Can't find big one!!
I NEED HELP…I have taken around 40 whitetails with my bow over the past several years. I have recovered ALL of them, until YESTERDAY. I had a shot opportunity at a large bodied buck as the last 10 or so minutes of shooting light faded Thurs night. The buck was cruising as bucks do, and I shot him on the move. I looked for my arrow in the dark at the location where I shot(20yds), and then backed out. This was not in the direction the deer ran, or I would not have looked.
I returned at first light, and found my arrow and 3 large pools of bright red to dark red blood about 50 yards from where I shot. The arrow had penetrated a little over 10 inches and was covered in dried red blood. I thought this would be an easy one. I was wrong. The blood trail was heavy for the first 200 yards. It lightened up, and the deer circled. The trail continued for several hundred more yards through thickets, over walls etc. It was heavy at times, and spotty in others. I found chunks of coagulated blood. It took me the entire day to cover this distance, and I ran out of time, and blood. I have a general direction from the last place I found blood, but I am at a loss as to what to do. This was the hardest track I have ever had, due to the waist-high green growth and treetops and thorns under almost all of it.
I have four kids and a wife who doesn’t understand hunting, or I would be out there today. I am afraid another hunter will find the deer today. I really don’t think there is any way it is alive. Any suggestions or hope is MUCH appreciated.
Also, I assume the arrow went in and hit the opposite shoulder, but it could have been deflected, or due to the bucks movement it may have hit the opposite side hip. It had to have hit bone on the opposite side. In either case I think it would be fatal.
Thanks