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Fact or Myth

T

Trapshooter1

Well-Known Member
Ok guys I'm curious on what your opinions are.

Do deer run towards water when their wounded?? (Shot)

I've read studies that say that it's just coincidence.
In my experience deer especially old bucks run towards water and even will die in the water. The theory is that their burning up, running a fever, so they look to cool of.
 
Just my opinion.....water is typically in the lowest area. When the animal is getting weak but trying to keep moving, downhill is easiest. We often hunt near water and therefore we often find our harvest near water. Also think about if you were badly injured in the timber. You might stay near a water source too. Just guessing but I would think it would take hours or more for fever to set in. Nonetheless, when the blood trail disappears and it has been trending downhill, sweep the lowest areas and you'll increase your chances of finding that deer.
 
Agree! ^^^ Sick & fevered deer may seek water. Bleeding out and weak deer go down hill (near the end). May try to cross a creek or river & can't get out.
 
The deer I shot this year expired in his bed right next to a Creek. So I would say a wounded deer will run towards water if close.
 
it has always been my understanding and belief that a live shot especially goes towards water and the wounded deer wont like to climb which usually always leads to water............but then again- I never researched it- just always believed it
 
Deer that are hit back liver/guts tend to go toward water (in many cases, not all)...I believe it has something to do with how they feel internally. Maybe they think it will relieve the pain?

I shot one in 2014, hit it mid-deer that died next to a slough, it was trying to get there.
 
In cases of gut shot deer I believe this to be 100% FACT. Can't find a deer.... go to WATER.

They also tend to avoid going uphill.
 
A deer on a short death run can go anywhere IMO, but will tend to go back the direction that they came from. A deer that is a long track job, guts/liver, etc, will tend to head towards water...but I am not sure if they are going to water or if they end up near water because they tend to keep going downhill...and then end up by water.
 
A gut shot is fatal. The deer basically dies of blood poisoning taking on flu like feverish symptoms where they do seek out water. The key is not to have the deer detect you and bolt. If he walks away he will bed within 100 yards and die. If water within 100 he will probably be there. I've had two deer die near water following gut shots.
 
......and then there are those crazy tough critters that break all the rules. Last year during shotgun season I shot a doe from my stand...15 yds. I've put good arrows on good bucks. I wasn't nervous on this doe and squeezed off a good shot. I saw the impact of the slug just behind the shoulder. It shook her whole body and nearly knocked her over. I watched her go 100 yds waiting for her to tip over. She stopped at the edge of the timber for about 2 minutes before continuing on. I gave it 45 minutes and started tracking...easy tracking. She had left my small timber and through another. At 500 yds she past right by a pond and started up a steep hill. At 800 yds the trail got thin. At 1000 she entered another timber began a downhill decent to a clean creak. At 1200 yds she crossed the creek and then went uphill on a trail another 100 yds before the blood went dry. Never found her....Suppose its possible I bumped her out of the creek but it was a good 3 hours after impact. Go figure. It still bothers me what happened there.
 
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There's a great podcast on this on wired to hunt podcast. John jeanenney has written two books on the topic and been on 1000's of retrevals using a tracking dog. What he found was that with a gut shot deer they will usually get thirsty and go to water eventually, but other than that there is no rule or factual evidence to support deer not going uphill or heading to water. Deer will go uphill, downhill, jump ditches, circle back, cross rivers, etc.; essentially whatever they need to do to get to secure cover. He did mention that they tend to go to a location they know is secure, the problem is that they tend to run out of gas (blood), many times before they get there. So really everything you have heard is mostly myth. I recommend everyone listening to this podcast.
 
I don't necessarily agree with above. I'm not saying it is false, just goes against too many personal experiences (my own and helping friends) to count. I think there is a key difference though so it is not apples to apples. I think a PUSHED deer will do all of the above. I think most people don't give a gut shot deer enough time. Most simply don't know. That's not the case for most folks on here, but we are the obsessive maniacs. I'm talking about the average Joe hunters.

So, a pushed deer will escape pursuit by any means necessary. That includes uphill, rivers, ditches, etc. A deer left 100% completely alone and left to die, not so much. I think 80% of the ones that I have been apart of have gone to water. They are either in it or heading that direction. They usually do not go very far either.
 
Also, I think Iowa would change the dog tracking law. It should be highly regulated with licensed trackers only. This would curb the possible abuse of people using dogs to hunt or stir up game.

The dogs work. If a deer is dead I think known recourses should be used to find them.
 
I agree with the above in that most do not give gut shot deer enough time. IMO a gut shot deer should be given 18 to 24 hours to expire. If not you will push him. To expound gut shot deer die from septicemia, or blood poisoning, and will get sick often seeking out water.
 
meyeri said:
There's a great podcast on this on wired to hunt podcast. John jeanenney has written two books on the topic and been on 1000's of retrevals using a tracking dog.......
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Haven't watched this....is there any part of the study separating gun and bow? Wonder if the "spook factor" might change the behavior of a deer that's been hit with a gun.
 
The deer I shot this year with a bow, ran a long ways with his lungs shot, he ran over a ridge and then went into a pond. Then crawled up into the thick cover and expired. Going up a ridge went against everything I ve experienced.
 
I gut shot a nice buck in 2009 I found him dead in the creek 2 weeks later due to overlooking the water .I believe it makes a big difference on gut shot deer I was told they go to water to drink and also to numb the pain
 
I gut shot a nice buck in 2009 I found him dead in the creek 2 weeks later due to overlooking the water .I believe it makes a big difference on gut shot deer I was told they go to water to drink and also to numb the pain
 
bradley said:
I gut shot a nice buck in 2009 I found him dead in the creek 2 weeks later due to overlooking the water .I believe it makes a big difference on gut shot deer I was told they go to water to drink and also to numb the pain
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Anecdotal, but I shot a buck this Nov 8th. I shot him center and back. Gut shot. He traveled approx 1000 yards and bed down in the timber and died. He actually walked right past a small pond to get there. Kind of odd I thought.
 
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