My wife and myself were out hunting today for MA. shotgun deer. I had just put her in a tree and walked a few hundred feet to find a place to sit. My plan was to make a slow stalk about daylight to either see one myself and/or push one by her. This is her first year!! and it has been going great. I was walking down a tote road and saw the scene of a recent buck fight and crouched down to look at the prints. I heard a branch snap off to my left and immediately went to hunt mode from the daydreaming mode I was in. I stood up slowly and saw three flags go up and saunter off a distance. I had no illusions about catching deer by following them so I just continued on to my planned start point. The deer kept raising their flags and making small runs ahead of me, but kept moving parellel to me. It was starting to get light and I could just make out their bodies. I checked my watch and I was legal, it was just overcast and darker than usual. Since they had been leading me for about 200 yards in the same manner, I decided to try to close the distance at the next bend in the road. When they put up their flags and started to move, I saw my chance- I crouched down and hurried ahead to the bend. When I stood upright again I was closer than I had hoped and suddenly on of the deer turned and cut through the woods in front of me. I shouldered my gun , followed the deer as it bounded, and when there was an opening I took my shot. (I later paced it off to about 35 yds) (also I thought I should add I was shooting a Winchester 1200 with a 22 inch smooth barrel, rifle sights and shooting Brenneke 2 3/4 slugs)
The deer ran about 40 yards and put its tail down. I thought- Man I got it! It has to be hurt!. I moved a little more to get a better view and it repeated the same short run. I waited about a half hour and saw no further movement.At this point I went back and got my wife, got the car etc. I was psyched! However that was nothing compared to when I found it. The deer was another 30-40 yards from where I last saw it. It was a heavy-bodied 8 point buck. It was the largest deer I have seen dead around here. Most run 120 lbs for a thee year old, this had to be 140. It was a great shot , right through the boiler-room, with a gallon of blood where it came to rest. I was in heaven until we rolled it over. I at first wasn't even sure what I was looking at, but the whole underside that is normally white, was a shade of blue. The skin had a definite blue-green cast to it, and when I parted the fur to get a better look, the fur just fell off. There was a distinct odor also. The deer was somehow septic, maybe gangrene from an arrow injury?I looked for a wopuld but didn't see one. After a while the smell was giving us the willies, and it was clear that we could not eat it, so I cut off the antlers and dragged it into a ditch. I am sure the hunters here can understand my disappointment.
Have you ever heard or seen anything like this?
The deer ran about 40 yards and put its tail down. I thought- Man I got it! It has to be hurt!. I moved a little more to get a better view and it repeated the same short run. I waited about a half hour and saw no further movement.At this point I went back and got my wife, got the car etc. I was psyched! However that was nothing compared to when I found it. The deer was another 30-40 yards from where I last saw it. It was a heavy-bodied 8 point buck. It was the largest deer I have seen dead around here. Most run 120 lbs for a thee year old, this had to be 140. It was a great shot , right through the boiler-room, with a gallon of blood where it came to rest. I was in heaven until we rolled it over. I at first wasn't even sure what I was looking at, but the whole underside that is normally white, was a shade of blue. The skin had a definite blue-green cast to it, and when I parted the fur to get a better look, the fur just fell off. There was a distinct odor also. The deer was somehow septic, maybe gangrene from an arrow injury?I looked for a wopuld but didn't see one. After a while the smell was giving us the willies, and it was clear that we could not eat it, so I cut off the antlers and dragged it into a ditch. I am sure the hunters here can understand my disappointment.
Have you ever heard or seen anything like this?