Last Day Sucess...and Failure

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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.
 
I'm sorry but what you did was inexcusable. No other place anywhere to cross the creek!? Being that there were 2 of you one of you could have went around to the other side of the creek and with a rope like you normally would have to get a deer out, tied one end to the deer and tossed the other to your friend or yourself on the other side of the creek. You could have either pulled her across the creek or just tied the end of the rope to a tree and let the current swing her down to the opposite bank.
There were ways to get her out. What you did was a wanton waste of meat and in most states is a game law violation. That's a lot different than losing a deer due to a poor shot and not being able to find it.
 
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