[24-7 hunter]

Hi guys. last night i shot a doe at 18 yards broadside. I think i hit her a little far back but im not 100% sure. i waited an hour, got down from my tree as quiet as possible and went home. me, my dad and my brother returned an hour later. We didnt find any blood right away since i forgot to mark where she was when i shot her. We found a pile of blood about fifty - 75 yards from where she was when i shot her. It wasnt bubbly so it wasnt a lung shot. It was just a plain red blood. We decided to follow the trail since it was supposed to rain. We followed the trail for a pretty long ways. From the blood trail it seems she made a big loop back towards where she was when i shot her. We marked every so far with tissue paper to find the blood spots. Then we went home.

Im not sure if we were pushing her or not. The route she took wasnt on any major trails for long. mostly through thick swampy stuff. Her trail was zig zagging and it appeared she wanted to bed down but we never found where she did. Some areas there was good blood and some we would find just a tiny drop.

Last night it did rain and now i dont have any idea if i have a chance of finding her. This would be my 2nd bow deer and i went from the highest of highs to the ultimate low.
Does anyone know what organ i may have hit?

Anyone have any ideas to track a wounded deer after it rains?
Thanks, i appreciate the help

 

[bowhunterdave]

If you went that far and no deer, my first guess is a gut shot! somtimes they take 12 hours to die after a shot like that. Get off the computer and back tto the feild to find and or finish off that deer!
Dave

 

[BogeyMan]

If the rain washed all the blood trail away go to the spot of last found blood and start a grid search. If you have a dog take it with you. If you know some one with a tracking dog get it.

 

[24-7 hunter]

alright guys. thanks. I forgot to mention it was dark red blood. it didnt appear to be a gut shot. there werent any chunks of tissue, food, etc in the blood. My first thought was liver? maybe? any info on liver shots? I have a dog and my uncle will probably come with if i asked him. He has a few dogs. not sure if they would track deer, but i think i remember him mentioning something about it once. Im 15 so i cant take off school, but thank god we only have a half day today. Im going to haul my butt out there as soon as i get home. Could you please describe a grid search a little more? thanks again

 

[nyturkeyduster]

If you hit liver, she won't be too far far up the trail. Return with a few of your buddies and comb the area.

 

[System]

alright guys. thanks. I forgot to mention it was dark red blood. it didnt appear to be a gut shot. there werent any chunks of tissue, food, etc in the blood. My first thought was liver? maybe? any info on liver shots? I have a dog and my uncle will probably come with if i asked him. He has a few dogs. not sure if they would track deer, but i think i remember him mentioning something about it once. Im 15 so i cant take off school, but thank god we only have a half day today. Im going to haul my butt out there as soon as i get home. Could you please describe a grid search a little more? thanks again

Start from your last spot of blood and then walk in a circle around it.

first circle should be about 1 yard from your last blood, then move out a couple more yards, and keep working in progressively larger circles with the center of the cirle on the place you last found blood.

 

[24-7 hunter]

Well, we spent quite a bit of time looking today but never ended up finding her. I did find the arrow though and even after the rain, the feathers were still covered with stomach matter.ukey: My dad figures she is dead somewhere. i think we were pushing her last night. We could have stepped past her today as we hunt in a swamp with grass up to your waste and big areas of really thick sumac bushes. I feel bad about not finding her but i hope shes at least dead and not suffering. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Kelly Johnson]

Any water on the property?

A liver or gut hit deer will overheat many times and look for water to cool off.

Seen it happen a few times now.

Check any small streams or pondss etc and trails in too them.

 

[ember]

That doe is still in the area, you have to finish this, do not give up on her, are you "24-7 Hunter" or just "6-7 Hour Hunter".

You paunched her, now pay the price.

Start to look for turkey vultures and crows, by now her belly will be alittle ripe, even if she is still alive once you get downwind you'll know where she is.

Good Luck. It Happens

 

[upstatwhitetail]

i took one last yr a doe and did hit it high and back it hit the spleen.
dark red blood and found her about 75to 100 yards in the direction she took on i waited for and hr . got down went to the place i shot her at and found the arrow. good blood on both sides of the trail and you could follow the blood right to were she laid . i would go back as stated above and grid search your area with a couple people. she should be there...seeings how you found stomach matter she i feel would still be around ..

 

[nightcrawler]

like they said dont give up. ive unfortunately had to track a number of gut shot deer and its tough but she'll be in the area. start a grid search and comb every inch, good luck!

 

[UpprIaOutftters]

You already realize you hit her in the paunch. That is why it is crucial to find the arrow before you go on the trail. In the future, even if it is going to rain, do not search for your deer until you find the arrow, unless you are sure you double punched the lungs. This is a valuable lesson you should never forget.

I call the trail you are searching the "trail of tears". Your deer is within 500 yards of where you last pushed her. Look for unusual scavenger bird activity in the morning. Also, a topo of the area can be helpful - look for low spots, and as suggest, they coincide with water.

Check your bow and anylize why you hit her too far back. Was she angling more than you thought? Does your facemask effect your arrow flight? What ever the problem was, figure it out so you don't have to walk the trail again. It happens.

Good luck to you.

 

[bowhunterdave]

That doe is still in the area, you have to finish this, do not give up on her, are you "24-7 Hunter" or just "6-7 Hour Hunter".

You paunched her, now pay the price.

Start to look for turkey vultures and crows, by now her belly will be alittle ripe, even if she is still alive once you get downwind you'll know where she is.

Good Luck. It Happens

This is exactly what I said in the second post and you jumped back on and said it was dark red blood now you found the arrow with stomache on it. Listen to the experience helping you and know that somtimes a paunch shot deer will take 24+ hours to die. They dont go far unless pushed so sneak quietly and finish this the right and humane way! Thats the price we ALL pay when a der jumps the string or we just plain hit it bad!
Dave

 

[Charlieeasy]

Gut Shot

This is exactly what I said in the second post and you jumped back on and said it was dark red blood now you found the arrow with stomache on it. Listen to the experience helping you and know that somtimes a paunch shot deer will take 24+ hours to die. They dont go far unless pushed so sneak quietly and finish this the right and humane way! Thats the price we ALL pay when a der jumps the string or we just plain hit it bad!
Dave

24-7
paunch shot deer will take 24+ hours to die.
What Dave said is VERY TRUE. Also VERY TRUE, lay OFF the computer
crap get out there and find that deer. You're 15 years old not a VERY
GOOD start to your bowhunting. You owe it to yourself and to the
rest of the GOOD bowhunters on this forum to devote yourself to finding
that deer.