I gut-shot a doe earlier this season. She was quartering away sharply and I held behind the last rib. I was using mechanical heads. After the hit she ran an arc of about 30 yds. I could see her opposite side (exit side). I was shocked to see the arrow sticking out from her side in what looked to be an exit farther back from where it had entered! Any explanation for that? Mechanicals to blame?
I shot her at 8:20 a.m. and waited until 10:30 to follow up. I tracked her for approximately 1/4 mi. before losing all blood sign at approximately 4:30 p.m. The last 200 yds was on hands and knees as she was bleeding very little after the first 100 yds. I lost her blood trail in a picked soybean field with any number of directions for her to go when she reached the end of the field. The temp was near 80 degrees. She appeared to be walking, not running, the entire time. I searched until well after dark and never found her. The path of her track never gave me a clear indication of where she may have been heading. What would you do? I agonized over not being able to find her.