Just back in after 3 1/2 hours of looking through swamp and cornfields for a deer that a good friend (going on 10 years) shot with a crossbow this morning!
I am somewhat pissed to say the least, cause this isn't the first time this has happened with the same individual. There has been 4 occurrences over the last 5 years!
Last year, very similar circumstances, tracked a friggren deer for 500 metres, until the very little blood sign finally petered out.
2 years ago, he got off lucky and spine shot the deer, was still alive, obviously, and he had to dispatch it with a knife.
3 years ago, lost another deer, picked up the blood trail, close to where he shot it, and it petered out quickly, deer went through swamp (read lots of water) never was able to pick the trail up again
4 years ago, similar to this year, shot deer, picked up blood trail, tracked it back and forth through woods over and down ridges, through a 50 acre corn field, then into the woods again, never to be found.
I had a talk with him last year about shot placement, but I know he just gets plain excited, and f**ks up the shot. He is shooting an Excalibur, and I have shot it, the bolt goes where you point it.
I feel like telling him to hang up the bow! Just don't friggen hunt with it anymore, cause clearly you can't control your emotions. Problem is, we hunt adjacent properties, and the landowner that we both have permission on their properties, would likely boot him off, cause quite frankly, this is unacceptable, but we are all friends. Is this worth losing a 10 year friendship over? I don't want to see lost game period, it pisses me off quite frankly, but 4 years out of 5. I would think he would have the sense to hang it up on his own volition, but I know he won't, and will continue hunting else where.
WTF to do?
Edited: I am setting up meetings with the landowners, to figure out if we should punt him off the properties, that really isn't going to solve the real issue though.
I am somewhat pissed to say the least, cause this isn't the first time this has happened with the same individual. There has been 4 occurrences over the last 5 years!
Last year, very similar circumstances, tracked a friggren deer for 500 metres, until the very little blood sign finally petered out.
2 years ago, he got off lucky and spine shot the deer, was still alive, obviously, and he had to dispatch it with a knife.
3 years ago, lost another deer, picked up the blood trail, close to where he shot it, and it petered out quickly, deer went through swamp (read lots of water) never was able to pick the trail up again
4 years ago, similar to this year, shot deer, picked up blood trail, tracked it back and forth through woods over and down ridges, through a 50 acre corn field, then into the woods again, never to be found.
I had a talk
with him last year about shot placement, but I know he just gets plain excited, and f**ks up the shot. He is shooting an Excalibur, and I have shot it, the bolt goes where you point it.I feel like telling him to hang up the bow! Just don't friggen hunt with it anymore, cause clearly you can't control your emotions. Problem is, we hunt adjacent properties, and the landowner that we both have permission on their properties, would likely boot him off, cause quite frankly, this is unacceptable, but we are all friends. Is this worth losing a 10 year friendship over? I don't want to see lost game period, it pisses me off quite frankly, but 4 years out of 5. I would think he would have the sense to hang it up on his own volition, but I know he won't, and will continue hunting else where.
WTF to do?
Edited: I am setting up meetings with the landowners, to figure out if we should punt him off the properties, that really isn't going to solve the real issue though.
