Hey all, long time no type.
It's been a rough late season my way...
Things started out VERY depressing. I found out from the the landowner that I hunt on that he found 8 bucks after shotgun season...all dead...and all with their headgear cut off and the rest left to rot. I almost gave up. I decided to hold out for something decent and if not take a doe. Anywhoo, my buddy and I have been hunting sunup to sundowon for the past week. This afternoon we gave up on stand hunting and went to pushing draws. The 5th push produced some luck. I was walking and I hear my buddy shoot and so I ran to the top of a ridge in time to see a buck running my way. He gets into thick stuff and beds down so I assume he's done for. Wrong. He hears me sneaking out and takes off into the ravine. We figure he's gone when all of a sudden here he comes right at me, he's dragging the back right leg and limping really bad, I woud've normally passed him up but he was looking really bad. At 20 yards I let him have it and within 5 seconds he was down. We're still not sure exactly what happened but I think he was hit in shotgun season in the back leg right through his tarsal gland snapping the leg into uselessness. His other leg was also dislocated so he wasn't moving real well. He'll probably dress around 140 give or take, he would've been nice next year but from his condition I doubt he would've made it. Not sure on the score (dont really care) yet but we're happy to have 1 down after a fruitless week.
My buddy nailed a big doe today and tomorrow we're gunna process them both up, will let y'all know what the verdict is. You can see his back right leg and the big hole where a shotgun slug hit him. A car may have done damage earlier but that hole is a perfect circle and blown out on one side...absolutely nasty.
Anyone think I should take a risk eating him??