Hunter: Michael Fortner
Points: 10 (5L, 5R)
County: Gwinnett
Season: 2024-2025
Hunt Story
It was my third sit, the previous two I had laid eyes on him. The third sit was the charm and I was able to seal the deal on this buck I named Savior. To me it looked like the best shot I have ever made—in the moment it looked like a perfect heart shot. With it being low light I couldn’t be 100% on that so I got up after 30 minutes and grabbed the arrow. It was covered in blood I knew he couldn’t have gone far. Boy was I wrong, deer surprise me how strong they can be. So I start the track and he bust up and we leave for two hours and come back and start the track again. After about another 150 yards we walk back up on Savior and he was bedded. He was hurt badly but still able to get up and move slowly away so we opt to let him lay overnight. We came back in the morning and he had crossed over the creek. His body was still warm, he had just died, and the first think I wanted to check was the shot placement and it was as I thought a heart/lungs and exited liver. I can not believe he survived that long.
