Great story clefty... The antis will always use thois type of example buit the fact is we as hunters feel bad when this stuff happens... I can tell you from my experience working on a farm that when this happens to a cow (incidental wounding and death) they just bury the victim and move on... Business as usual... There is much more integrity among true hunters than amongst businessmen
Ever experienced that "Sick Feeling"?
- Thread starter AbLonewolf
- Start date
The first deer my wife ever shot was gut shot. Lost her among the herd of a dozen. One week to the day, I shoot a doe. Go up to clean it and smel gut. Look inside and see what I expected, heart shot, but still smell gut. Opened up and see a small nick on the gut. Assume it was hers from the week before, so, yes, I tag game that I lose and then get later.
That's a great story...... Crazy odds that both you and your wife shot at the same doe.
Two years ago. First double. Two does come running out of the bush, hound on their heels hauling ass. Was about a 30 yard shot. 45-70. I can barely remember it, buck fever, adrenaline, whatever you wanna call it. I know that little Marlin would've been sounding like a semi to everyone around me. Anyways dropped doe one on the spot, shot at doe two. She slowed just a little but kept moving.
Sure enough, decent blood trail, and due to inexperience started after her immediately. With the beagle. Followed it and followed it, came across a pool or two then nothing. Spent hours looking. Felt absolutely horrible about it.
Thinking back, I remember leading her a bit much and thinking I just clipped her across the chest. At least I hope so. The way she barely flinched when I shot adds to that theory. So either she carried on, or lied down somewhere and fed everything else. Either way I felt horrible about it. And still do.
Sure enough, decent blood trail, and due to inexperience started after her immediately. With the beagle. Followed it and followed it, came across a pool or two then nothing. Spent hours looking. Felt absolutely horrible about it.
Thinking back, I remember leading her a bit much and thinking I just clipped her across the chest. At least I hope so. The way she barely flinched when I shot adds to that theory. So either she carried on, or lied down somewhere and fed everything else. Either way I felt horrible about it. And still do.
Hate to revive this thread..... But I now have "that sick feeling"
Out for my season opener with the wife today on the hunt for a Spring Bear.
We got a late start, and it was 3hrs to the area we were headed but we still decided to give it a go. Saw 3 different bears running down or across the road along the way and figured that was a great sign. Had a ridiculous experience that I'll post in a seperate thread, but none the less we arrived at our destination.
After hiking in about 2km on an old alder road my wife says "bear". Sure enough about 150y up the road was a mature boar sauntering towards us. He was completely unaware that we were there and was swatting the rocks on the road as well as rubbing against the trees down the side.
I sat down and picked a window through the alder to take the shot. I continued to watch him through the scope until he was clear and about 50-60y away. I had been waiting for him to turn broadside at some point, but he just kept slowly walking towards me.
I made the call and decided this was the shot I had. I took the shot and hit him square in the chest (saw it through the scope) he dropped nose first to the ground then hopped up with an arched back and scurried into the woods. I waited a minute so he wouldn't spook but I could hear branches breaking and knew he wasn't stopping.
The brush was 5ft high Salal growing around cedar slash, to say the visibility was poor is an understatement. I trailed in after him and was no more than 30yds behind him most of the time, but had no shot (just bushes moving). I found the blood trail and continued on, I was over 300y from where I shot him by this point. He wasn't running, but moving at a crawling pace and I could hear the odd grunt. He managed to loose me after passing through a marshy area and disappearing again into the salal. I had no more trail to follow and I heard no more noise. I spent 2.5 hrs trying to find him, traveling another 250-300y in all directions. Nothing.
I feel absolutely devastated, this is the first animal I have lost and first Bear I've shot. I'm sick over how things turned out.
I'm confident that he is dead as the blood trail was large. I hope the Wolf population will find him, and it won't be a total loss.
Out for my season opener with the wife today on the hunt for a Spring Bear.
We got a late start, and it was 3hrs to the area we were headed but we still decided to give it a go. Saw 3 different bears running down or across the road along the way and figured that was a great sign. Had a ridiculous experience that I'll post in a seperate thread, but none the less we arrived at our destination.
After hiking in about 2km on an old alder road my wife says "bear". Sure enough about 150y up the road was a mature boar sauntering towards us. He was completely unaware that we were there and was swatting the rocks on the road as well as rubbing against the trees down the side.
I sat down and picked a window through the alder to take the shot. I continued to watch him through the scope until he was clear and about 50-60y away. I had been waiting for him to turn broadside at some point, but he just kept slowly walking towards me.
I made the call and decided this was the shot I had. I took the shot and hit him square in the chest (saw it through the scope) he dropped nose first to the ground then hopped up with an arched back and scurried into the woods. I waited a minute so he wouldn't spook but I could hear branches breaking and knew he wasn't stopping.
