Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

Decision Time.........

Willie

Willie

PMA Member
I've got a decision to make tonight fellas. 3:00 arrowed a buck further back than I would have liked. Bounded off hunched up and stood quartering away at 45 yards. I took another shot and hit him behind the shoulders but low. I left the stand at 4:00 and found both my arrows. The second arrow definitely didn't catch any lung. It's misting right now and has been for the last hour and as everyone knows it's forecast to rain the next three days. I had big blotches of blood around my first arrow and also where he was standing when I let the second shot fly. I was able to track for about twenty yards and told myself you need to get out and let him be. He was obviously tired as he came in with his toungue hanging out and really panting hard - I hope that condition is in my favor. I'm not in a huge timber by any means - around 120 acres with all the crop ground harvested. I know I didn't push him but I can't decide to head back out or wait until morning. I'm guessing with any amount of rain I'll lose my blood trail. Anyone willing to offer me some advice???
 
That's a tough one to call. It sounds like you gut shot him to me. If i were in your shoes I would wait till morning, even with the rain. If you didnt push him, then he most likely didn't go too much farther before bedding. In the past, when i have hit them in the guts, they usually tend to bed between 100-150 yards, but then again I don't know exactly where you hit him. If you do go look tonight, i would go about 8-9 oclock so he has a good 5-6 hours, goodluck in finding him, no matter what you do
smile.gif
 
Sounds like you probably got liver - deer don't run far, bed down soon and take awhile to die. Watch your weather - rain and temp. If he will be okay to wait until morning you probably will find him nearby dead in his bed. If it has already rained you may want to wait. A good liver hit will kill a deer. Maybe with your second arrow you will have better blood. I would say now at 6:00 the deer should be dead - as long as you got liver. If it hasn't rained you might want to give it a shot. If you jump him back off he will bed down again soon - just needs more time to expire. Good luck. If you don't recover tonight and don't have a blood trail in the am, looking close to where you last saw/tracked him would be a good idea. Also near water. If you track tonight and don't find or wait to the am, repost and you will get more answers. Good luck.
 
Wait until morning and find your buck . . . he's probably dead right now 50 yards from your last hit but there is a chance he is not dead yet and you would never live it down if you jump him.
 
I would go back out after a minimum of 2 hours, check and see how easy the tracking goes in the first 40-80 yards. If alot of blood, then pursue. If it's pretty sparse then wait till you have full daylight to broaden your search area as you walk. Good luck!!
 
Easy decision. Wait till morning and you will get your deer for sure. Push him now and you may not. No brainer for me i guess. Don't risk it if you dont have to.

Best of luck!!
 
Thanks guys. I think I'm going to wait until morning. My first shot was definitely a gut shot - not only did I see the arrow hit, the arrow showed it. My second arrow had to be low but appeared to be right behind the shoulder. I'm just going to stay positive and find him in the morning!!! If it continues to mist and not rain it may not totally wash away a blood trail. Just keep my fingers crossed and say an extra prayer tonight! It's going to be a long evening.......
 
Had the samething happen last sat.afternoon.Imarked the last spot that I had seen him,and where I thought I heard him crash.Went back sun.am about 16 hrs later and found him about 150 yrds away.I was calling a friend on my cell when my son walked up on him and he jumped up.He fell back down right away and was able to put another arrow in him.If I would have looked for him sat.I know I would have bumped him and may not have recovered him.He was a nice 14pt.buck.Wanted to post a picture but the damn digita camara went on the blitz.Good luck
 
keep the faith up dude. he'll be dead in the morning, it's just a matter of finding that sucker. you'll find him deader than a hammer not far from where you last saw him.
 
I would definetly wait till the morning. It is better to be safe that sorry and even if you did get a piece of the liver (personally I think you caught him in the gut) he won't go far on the liver and you still have a good shot at gettin him. Don't want to push him out.
 
Wait till morning. If you jump him, you will likely loose him tonight. If you let him be, he will likely be close the next morning, hopefully dead.

I would also bring your bow along tommorrow, because these big bruisers are tough cookies and he may still be alive.

One of my best bucks was hit similiar to yours low in the guts behind the liver. I let him sit all night, I went back the next morning and he bedded down about 70 yards from my treestand, but he was still alive the next morning. I spent a better part of the morning finally catching up to him. I would jump him, he would run off and I would sneak back up to him and he would run away again. Finally I was able to get behind a large White Pine and make the final kill shot.

This area low in the guts does not have alot of blood vessels and it takes considerable longer for a kill versus a pass through in the middle of the body somewhere in the guts/liver area.

Good Luck, I wish you well.
 
grin.gif
grin.gif
grin.gif
I found him fellas!!! He went about 200 yds. downhill and bedded down in a creek bed. I started my search around 8:00 this morning and went to my last blood and nothing was there - too much misting and light rain last night so it was off to search. I searched back and forth taking about a ten yard swipe each time. I got through the main timber where I thought he'd be and came up empty handed. I was getting discouraged. I told myself the closest water was in this half dried up creek and started to walk the outside edge looking down in. I walked by a spot that was kind of hidden out of sight and told myself it might not hurt to look up in there a ways and sure enough he was there. This was a spot I would have walked by ten times but for some reason not this time. He's my biggest buck ever and I couldn't be happier. I'll post some pictures once I get them downloaded.

Thanks for all the advice. Staying home last night was not easiest thing to do. Up every hour looking out the window to see if it was raining didn't necessarily impress the other half but it was well worth the agonizing wait...
 
I am happy for you recovering your deer. Alot of people aren't so lucky. Way to go and I can't wait to see the pictures.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom