Got One, Lost One

[rsterne]

Put 72 km. on the Rhino today, looking for Grouse.... We saw four Ruffed Grouse, and I got two solid hits, but only recovered one bird, a beautiful large male Ruffie.... The other one, I saw the feathers fly (aiming for the head at about 25 yards), and the bird took off, flying along the road around the corner, with us in hot pursuit.... My eagle-eyed wife spotted the bird in a conifer about 20 feet up, but before I could take a second shot, the bird fell out of the tree, flapping madly, hitting the ground beside it, behind a bush.... I sent in Molly, she made a couple of zig-zags and then zeroed in on the base of the tree.... Nothing!.... She started searching, nose to the ground, and my wife and I joined in, but in spite of about 10 minutes of scouring the area, we all came up dry....

I sooooooooo hate it when I know a bird is down for the count but I don't recover it.... I know it's part of hunting, but it still saddens me.... I figure the least I can do is honour the bird by chalking it up as one of the five I'm allowed for the day, even though I have nothing to show for it....

Bob

[ogre8472]

Dang! Sorry to hear that. It sounds like you all put the effort in so kudos to you for trying!

[bradyman1]

I had the same thing happen today with a dove. Feather a flying buy no bird to show. I know how you feel. At least you got the other one.

[1377x]

nice shooting!
it happens as you said its all in hunting and most of us here have been through the dissapointment you felt!
good luck on your next outing
you going to get your limit again with the sacrifice

[shadow]

Game birds can take a hit and death dive to part's unknown. No fault of your own brother  it just happens at times. I had the same thing happen several times when Pheasant hunting when I lived in South Dakota My dad and I both knew the birds took a solid hit and dove but after hours of the my dads dogs and us looking for them we came up empty. Each time We kept looking back in hopes of seeing them in plain sight. On one occasion I went back the next day and went through the motions of the day before tracing my step's and tasting the bird in my mind, that makes it worse lol. Ed

[dk1677]

Yup, it happens, you do feel bad when you lose game.  Glad you the the other, Nice shooting!

[ShakySarge]

These things happen brother. I have shot squirrels many times andd had them hit the ground then disappear magicially almost into the leaves never to be found. I have lost deer too that took hard hits from a bow, tracked over a mile then just flat lost the trail. It is very saddening since we put so much time and effort into making sure we take our game quickly and ethically.

There is always tomorrow. The scavengers will eat though, it all works out naturally.

Matt

[longislandhunter]

Like the others have said, it happens.  You  did all you could do to retrieve it though and that's what counts.  It'll wind up providing a meal to some other critter so it won't go to waste. 

Jeff

[Sqrl Klr]

I hate when that happens. There's nothing like the satisfaction of a confirmed kill that way there's no doubting if it survived.