The brush was 5ft high Salal growing around cedar slash, to say the visibility was poor is an understatement. I trailed in after him and was no more than 30yds behind him most of the time, but had no shot (just bushes moving). I found the blood trail and continued on, I was over 300y from where I shot him by this point. He wasn't running, but moving at a crawling pace and I could hear the odd grunt. He managed to loose me after passing through a marshy area and disappearing again into the salal. I had no more trail to follow and I heard no more noise. I spent 2.5 hrs trying to find him, traveling another 250-300y in all directions. Nothing.
I feel absolutely devastated, this is the first animal I have lost and first Bear I've shot. I'm sick over how things turned out.
I'm confident that he is dead as the blood trail was large. I hope the Wolf population will find him, and it won't be a total loss.
Bummer. I lost a big old black bear two years ago today actually.
He was quartering away, 7mm rem mag 160 TSX in the lung/low shoulder area at about 40 or 50 yards. I took his feet out from under him but he was able to get back up and head for the thickest devils club stuff ive been in. I was alone and it was getting dark quick. I watched and listened after 2 misses on the run and he made the bush 50 or so yards away, crashed through it for roughly 15-20 seconds and fell silent. I waited 15 minutes and went in search but found no blood or hair even at the site where I hit him and no blood anywhere past. I gave up after dark and went home with my head hanging pretty low.
You just have to get on with it, as it will happen eventually to every hunter. I did however purchase a 2015 manufactured Marlin 1895 SBL in .45/70 which I hope to use this fall (spring is out for me as we are selling our place and gear is packed) and figure that caliber should make em sit and stay.
Keep yer head up
Mike
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Few years ago had the biggest bull moose I've been within range of whilst holding a rifle and a tag in front of me in black spruce, and despite repeated "almosts" never called in to a shot. Saw his rack, lots of bush thrashing, and just couldn't get him to show, he'd rush and retreat. When it finally went quiet and I hadn't heard a twig crack for a long time, I had the sinking feeling to be sure. I hadn't seen him in a couple years and recently saw him again, the quest isn't over.
Once, I think I was 18 or 19, not a big game story, but a story. Was out with my good friend and his Dad, partridge hunting down an old gravel road right near Lake Panache. Had my trusty 12, my friend had a single 12. My friend was never a patient person, he tended to walk 20 or so feet in front of me and his Dad, the whole time were trying to tell him to slow down. Just cresting a small hill, and I see a partridge craning it's neck, my buddy staring off into space didn't see it. I ran up beside my friend, and it took flight. Shot it on the wing, huge cloud of feathers, and my friends dad congratulated me on a nice shot. Got to where it should have landed, gonzo.. looked everywhere, just disappeared. Searched up and down the road up to 50 yards in where it got too thick, ahh well, in the end we did our best, which sometimes isn't enough.
I sure wish all those against hunting could peek into our world, we are shooting free animals, animals who have actually lived their all their natural lives in freedom. How many can say they have eaten the meat of such an animal? How many have been to chicken farms, and have seen how they live? Given the choice, I'd eat wild meat 100:1 over commercially raised meat, and I think if 'most' people could see the lives of their store bought meat animals, from start to finish, they may just change their minds.
I sure wish all those against hunting could peek into our world, we are shooting free animals, animals who have actually lived their all their natural lives in freedom. How many can say they have eaten the meat of such an animal? How many have been to chicken farms, and have seen how they live? Given the choice, I'd eat wild meat 100:1 over commercially raised meat, and I think if 'most' people could see the lives of their store bought meat animals, from start to finish, they may just change their minds.
No one who hunts long enough will escape having that "sick" feeling. It is practically inevitable.
I recall shooting a Bull Moose in the Mica Creek area 160 Km north of Revelstoke, BC.
This has a positive ending, but served to give me a sleepless night.
The plan at the time was to get as many moose out of the valley prior to flooding it, so the
season was long and generous. I was working for a relative at the time, and we agreed that
we would help by taking our limits. We headed off to work, and lo and behold...3 moose on
the edge of the landing.
It was an any ###, any age season. It appeared that we had 3 cows there, so I up with my rifle, and
drilled the one closest. [about 45 yards] The 3 took off, up hill, and were out of sight in seconds.
We were both a bit taken aback, since a miss would have been virtually impossible at the distance.
So, I strapped on the snowshoes. [snow was deep in there] and proceeded to follow the tracks after
a 20 minute wait. I fully expected to find the moose within 100 yards. But no way...they continued on, uphill,
and there was only a small fleck of blood on the snow here and there. After a good ½ mile, I was thoroughly
sweated up, and those moose were still headed on up the hill, with no signs of faltering.
I headed back, and my uncle and I tried to do an analysis of what had happened. Tried a shot to be sure the
rifle was shooting accurately...no problem. I was literally sick about the whole thing, wonder what had gone wrong.
