# Spined a doe, the reality of it



## Header (Apr 14, 2004)

Well since the weekend after Labor Day until Oct 3rd I had 517 pics on the trail cam. And I'm looking for either one of two 8pters. but they are nocturnal. So hitting my stand over Fri, & Sat I watched several small bucks and a lot of does and yearlings. I was either taking a mature doe or one of the bucks. So 9am Friday, 75deg by noon, this 120lb doe came in and I spined her at 18yds and she drops on the spot. By the time I got down she had moved approx. 30 feet. Now this is what I have had a problem with but rationalize it to the other seenario of them running off and dying away from the hunter. I had to slit her throat and let her bleed out while standing with her. Then of course she did not run off yards away when you don't see them die and hope you find them. At least as some of you mention she did not bawl. I know it's all a part of hunting and one has to deal with it or give it up. It happens.


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## DaleM (Apr 5, 2004)

Been there done that Header. The good part is you found her, and took care of it.
That's just another part of Hunting. Congrats on the successful hunt.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

I&#8217;ve done it myself, but I much prefer a second arrow to the knife method. But when using a knife, a quick stick behind the shoulder in the heart/lung area works MUCH faster than cutting the neck. I don&#8217;t enjoy any method so I go with the fastest and safest.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

M.Magis said:


> I&#8217;ve done it myself, but I much prefer a second arrow to the knife method.



i had to do this once several years ago, i shot the doe from over head, the shot was back on the hips, directly into the spine. she went straight down and crawled about 20 feet using her front hoofs. i was crossbow hunting at the time so i got down and put a bolt thru the vitals from about 10 feet away. she was watching me the whole time as soon as my feet hit the ground, its something ill always remember how she kept looking at me and finally just laid her head down and dies. if were going to kill, we must be prepaired to kill.


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## One Legged Josh (Jan 27, 2008)

I have done this twice, once I was able to get a quick second arrow in to quiet her. The other one was in thick brush, and I had to use my knife, behind the shoulder worked really fast. Its not a fun thing, but it happens to all of us.


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## freyedknot (Apr 10, 2004)

had it happen to me and the doe gave out a very loud cry when it was hit. and put another bolt to her. don't hunt deer anymore.


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

You guys bring up a real good point.
Years back, I was thinking about trying deer hunting.
I'm good in the woods, figured it would be easy.
That same year a bud had to pull out a knife on a deer he got.
His buddy was telling me it let out a cry like a baby when he did what he had to do.
That's when I decided I'm not going to hunt, ever.

Luckily, I'm OK with fish.
We trade perch for deer meat with a few hunting friends.


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

good topic..I deer hunted for years,killed quite a few, never had to use the knife or another arrow..But if I had to do that I am sure I would not have hunted again..I quit hunting about 5 years ago, because I lost my desire to kill things.

Deer must be hunted to keep the heard in check, but I wont be shooting anymore.


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## GotSpaceOnMyWall4U (Oct 6, 2010)

Header,
That memory will always be there but you obviously did the right thing. My first deer (doe i was 13 started hunting at 8) dropped and made the most god aweful cries ever. I shot her 3 times and didnt have a single shot out of the kill zone. First thing I heard was my dad's ever so important teaching "you wont be back in the woods if you gut shoot a deer." Once gutted I was approved obviously lol. Moral to the story bad hit good hit you find it and take it home!!!!! Good job enjoy that meat and get one of those bucks.


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## Sharp Charge (Jun 24, 2009)

That's how I got my first deer last year. I spined it on opening day of gun season, had to finish it. Was just a button buck, but you've got to finish it.


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## BaddFish (Jun 20, 2009)

I shot a 6pt years ago that tried to attack me with his rack anytime I got close to him... so after 15 min of messing around I pinned him down with a log and finished him off with a knife. I had tried shooting him twice with arrows but this thing wouldn't sit still! It was very unnerving for a new bowhunter! 

a couple things I learned:

-I've never had to do it again becouse i made a promise to myself that i would shoot better
-always bring more then 3 arrows with broadheads

You did what you had to do. its your obligation to finish the deal.


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## ChutesGoer (Jun 1, 2009)

My second bow kill was spined and required a second arrow. My first bow kill was from the ground at point blank range. < 1 yard. I was on one side of a great big oak tree and this button buck came right around the tree. I was at full draw and he stuck his head out. Right through the temple. Dropped like he was made of plastic. Arrow half in and half out of his temple...like you see at the novelty shops. Crazy.


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## Jigging Jim (Apr 3, 2010)

Never had one cry, but had a high shoulder shot with a 12 gauge foster slug only destroy one lung on the deer. It still had one good lung, so it just hemorrhaged from the bad lung and coughed up blood with every breath until it drowned. Not the quickest way to go, but at least it dropped on the spot and was recovered. Like I've said before - Death ain't pretty!


