Man, I hope he's dead. The shot looked to be about 6-7 inches back of the heart. Pass-thru, the arrow smelled ok and I didnt see any intestinal matter. The blood trail looked really good, I could see it way up ahead. What has me really worried was that after the shot the buck ran about 75 yards and stood behind a tree for a good 5-10 minutes not really doing anything but occasionally putting his head down. I got down, checked the arrow, and considered trying to sneak in with the high wind for another shot. I peeked over the hill and could not see him so I abandoned that plan. No way I spooked him in that wind since I was still 50 yards away. I went back up the stand and could not see him where he was before, dont know if he laid down there or moved so I just backed out. It is almost an exact replay of the liver hit buck I shot in '99 so thats what I'm praying for.
I'm hoping it wasnt a paunch hit and that 5 hours is enough. I dont want to wait until dark to track if I dont have to. Have two buddies coming over, one to help track and one to watch the field to the north. We will see...
I'm hoping it wasnt a paunch hit and that 5 hours is enough. I dont want to wait until dark to track if I dont have to. Have two buddies coming over, one to help track and one to watch the field to the north. We will see...
Just to throw an example out. A few years ago I shot a buck much the same way. Maybe a little closer to the heart though. I had a complete pass through and he ran about 50 yds and stood there then walked away out of sight. I waited a hour and a half or so in the stand just to see what else would come by. So I could maybe take a doe. Plus since he stood there for a while I wanted to give it some time even though I was sure he was dead.
I started to track him and good lung blood was where he stood for awhile and about every 5 yds or so after I lost sight of him from the treestand. I walked about a hundred yds and he jumped up and started running the opposite direction. The blood stopped and we never found him.
My indication was that I was at a steep angle and caught only one lung. Which he very well could have survived.
The lesson was wait as long as you can whenever there is doubt. Much like your doing. I think it was very smart to back out and wait even though we have high winds. Just make sure if you lose the track to search the creek banks and the thick stuff around it.
I'm sure you'll find him piled up a hundred yds down though. Just make sure when you find him the pics get posted soon.
good luck
TT
I started to track him and good lung blood was where he stood for awhile and about every 5 yds or so after I lost sight of him from the treestand. I walked about a hundred yds and he jumped up and started running the opposite direction. The blood stopped and we never found him.
My indication was that I was at a steep angle and caught only one lung. Which he very well could have survived.
The lesson was wait as long as you can whenever there is doubt. Much like your doing. I think it was very smart to back out and wait even though we have high winds. Just make sure if you lose the track to search the creek banks and the thick stuff around it.
I'm sure you'll find him piled up a hundred yds down though. Just make sure when you find him the pics get posted soon.
good luck
TT
caleb
New Member
I liver shot a good buck several years back. He was walking faster than I lead him. I watched him run into a large patch of prairie grass and bed down. I lined the spot out on some distant landmark and left him for two hours. He was hammer dead when we found him. The blood trail was pretty good too.
Thanks for all the replies.
Well, it went from bad, to worse, to maybe not so bad. My tracking partner and I went out and easily found where he had stood. The blood trail was dried but easy to follow and where he stood was a thick wet pile of blood, maybe a half inch deep. From there we could not find a single speck in an hours search. One of the guys watching the open field then decided to check the north fence which borders my cornfield about 150 yards north of the timber. Nothing there so he checked the terrace another 50 yards north and bingo! Problem was he was still very much alive. He jumped the buck at 20 yards which ran down to my fence where the guy lost sight of him. He called to inform me of that and had we not had a mis-communication about which draw it was, I would have been in perfect position for a follow up shot. As it was we stood there 5-10 minutes debating what to do when my buddy called back to say the buck was just standing at the bottom of the draw next to the timber. We then saw the buck walk slowly into the timber, obviously hunched up. He was moving at a slow walk and had his head low except when he turned to check his back trail. We lost sight of him at that point. My tracking partner left and I snuck down to a stand I have on the south fence to see if he came that far. I did not see any sign of him by dark, so hopefully he is bedded in there. I have to think the shot was farther back than the liver now that we jumped him after 5 hours, but I still did not see obvious evidence of a gut hit and its clearly not just a light flesh wound.
I was totally sick when he jumped it, but the buck must be hurting badly as it took him 5-10 minutes to cover 200 yards of open field after being jumped from his bed. We are going to resume the search at 11 am tommorow, and will probably just be looking for the carcass. I dont expect a good blood trail at this point. I own the land and I know it pretty well. If he dies in there we should find him, its only about 25 acres. He is not a monster buck, but could be my best by bow. Both of us thought he was 150"+.
I dont really like to post this "lost buck" stuff on the net, but I started it so I thought I should finish it. Gonna need sleeping pills tonight. I'll let you know what happens.
