks to the shoulder of the highway.
Some people have no scruples and I'm sorry this happened to you. But...if this guy did it once, he'll do it again. You know where he hunts now and what he drives.
I've taken to taking photos of plates and vehicles that are suspicious or even just parked where I think it might be.
Mike
Most disappointing....disappointing
That is sickening. But a story we are wearing a lt, I am sad to say
My son's first buck, a nice 8pt., was hit in the liver and actually went right by me in my stand, head down and slowly moving into some really thick stuff. Right at dark I see my son coming on it's track and I tell him where the buck went. It had been about an hour and because I knew it was a liver hit I knew it need more time. It was going to hit the upper 20's that night so I said we would come back in the morning. While we were talking we hear a 4 wheeler down back of the thick stuff about 200 yds. away. It stops we hear voices and after a few minutes it takes off. The next morning we track the deer right to the 4 wheeler tracks!
Wow!! I have never heard of such a thing. Very sickening and sad. You would think the last person to steal from would be someone obviously skilled enough to kill. No excuses. But maybe the meat will feed a family on hard times. At least you got the feeling of adrenaline that brings us all back for another shot year after year. And also a great shot on an old mature whitetail. What a story to tell.
I'm amazed someone would even consider stealing a deer shot by another hunter. What's the point of living a lie the rest of your life? Of course, we have to chain on our tree stands or back out the bottom steps due to concerns of them being stolen by other hunters. Why is it people wouldn't consider stealing your stand out of your truck or garage, but have no issue of stealing it while the stand is in the woods? I was fortunate to have (2) climbers stolen in the 80's before killing myself with them. As Cory mentioned, I would bet they're not shooting traditional.
How could you rob someone of such a wonderful experience. Trash
absolutely sickening....but you know what you did...you know what you're capable of now....and now you have the deer karma on your side....you were ethical and the other guy wasn't...praying you'll have a successful season
Wow...some people just have no conscience and no morals. Sorry to hear it dude.
How awful!
Quote from: Bwilliams7 on October 11, 2018, 10:57:34 PM
Wow!! I have never heard of such a thing. Very sickening and sad. You would think the last person to steal from would be someone obviously skilled enough to kill. No excuses. But maybe the meat will feed a family on hard times. At least you got the feeling of adrenaline that brings us all back for another shot year after year. And also a great shot on an old mature whitetail. What a story to tell.
I'm with you there, but unfortunately, not likely. These people are generally worse than poachers; most have an un-punched tag in their pocket and they can afford to burn gasoline driving around looking to profit from someone else's hard work. In the OP's case, the guy was hunting the same general area and likely saw him drive in from his stand. Deer don't run around accidentally sticking themselves with arrows.
I firmly believe it's a sign of the times we live in now. Honor and selflessness are useless tools of a weak society to most.
Quote from: Pointer on October 13, 2018, 01:50:59 PM
Wow...some people just have no conscience and no morals. Sorry to hear it dude.
That's EXACTLY correct!