[Man of all Seasons]

I just shot a deer at about 7o'clock today in some pretty thick woods. it was a shot at about 20 yards with a 70lb bow. it was a full sized doe and I shot it on the edge of some brush when I got the best shot, problem is as it jumped and bolted i saw the arrow still in it and it looked like it only penetrated about 10 inches or so. i found the arrow broken with blood on it, but no sign of a trail. It got dark so fast I was only able to look for about an hour. i looked in the dark for a while, but the area is so thick it was impossible to continue. i'm debating whether or not to go back out in the morning and look... but is it worth it? i looked for blood and whatnot for about 100 yards in the direction i saw it run... so i'm wondering if i should just assume it escaped or try to look again?

 

[bowinchester]

i would try to look for it. there sill could be some good meat on it depending on what the temp is going to get down to, and how long it stayed alive. i have lost many blood trails in the dark only to come back in the morning and find the deer 20 yards further than where we stoped tracking it.

 

[siouxhockey]

You've got to go back and check it out. I've shot deer late in the day and have had to call it a night and go back the next morning. The woods are a different world when it's bright out, those little specks of blood are a lot easier to see. Where do you think you hit her at?

 

[duckmander]

yes you should go back and look for it. it did not excape with ten inches of penatration in it.

if not to find it. then for what other reason did you shoot it.

please make every effort to find every animal you shoot.

and yes your gonna loose some thats pretty much a given.

but if you put in the time and effort to shoot it. then by all means put
110% into finding it. you owe the animal that much.

it may be just a slick head but she has some dern tasty steaks on her back.

good luck i hope you do finder her 20 yards past where you left off.

put up some pics of her.

 

[Man of all Seasons]

thanks guys, yeah I'll get up early and take another look for her, i just hope the meat is still decent if i find her. i'll put as much effort in as i can, but i have my college classes at 9 so i better be up with the sun! i generally try to put down a doe every year with the bow to ensure i'll have some decent eatens for the winter, i just hope shes laying right there belly up... i'll let ya know what happens and post some pics for sure
oh and btw siouxhockey... i'm not for certain where i hit her cuz she jumped and bolted so quick it was hard to tell, all i saw was an arrow sticking out in the front area, possibly above the vitals idk... best i could make of it i found a soft spot on entry of the arrow and hit a bone or opposite shoulder... hard to say... if that were the case, a bloodtrail will be hard to find but i'll give it a shot

 

[huntinND]

Even if you don't find a blood trail do a body search for at least 300 yards or more. A lot of times in thicker areas it is pretty easy to guess which path they took. With out a pass through it still may have been a lethal shot but a very minimal blood trail. It will be a heck of a lot easier in daylight to tell what is going on.

 

[honkerslayr]

well the first weekend of bowhunting I was in the exact same predicament that you were in. Except I shot the big muley doe at about 40 yds and my bow was at 60 lbs. Well I hit the dang thing and it was right at the top of the thickest ravine you could imagine...probably like the stuff you were going through....you could barely penetrate it. But the deer ran through it like a fricken bulldozer. Well I waited a hour and a half and it was totally dark outside. But it wasn't till another half hour till I found blood 50 yds into the trees, and then the arrow. Which didn't eventually pass through till the deer ran about 50 yds. But I could tell it was a lung hit. But that night i tracked it for a few miles for about 4 hours in the dark until i kicked it up again. But from what I suspected i thought I hit it high and only clipped the top of 1 lung....in which the deer might run forever if only one lung was clipped.

So the next day I looked once again and could never find it...I couldn't stand it. But In that thick brush it's damn hard to track, but I finally let it go because I searched top to bottom for the thing.

If I were you....keep looking til you have covered everything. It'l definetely get frustrating in those thick woods but at least you can give it a valiant effort. Good Luck in your searches, I hope you find it! :beer:

 

[hunt4P&Y]

I would go back out. Like stated if you can't find blood just start walking and looking. I know a guy that lost a 6x6 last night. He had what he thought was a good shot, but never found it after 600 yards on the blood, and it then crossed the river.... never picked up blood on the other side. I am guessing it is floating in the river, but who knows.

Good luck!

 

[texcl]

I almost lost my1st buck in a river, it was 20 out and the darn thing ran 200 yards up a hill and then 200 yards back down just to take a leap into the river. I was so excited I jumped in like a knuckle head to put it ashore. Thank goodness my brother and his girl friend were just over the hill and came to see what I shot. The bad was I had to strip down in front of my brother's girlfriend to warm up in front of a fire my brother built. My clothes froze in a matter of minutes and I was going hypo. It was a good lesson I guess.

 

[LuckCounts]

Keep looking and try to make some wider and wider circles from the last spot you know it was. Might be a difficult task in the thicks, but I've had a couple circle around and lay down to watch for me when they expired. Good luck.

 

[thurdypointer]

I shot a buck on Sept. 3rd at 7:55 pm and climbed out of stand to go look after i heard it crash. Well i climbed out and called my dad to tell him i finally got a deer with my bow. I fond blood going in to the riverbottom from the feild then lost it as soon as it hit the woods. It got dark and after searching for 15 minutes in the dark decideed to come back in the morning. When i got there at first light i saw the deer as i was walking up. It was literally 5 yards from where i was standing talking to my dad. But wiht the crappy light i didnt see it. Just shows how easy it is to lose a deer in poor light.

 

[Man of all Seasons]

well, i looked for a good long time today and gave it all i had, searched high and low as far as i could without ending up in someone's yard lol. no blood, no trace. i gave it a solid effort, and brought my brother with me to search a wider area this time. i'm a bit disappointed, but what can ya do? hopefully i'll peg another one before long and my shot will be a bit more lethal. I guess thats why we call it hunting... appreciate the input guys

 

[honkerslayr]

well, i looked for a good long time today and gave it all i had, searched high and low as far as i could without ending up in someone's yard lol. no blood, no trace. i gave it a solid effort, and brought my brother with me to search a wider area this time.

Thats what its all about at least u gave it a good effort good luck in future events. :beer:

 

[duckmander]

sounds like you did all you could do.

better luck next time.

 

[Starky]

Glad you went back out. I've taken a few deer with broadheads encapsuled in scar tissue, so there is a good chance your deer will survive.

 

[Man of all Seasons]

my brother saw the deer back out on the foodplot again today made me a bit relieved, but i'll be back 8)

 

[LuckCounts]

Glad to hear it. I know you second guess yourself and are more tentative when you think you wasted one. You had to be a bit relieved that it was still running around. Maybe just hit the shoulder and really didn't penetrate as much as first thought. Good Luck.