As I mentioned, I did not get much sleep that night...felt guilty and was worried that there was a suffering animal.
out there.
Next morning, back to the landing...amazingly, the 3 moose were there again. My uncle said...quick! shoot the one on the right.
I dutifully obeyed, and the moose co-operated by dropping after a couple of steps. It was the same moose, believe it or not.
My uncle had seen the caked blood on it's upper side and realized it was the same animal. Thus the request to shoot that one.
The shot the previous day had passed completely through that moose, just above the lungs, and below the spine, and had not
hit a rib going in or out. There was a flesh wound, of course, but I believe that moose would have survived, had I not got
another whack at it. What a relief in the end, though. In reflection, what were the odds? Good thing the snow was so deep
That caused the moose to find feed on the landing, where they could forage easier.
I also lost a 3 point muley buck quite early in my hunting career because I did not wait the mandatory 20 minutes to ½ hour before
pursuing it. He had laid down, but I pushed him up, and he left without giving me a shot. The Ravens found him before I did the next day.
Regards, Dave.
I recall shooting a Bull Moose in the Mica Creek area 160 Km north of Revelstoke, BC.
This has a positive ending, but served to give me a sleepless night.
The plan at the time was to get as many moose out of the valley prior to flooding it, so the
season was long and generous. I was working for a relative at the time, and we agreed that
we would help by taking our limits. We headed off to work, and lo and behold...3 moose on
the edge of the landing.
It was an any ###, any age season. It appeared that we had 3 cows there, so I up with my rifle, and
drilled the one closest. [about 45 yards] The 3 took off, up hill, and were out of sight in seconds.
We were both a bit taken aback, since a miss would have been virtually impossible at the distance.
So, I strapped on the snowshoes. [snow was deep in there] and proceeded to follow the tracks after
a 20 minute wait. I fully expected to find the moose within 100 yards. But no way...they continued on, uphill,
and there was only a small fleck of blood on the snow here and there. After a good ½ mile, I was thoroughly
sweated up, and those moose were still headed on up the hill, with no signs of faltering.
I headed back, and my uncle and I tried to do an analysis of what had happened. Tried a shot to be sure the
rifle was shooting accurately...no problem. I was literally sick about the whole thing, wonder what had gone wrong.
As I mentioned, I did not get much sleep that night...felt guilty and was worried that there was a suffering animal.
out there.
Next morning, back to the landing...amazingly, the 3 moose were there again. My uncle said...quick! shoot the one on the right.
I dutifully obeyed, and the moose co-operated by dropping after a couple of steps. It was the same moose, believe it or not.
My uncle had seen the caked blood on it's upper side and realized it was the same animal. Thus the request to shoot that one.
The shot the previous day had passed completely through that moose, just above the lungs, and below the spine, and had not
hit a rib going in or out. There was a flesh wound, of course, but I believe that moose would have survived, had I not got
another whack at it. What a relief in the end, though. In reflection, what were the odds? Good thing the snow was so deep
That caused the moose to find feed on the landing, where they could forage easier.
I also lost a 3 point muley buck quite early in my hunting career because I did not wait the mandatory 20 minutes to ½ hour before
pursuing it. He had laid down, but I pushed him up, and he left without giving me a shot. The Ravens found him before I did the next day.
Regards, Dave.
I keep a photo album with pictures and stories of every big game animal I've killed since I started hunting a dozen years ago.
In the back I keep a list of the ones I've lost. There's more there than I like to see, but I think keeping it documented keeps the experiences fresh in my mind sometimes helps me turn down a bad shot in the field. Mistakes will be made; as long as we do our best to avoid them, deal with them to the best of our ability when they do happen, accept the consequences and learn from the experiences, we'll all be able to sleep at night and head out happy next season.
In the back I keep a list of the ones I've lost. There's more there than I like to see, but I think keeping it documented keeps the experiences fresh in my mind sometimes helps me turn down a bad shot in the field. Mistakes will be made; as long as we do our best to avoid them, deal with them to the best of our ability when they do happen, accept the consequences and learn from the experiences, we'll all be able to sleep at night and head out happy next season.
The sick feeling of letting a moose (any, as meat is what I am after) go is forgotten about when the tag is filled. Have not tasted tag soup yet.
Yes, I have lost chances as trophies but my philosophy is that antlers are tasteless and too difficult to digest.
Yes, I have lost chances as trophies but my philosophy is that antlers are tasteless and too difficult to digest.
I lost a bear once,it ran into the thick stuff and we never did find it.Now when I shoot a bear I will only take a broadside standing shot right on the point of the shoulder,massive shock and it puts them right down ,maybe not dead,but down.I hate losing an animal,I know in nature,nothing is wasted but I'd rather pass on a shot than risk wounding it.