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## Slawterr (Aug 18, 2009)

My first deer was a spine shot towards the rear. It was a decent sized mature doe and she hauled herself a good 100 yards before I could get out of the stand and take after her. I ended up jumping on her and took my game axe to the back of her neck. In retrospect it was stupid, but at the time it was what I had to do to make sure the yotes didn't have a better meal than me.  And boy did she bawl, I swear that sound haunts me to this day.


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## Nitro_boy (Apr 1, 2005)

I had a similar experience last year. Early in the season I shot a doe and had my bow tilted with no level. I shot the button buck through both back legs. It went into a corner and like an idiot I bumped it. I ended up tracking it a mile through a corn field and peoples yards. Finally I saw him hobble and lay under a shade tree. I pulled back and got the property owner and he shot it from 30 yards with his .357 in the head. He then told me to slit it's throat and push my knee in its vitals to bleed it out but it was bucking and the nerves and such still had its lungs breathing out the opening. I passed on many deer last year due to this but did finally get over it. I am glad I spent the time to find the deer though and I kick myself for the bad shot. I now shoot with levels on all my bows.


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## Stripers4Life (May 2, 2007)

haha we call that the death bleat. It's hunting, no matter how you rationalize it, to be successful you have to make a kill. If you aren't prepared to do what it takes, then stay home. We have been killing animals for thousands of years to stay alive, and over those years the technology has advanced, but the idea is still the same. If you've hunted for long enough, then this will happen to you, or someone you hunt with. We prefer the second arrow, thrashing legs and antlers are dangerous.


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## MuskieManOhio (Jun 29, 2008)

Well you guys are all right you gotta do what you gotta do as for me I hunt for meat not for killing things so I dont have a problem with knifing a deer if I have to I feel bad but it helps on the meat bill and times are tough right now so it doesnt bother me as much.


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## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

I've had to finish a handful of deer off, but I've never tried to cut the throat...far too dangerous IMO. I've seen many things in this regard bow hunting. I've killed mothers and watched their young stay by their side even after death...I've chased them away (I avoid this now, but could care less as a teen, etc.).

I've killed many animals for various reasons; hunting/food, injured/sick, nuisance issues. I grew up on a farm and this was a way of life. Killing was easy for me when I was young, but it has become harder for me as the years roll by. Even when I know it is for the best, it isn't as easy as it used to be.

Although it doesn't come as easy as it used to, I still don't lose sleep over the act itself. I would never intentionally kill something without cause (I consider hunting "cause" - I am going to eat what I kill). I do have some lasting memories that aren't pleasant, but even all the years later in reflection I did the right thing...the necessary thing.

I also totally understand why some people cannot kill. It certainly isn't something everybody is programmed to do. I do think I was "born" a hunter/killer as it comes naturally for me, even in difficult circumstances.


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## BuckeyeHunter (Nov 5, 2008)

I shot a 4 point 3 years ago from dead on when he winded me, but the shot went high and severed his aorta and spine. The deer didn't move an inch but when I got there it wasn't dead yet so I used the blunt end of the hatchet I carry to knock it in the head a few times until he stopped struggling. Ended up with a horrible bloody mess between the aorta and the hatchet so I wouldn't recommend that tactic. There is still blood stains on my coat and boots. I will say though that was the best deer I've ever eaten and I'm guessing its because it bled out so fast.


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## Stripers4Life (May 2, 2007)

BuckeyeHunter said:


> I shot a 4 point 3 years ago from dead on when he winded me, but the shot went high and severed his aorta and spine. The deer didn't move an inch but when I got there it wasn't dead yet so I used the blunt end of the hatchet I carry to knock it in the head a few times until he stopped struggling. Ended up with a horrible bloody mess between the aorta and the hatchet so I wouldn't recommend that tactic. There is still blood stains on my coat and boots. I will say though that was the best deer I've ever eaten and I'm guessing its because it bled out so fast.


lol that sounds a little bit primitive.


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## MuskieManOhio (Jun 29, 2008)

A hatchet huh? never heard that one before... I did hear of a wooden leg off a stool my dad said him and his "friend" were tracking a deer and they found it and it wasnt dead so the guy pulled out a wooden leg off a stool in front of his 5 year old son and clubbed the poor thing to death my dad said he couldnt believe it and took his kid and walked about 20 yards the other way..


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## Guest (Oct 15, 2010)

One of my first deer with a cross bow, I shot it and there was a tree behind it. For 30 seconds there the deer had a bolt thur it and it was stuck to the tree. That thing was making some lound noises. When it pulled it off the bolt it must have did some major damage because it die with in 10 feet of the tree.


