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Well, here's my story:
A month ago I had to work a mid-0800 shift (I work for Game & Fish oddly enough).
Anyway had a couple of errands to run so I get home around noon, and pass my hunting partner coming out of the woods. I figure he's going to want to shoot the breeze for a few so hey no problem.
Mark gets out of the truck and instantly say's "Gator, I've just shoot the biggest
8-point I've ever seen and I can't find him."
Great I think, I've done without sleep before so it's nothing new. We go out to look. Mark took the shoot with a bow at a stepped off 28 yards. Hits a little high for a lung shoot, but the ground shows the animal was hit and knocked on the ground. Start following tracks, no blood though. Tracks show animal definetely favoring right side. Track for over an hour and half. By this point I NEED sleep.
We go back to the house. Mark goes to work and I go to sleep. Sleep to 6 pm then take the 4 wheeler out to look. Again no signs, deer was shot at 8 am and in Florida that is way too long for it to be out in 75 degree temps.
Needless to say Mark was out the next morning to look some more.
I told this to an LT of mine and he laughed, one of our officers was hunting and shot (w/bow) a ten point. Looses him, feels like crap. Another guy shoots a ten point a few weeks later and guess what was lodged in his vertebrae, the arrow the officer shoot him with.
So don't feel bad for loosing the deer, if you searched for it. Also don't know the animal suffered he may be okay. (Not always but the story above is an example).
I see a lot of calls about dumbasses hunting. You know the guys who wake up at 7 am and start the day w/a six pack and then go. See it all too often. What you don't see are people who really take the time to plan the hunt and who are generally concerned about the animals.
YOU GUYS DON'T COUNT, YOU ALL SEEM TO BE THE TYPE WHO ARE STEWARDS OF THE ENVOIRNMENT. MY HAT'S OFF TO YOU ALL!
Sorry so long!
Gator
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Root Hog or Die Poor
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