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Losing my mind!!!

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Deerguy45

Member
Last night I shot the biggest buck I might ever see hunting. I've had this buck on my hit list for some time now, I finally got the a chance at him last night.. I feel like I put a good shot on him but have yet to catch up with him. Blood trail was really good for a long time then it just quits. He broke off 6-7 inches of my arrow off inside of him. I am using a freak nasty broad head they seem to do good damage. Shot him at about 25 yards. I let him sit for about 1hr then started my search and right away I found very promising blood. The blood was light pink in some places making me think I got some lung along with the light pink blood had some dark red blood with bubbles. I'm starting think I won't find this buck .. Any suggestions would be great! gonna continue my search tomorrow ... When this morning and looked.


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Broad side, Behind shoulder I'm beginning to think it was hi and a bit back.. Stand is 18ft high, Flat ground. Not to far back because I still be believe I hit lung.
 
Sweet deer. Check the normal spots a dying deer will go, thick cover and water would be the two main areas. Grid search. Keep us updated and good luck.
 
Deerguy45 said:
Broad side, Behind shoulder I'm beginning to think it was hi and a bit back.. Stand is 18ft high, Flat ground. Not to far back because I still be believe I hit lung.
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Can anybody say for sure if there is room between lungs and spine? I believe they pretty much touch each other correct? So, if you were high, but below the spine, it should be a kill shot I would think. Especially with the angle, it should have taken out the far side lung.
 
It wouldn't take much to be far enough back to get a one lung/liver shot, and maybe even a paunch shot. This isn't usually a quick death, and an hour probably wouldn't be long enough...did you find anywhere that he bedded while you were trailing him?
 
No I let him sit overnight and went back this morning and still couldn't locate him. I feel like I'm losing momentum.
 
Hope you find your deer I had same problem a few years back. Shot was back 6 inches penetration found two spots where he bedded down and still didn't find him. Asked farmers to check the field when they cut the corn and found nothing. Deer are a tough.... Good luck.
 
I haven't been doing this as long as some here but any hard hit deer I've been involved in tracking has bedded down at least once if not tracked right away. I'm talking gut shot or liver hit.
Seen muscle hits, usually above spine, start promising and fizzle out fast with the deer surviving.
1 lung shots are the worst.
I don't want to start a pissing match but I don't believe there's any space or void between the spine and the lungs. The spine dips a lot more than people think.
 
LYON said:
Can anybody say for sure if there is room between lungs and spine? I believe they pretty much touch each other correct? So, if you were high, but below the spine, it should be a kill shot I would think. Especially with the angle, it should have taken out the far side lung.
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Correct. No "space" between lung & spine. Agree that a muscle hit will start promising and fizzle out. Been there/done that (more than once) & was sure each time it was a great hit. Tough on the ego/moral but not so much on the deer. Hope you find him either dead or on trail cam.
 
If you have bubbles it could be one lung. I'd throw every trail cam I had in that area and in the mean time keep up the search. Get some buddies and start grid searching. Checking every blow down and thicket. Keep an eye for crows and if it warms up keep your nose on.
These kind of scenarios get to me because I've been there. I wish you the best. It also makes me think about the buck Jackhammer that Chris Dunkin documented. Deer are tough
 
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HorseDoctor said:
Correct. No "space" between lung & spine. Agree that a muscle hit will start promising and fizzle out. Been there/done that (more than once) & was sure each time it was a great hit. Tough on the ego/moral but not so much on the deer. Hope you find him either dead or on trail cam.
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HorseDoctor, you specifically are who I was thinking of and hoping would chime in on that question. If this was facebook, I would have tagged you in that question :D
 
LYON said:
Can anybody say for sure if there is room between lungs and spine? I believe they pretty much touch each other correct? So, if you were high, but below the spine, it should be a kill shot I would think. Especially with the angle, it should have taken out the far side lung.
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There is no "void", which is what some say is above the lungs and below the spine. The top of the lung cavity is the bottom of the spine.

BUT...there is space above the spine and below the very top of the back of a deer. It is possible to hit a deer above the spine and not get into a vital area. That area is muscle and will produce a blood trail and not necessarily a dead deer.

Meanwhile...super looking buck, I hope you find him and my advice would be exactly what bigbuckhunter88 already said...with this minor, but potentially important, addition...carefully check the bottom of every creek/ditch in the search area.

Sometimes a deer will die and slide into a ditch/creek and be pretty tough to see unless you are directly above them on the bank, looking down. Good luck, that's a real bruiser!
 
For some reason the pic isn't showing up for me. Anyway, I am impressed you manned up and hunted last night in the high winds. Usually for me heavy wind = little to no deer. Hope you find him. I think we have all been there at least once.
 
Sounds like he still has part of an arrow in him if I'm not mistaken?

If he does this doesn't bode well in his favor. Sometimes the trauma caused from breaking the arrow can add more damage and help out with a poor shot. Hope that's the case here! Keep after him and good luck!
 
All great advise! If one lung/ liver, then maybe he was bumped when you looked, after waiting an hour, and then put some distance between you. They are a lot harder to find for sure, when they have time to find a place to hole up, rather than dying on the run.
 
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