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## Mean Morone (Apr 12, 2004)

I'm not a hunter but the idea sure sounds attractive to me. I love watching hunting shows. The problem is I wont do it unless the animal is killed quickly. I know this doesn't happen every time. I guess what totally turned me off was the story my buddy told. He said he was in the stand and was about to give up when he hears a deer coming through the woods. It was starting to get dark but he still had good(legal) shooting light. He lets his arrow fly and knows he has made a good shot. He waited in the stand until it got dark and then decided to get the deer the next morning. The next day he gets to where he shot the deer and started tracking it. He didn't go far before he hears something in the corn field. He immediately has a bad feeling. He starts through the corn where he finds his deer. His arrow had taken one of the deer's front legs clean off at the knee and left the other hanging by a thread. He put another arrow in it and finished him off. The thought of that deer standing on a stump all night really bothered him and put me off completely.


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## FinsFurFeathers (Sep 14, 2009)

I am sure everyone has a junk arrow and broadhead or two.. Keep one in your quiver in case you need that final up-close shot. No sense getting your butt kicked by a thrashing deer..Plus it quicker and more humane. (plus you don't trash $20 in the process)..


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## Stripers4Life (May 2, 2007)

That just made me think. I've got tons of broadheads "mechanicals" that after a watermelon test decided I didn't want to shoot them, and put em up never to be used again. This would give you the opportunity to see real life damage, on a blood filled carcas, and maybe give these other broadheads a shot.


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## Wannabitawerm (Apr 13, 2004)

My buddy spined one on Monday. It was not pleasant, but, thats hunting. It is bound to happen to anyone who hunts for any length of time. He did not handle it well and I will understand if he doesn't again. I will support his decision but as for me, I'm sure it will happen to me eventually. I think we will be better prepared for it next time. The best you can do is to end the suffering as quick as possible.


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## Header (Apr 14, 2004)

Seems as though just about everyone who hunts probably as had this happen. You all handle it what seems to you as the best way and that's good. What's up with the blunt end of an ax or the chair leg? The quicker the better. My deer was not bawling and yes the yearling stayed around, I got several pictures from 15', but it did leave after I walked closer. This was my 3rd finish off at my feet deer. The first I was not sure what to do but I will not put a 12 ga slug to the head again from 3'. I had time after that to think about it and the last two were throat cuts. I step on their head and the legs were not kicking. That is kind of a hard thing to do if the spine is cut. Think about it maybe with the kicking legs the spine probably was not severd. However this does make a very clean field dressing process, no blood form heart or lungs. No I do not have a problem doing this, just that you see death at your feet up close. Our responsibilty is to get the kill, not wounded, as quickly as possible. Whether it be at your feet or within a couple 100yds. With the run away you just don't see death up close at your feet.
Thanks for all your input and experiences.

End of season update: I had to do 3 this year, WOW mine & another guy spined his during archery season and asked me if I had brought my pistol with me, ccw. I said no way do you put a bullet in a deer during archery season. The other was the property owner, he spined a buck during mzzldr season that had aready dropped his rack, he thought it was a good sized doe.


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## marshal45 (Mar 8, 2007)

Once it happens, you will never forget it but you will get over it. Man is the greatest predator out there and as much as we are sensitized these days we need to take the responsibility to practice very hard the instrument we are using to harvest our animal. I have had it happen, in fact it happend on my first ever bowhunt when I was 12. The sound that doe made was hard to take. It was either listen to that or cut her throat and put her out of her misery. We have an obligation to kill that animal as fast as possible if we have the chance. Practice, Practice, Practice so that your chances of it happening are smaller than if you didnt practice. I have seen guys chase down bucks and take a knife to their vitals (which is crazy to chase a buck) but they didnt want to track it all night and day. Everything we eat in the way of meat was killed, either by us or someone else. They are beautiful animals and that makes it tougher to take, but they are here for us to enjoy on the dinner table! One tip I can give: Take a large branch maybe 4-5" in diamater and hit it in the head as hard as you can. This will knock them out for about 30-60 seconds and give you a chance to cut their throat without all of the thrashing. By the time they wake up, they are pretty much dead. I hope you dont have to do this.


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## kprice (May 23, 2009)

I agree with Marshall. It is something no one should be proud of.... No one should brag about making an animal suffer. Practice is all you can do so you can have a quick successful kill. Good luck hunting every1


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## Bluewalleye (Jun 1, 2009)

I spined my first deer ever last year after 30 years of hunting. A doe with the bow. And it cried for minutes that seemed like hours. It took me about 5 to 10 minutes to get over there (climber), and then I put another arrow into her lungs. It was very sad, but I will be back out next weekend. I missed judged the yardage. I thought it was 30 yards and it was only 25.


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