Well, it went from bad, to worse, to maybe not so bad. My tracking partner and I went out and easily found where he had stood. The blood trail was dried but easy to follow and where he stood was a thick wet pile of blood, maybe a half inch deep. From there we could not find a single speck in an hours search. One of the guys watching the open field then decided to check the north fence which borders my cornfield about 150 yards north of the timber. Nothing there so he checked the terrace another 50 yards north and bingo! Problem was he was still very much alive. He jumped the buck at 20 yards which ran down to my fence where the guy lost sight of him. He called to inform me of that and had we not had a mis-communication about which draw it was, I would have been in perfect position for a follow up shot. As it was we stood there 5-10 minutes debating what to do when my buddy called back to say the buck was just standing at the bottom of the draw next to the timber. We then saw the buck walk slowly into the timber, obviously hunched up. He was moving at a slow walk and had his head low except when he turned to check his back trail. We lost sight of him at that point. My tracking partner left and I snuck down to a stand I have on the south fence to see if he came that far. I did not see any sign of him by dark, so hopefully he is bedded in there. I have to think the shot was farther back than the liver now that we jumped him after 5 hours, but I still did not see obvious evidence of a gut hit and its clearly not just a light flesh wound.
I was totally sick when he jumped it, but the buck must be hurting badly as it took him 5-10 minutes to cover 200 yards of open field after being jumped from his bed. We are going to resume the search at 11 am tommorow, and will probably just be looking for the carcass. I dont expect a good blood trail at this point. I own the land and I know it pretty well. If he dies in there we should find him, its only about 25 acres. He is not a monster buck, but could be my best by bow. Both of us thought he was 150"+.
I dont really like to post this "lost buck" stuff on the net, but I started it so I thought I should finish it. Gonna need sleeping pills tonight. I'll let you know what happens.
msalow
New Member
Don't take this the wrong way but you and your buddies could get in trouble for using cell phones while deer hunting I know of some guys that did that last year shotgun hunting it cost them some money and they lost hunting priveliges this year
Not that I think you used it wrong just a warning to the wise
Not that I think you used it wrong just a warning to the wise
okla hawkeye
Member
He is not a monster buck, but could be my best by bow. Both of us thought he was 150"+.
150 is a great buck. Good luck and I'll check in tomorrow night to see wht happened.
150 is a great buck. Good luck and I'll check in tomorrow night to see wht happened.
M
mikedeer
Guest
Did you find it yet?
Booooo Yaaaaahaaaa!!!!
We started out at 11am where we last saw him and found blood relatively quick. We were able to trail blood slowly for about 100 yards where he went into a thicket. We totally lost blood there and could not figure out where he had went. I worked the left side thinking he may have doubled back there and my buddy circled ahead. After about 20 minutes of that sinking feeling you get at these times I heard Zack yell "I found him!!" I nearly had a fit trying to get myself out of the briars and figure out where the voice had come from.
Turns out the buck only went another 60 yards or so and basicly just dropped. He was not lying in a thick area like I had expected, but was right beside the walk trail I mow every year. I would estimate that he was dead within an hour of when we last saw him based on where he died. Assuming that, he died around 5 or 5:30 which is alot longer than I thought a liver shot would take.
I did hit the bottom 2" or so of the liver and a bit of intestine. Oddly, one lung (the side he layed on) was very dark, almost black, and so were the veins in the heart. All of his organs looked bad even though they were not hit. Would that be due to some type of blood poisoning from the liver or intestine hit?
The buck will not make 150, but is easily over my 140 limit for this year. He is a basic 10 with a bonus point off the base of the G4. I wasnt in the least dissapointed though, as I have numerous trail cam photos and even some video of this buck and he was on my short list for this year. I was not sure it was him yesterday, I just didnt have time to gander at him as he chased a hot doe.
Sorry for the delay, but I still have another valid antler tag and you have to hunt when they are running. I was back in the stand by 2pm. Went this morning prior to tracking and again tonight, saw alot of movement finally.
Thanks again for all the encouragement, it did help me get a little sleep last night.
If there is a lesson in this one, its that you have decent odds even with a bad hit if you just dont push them. You have nothing to gain by rushing the search.
We started out at 11am where we last saw him and found blood relatively quick. We were able to trail blood slowly for about 100 yards where he went into a thicket. We totally lost blood there and could not figure out where he had went. I worked the left side thinking he may have doubled back there and my buddy circled ahead. After about 20 minutes of that sinking feeling you get at these times I heard Zack yell "I found him!!" I nearly had a fit trying to get myself out of the briars and figure out where the voice had come from.
Turns out the buck only went another 60 yards or so and basicly just dropped. He was not lying in a thick area like I had expected, but was right beside the walk trail I mow every year. I would estimate that he was dead within an hour of when we last saw him based on where he died. Assuming that, he died around 5 or 5:30 which is alot longer than I thought a liver shot would take.
I did hit the bottom 2" or so of the liver and a bit of intestine. Oddly, one lung (the side he layed on) was very dark, almost black, and so were the veins in the heart. All of his organs looked bad even though they were not hit. Would that be due to some type of blood poisoning from the liver or intestine hit?
The buck will not make 150, but is easily over my 140 limit for this year. He is a basic 10 with a bonus point off the base of the G4. I wasnt in the least dissapointed though, as I have numerous trail cam photos and even some video of this buck and he was on my short list for this year. I was not sure it was him yesterday, I just didnt have time to gander at him as he chased a hot doe.
Sorry for the delay, but I still have another valid antler tag and you have to hunt when they are running. I was back in the stand by 2pm. Went this morning prior to tracking and again tonight, saw alot of movement finally.
Thanks again for all the encouragement, it did help me get a little sleep last night.
