40 yds slight quartering away and still caught front shoulder. Only got about 8 inches of arrow penetration but good blood for the first 250 yds, then just some clots and now nothing! I backed off hoping he might lay down. The blood I was following was good and bright and even had some bubbles in it. Any chance this deer will still bleed out (internally)? I'm going back to search in about an hour, but any advice would be much appreciated! I'm going to be sick if I don't recover this deer.
Ghost
Life Member
My first advise would have been not to start tracking at all and leave the timber quietly. More than likely you pushed him.
You probably only got one lung and I wouldn't go back in an hour either.
Even though it will kill you, wait until at least 3:00 this afternoon to pick up the trail. Did you find any place where he bedded down?
You probably only got one lung and I wouldn't go back in an hour either.
Even though it will kill you, wait until at least 3:00 this afternoon to pick up the trail. Did you find any place where he bedded down?
Ghost
Life Member
Did the arrow break off inside him?
Was most of the blood deep red muscle blood or lighter colored pink blood with bubbles?
When you go back, mark your last blood high in a tree with an orange vest or something you can see from a ways out.
That way you can alway look back for a reference to his line of travel.
If you totally exhaust any sign of blood, check every ditch, every thick spot you can. They can really "hole up" when injured.
Good luck and I hope you have a smile on your face tonight!
Was most of the blood deep red muscle blood or lighter colored pink blood with bubbles?
When you go back, mark your last blood high in a tree with an orange vest or something you can see from a ways out.
That way you can alway look back for a reference to his line of travel.
If you totally exhaust any sign of blood, check every ditch, every thick spot you can. They can really "hole up" when injured.
Good luck and I hope you have a smile on your face tonight!
muddy
Well-Known Member
If he was quartering away and you hit on the outside of the shoulder that broadhead may have skidded along under the skin. That would be a lot of damage and the evidence of a heavy blood trail at first speaks of that. I had a similar hit back in high school and it eventually peetered out. I wish you luck though, stranger things have happened.
Definately one lung I would say. They can go for awhile on one as well as live with one lung.
Like ghost said give him time. He'll bed down soon when he gets to what he considers a safe spot. Take your bow with ya and bino's you may have to do a follow up if he didn't bleed out enough.
Good luck with him and let us know how you end up.
Like ghost said give him time. He'll bed down soon when he gets to what he considers a safe spot. Take your bow with ya and bino's you may have to do a follow up if he didn't bleed out enough.
Good luck with him and let us know how you end up.
I recovered the arrow after about 200 yds. Good blood on it thick up to 8-9". The blood on the ground was bright and defintinely had some bubbles in it. It was a for sure shoulder shot as I watched him run away with the arrow sticking out his left side. Just hoping that broadhead did some cutting of vitals while he was running.
Jethro
New Member
[ QUOTE ]
My first advise would have been not to start tracking at all and leave the timber quietly. More than likely you pushed him.
You probably only got one lung and I wouldn't go back in an hour either.
Even though it will kill you, wait until at least 3:00 this afternoon to pick up the trail. Did you find any place where he bedded down?
[/ QUOTE ]
Exactly this! Let us know how it turned out.
My first advise would have been not to start tracking at all and leave the timber quietly. More than likely you pushed him.
You probably only got one lung and I wouldn't go back in an hour either.
Even though it will kill you, wait until at least 3:00 this afternoon to pick up the trail. Did you find any place where he bedded down?
[/ QUOTE ]
Exactly this! Let us know how it turned out.
J
J Becker
Guest
[ QUOTE ]
Just hoping that broadhead did some cutting of vitals while he was running.
[/ QUOTE ]
its a possibility good luck!
Just hoping that broadhead did some cutting of vitals while he was running.
[/ QUOTE ]
its a possibility good luck!
Well, no luck. No more blood, and no sign of him bedding down. I'm just hopeful that he's still alive at this point. Still going to go do some more searching in the morning. Thanks for all the advice. I've been on a lot of other forums/message boards over the last couple years and this one is full of a classy group of people.
Funny you sould ask, I just jumped online to share this - Driving home tonight from picking my son up from a after school deal and about 300 yds from where I shot this buck, I see a doe standing on the side of the road. Flip on the brights and 2 ft behind her is a big 10 pter that I instantly recognize. I drive by slowly and pull a U turn and come back to check them out. Sure enough, the same 10 pter I hit in the shoulder less than 48 hrs ago is not only tending her, he ended up jumping up on her, with my brights on and all. She pulled away after about 10 secs but they just stood there like they could care less about me. Anyway I'm sure its him b/c he has a really unique G-4 that crab claws with his main beam. I couldn't ever see a wound on him b/c he was standing with his other side facing me the whole time. Drove home (I live less than 1/4 mile from here), grab a camara and head back out. They were still there but only ended up with 4 pictures of his eyes reflecting at me. My wife and son were with me which was really cool for them to see. Just goes to show how tough these animals are, and how intense the drive to breed is. On one hand I'm disapointed I didn't harvest him, but on the other I'm glad he is still alive and passing on his genetics. I'm going after him tommorow though!
timekiller
No, you can't pet him.
go get him!