- Joined
- Jan 5, 2022
- Messages
- 522
- Reaction score
- 789
The last day of the season here in N IL was warm and windy, about 40 degrees and gusts up to around 25-30mph. Anyway, had my new smokeless with me again, expecting about 150 yrd shot from the spot I was sitting- up on the top of a cliff overlooking woods, a creek and open field (pretty good location in the past). With about 15 minutes to go before the end of legal light I hear some deer walking in from behind me (I am on the ground). A doe and her fawn walk around the embankment edge and they are literally about 10ft from me. I turn with my gun, not expecting to get a shot, but she only runs about 10 yards, so I take the shot and she drops and rolls down the steep embankment ( slightly quartering away shot). I scale my way down the embankment so I can drag her to the edge of the creek. The first thing I notice is that there is virtually no blood. I finally find where the bullet entered, which was a perfect .45 hole, but no exit. I was shocked to see no exit wound at a total distance of about 15 yards???? Anyway, I open her up and the bullet just exploded inside her. The other deer I shot this season with the 300gr Arrowhead NSR bullet put soft ball-like holes in the deer, upon exit. I'm not complaining, it just destroyed the lungs. Now for the sad part of the story- I have recovered may deer at this spot simply by wading through the water and pulling them to a point on the bank. My buddy and I go back to the house to get his chest waders and I assume it is going to be an easy recovery. This was not the case- the water level was high and some of the bottom of the creek must have eroded to where it was like quick sand. And there was no way I could take her back the way I got to my spot due to how narrow the ledges were. Bottom line-couldn't retrieve a fine doe. I am still sick about it and probably will be for awhile. The lesson learned in this situation is to really know that water level before I hunt the spot again; always be "completely" aware of your surroundings in all regards, including retrieval. I have been hunting a long time, but the learning process never ends. Good luck to those who still have some days left in the season. Three months until turkey time.