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I can't find him!

Deer Nut

Deer Nut

PMA Member
Ok fellas. I need some input. I've seen a lot of things over my 20+ years chasing deer, but not like this. Some of you may have read I shot a dandy last Thursday evening. I'll give a quick recap. This was a muzzleloader hunt. After the shot he ran 30 yards then stopped as the other 20 deer high tailed it outta there. He stood still in the field for 5 minutes and I did not have another shot. Then he hunched up, tail tucked and slowly hobbled into a thicket. He was hopping his rear end. This led me to believe I might have gut shot him. I didn't look for blood. I just backed out and came back 14 hours later. The blood trail was spotty at best. Very drippy. Most of the trail was a spot of dark red blood every 5-10 feet. 50 yards in, he stood still and bled pretty decent. He also peed while he stood there. This is where it gets interesting for me. His pee was bright pink from blood. This leads me to believe it was a liver hit... I followed the very spotty blood trail a total of about 600 yards before I lost it in an ocean of deer tracks at a creek crossing. I found two beds along the way. Both had small amounts of blood in them. The second bed had coyote tracks in and around it and from what I can tell he was running from there to the frozen creek. That's where I lost him. He had made a huge circle overnight back into his bedding area. Since then, I have looked, and looked, and looked.
Does a possible liver shot make sense? If I just nicked the liver, can he pee pink and survive the shot?
It is so extremely thick in there that I could be walking right by him. I'm hoping he magically appears in front of me again on an evening hunt but I doubt it. I just don't know what to think about this one. He's a hell of a nice buck and I can't sleep very well.....
 
Deer Nut... wounded deer can amaze us with their will to survive...especially mature bucks. with that being said I believe with a liver hit, you have would have already found a dead deer..Good Luck.. I hope you find him or see him again on the hoof.
 
I am starting to relive the first deer I ever shot during archery season. Shot a nice 6 point dark red blood lost the trail after 200 yards.

After talking to the farmers neither of them found a dead deer while harvesting the crops. I would say dark blood is more likely a shoulder or far back hit.

I would say the deer is gone.
 
Deernut
Sounds like you did the right thing backing out. Those yotes jumping him could have pushed him a long way if they chased him. He sounded hit bad and if not jumped him out of first bed. I bet he is dead but may be on neighbors farm or in thick stuff. Did you check area where he came from ??? He may have returned to his secret spot? Sounds like a dead deer to me.
 
It's not a liver hit as he didn't bleed enough and he wouldn't make it as far as you tracked him. I'd guess you hit intestines and maybe clipped a kidney.
 
Deer Nut,

You did the right thing but the coyotes really messed you up. It takes 6 hours for a deer to die from a gut shot and that is what it sounds like to me. Speaking from experience (my brother shot one like this), coyotes chased him 3 miles or better. We found him in the creek and literally ran coyotes off him. So that means he could have went a long way, but there is one thing they always do before they die. They get really sick and head for water! Check the water holes, creeks etc.....

Good luck man, nothing worse than looking for one that you can't find...........
 
Today I didn't look for him. Instead I went hunting. And guess what....on my way to the stand I found a bed with a small amount of blood in it. Next to it was a bloody hoof print. The bed was melted through the snow and we got 3 inches yesterday. I believe it is him. Nobody else is hunting the area. Maybe he will make it! I set up and waited. Saw over 30 deer tonight!! He didn't show up but another hitlist buck did. I never had a clear shot. Can't wait for tomorrow evening! I saw 3 bucks worth shooting.

P.S. Changing clothes outside the truck was a little brutal tonight. Wow cold!
 
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