RE: 7th Annual Recovery, What To Do After The Shot Thread
 

I keep a copy of this book in my bow hunting back pack, and After making a shot, I always read it again.

This does 2 things. Gives me time to calm down, and for the deer to bed down.

Plus it reminds me what time table I am looking at depending on where I hit it.



actually, this is the book I keep in my pack. The one above I keep at the hunting cabin.

RE: 7th Annual Recovery, What To Do After The Shot Thread
 

Thats a good plan and it looks like a good read. I have not taken a truck load of deer as many of you have but I have not hurried any of them. I calmly waited and then waited some more.
Two years ago I shot a 7 point at 75 yrds with a 44mag. with open sights. I shot off hand but I practice at that distance often. The deer only flinched and retreated to the thicket he came from. I could see him but was unsure if he was hit. I could see a small opening through the thicket and I squeezed off one more round. The deer didn't budge. The deer was still looking for me but was unsure where I was. I didn't move, using a tree for cover. I watched the deer for 30 minutes but didn't fire anymore hoping he would try to sneak out past me since he hadn't seen me.
The deer sat down and I thought great but how am I going to sneak up on him. 15 min. later he started coughing and I knew I hit him.15 min. later he was kicking and then it was done. I waited another 30 min. to make sure. [:o]
The deer was actually hit sqarely through the chest with both rounds cris-crossing since he faced different directions each shot. I was very happy with my placement but not for the performance of the bullets. (Thats why I prefer arrow kills) The point is that I didn't move and show myself or the deer would of ran and ran and ran. That deer stood unaffected for over 30 min. A deer can cover a lot of ground in that time. Be patient and good luck to all. :D

RE: 7th Annual Recovery, What To Do After The Shot Thread
 

NIce story Marmax and a great example of waiting for the right time.being patient is a learned trait as well as a quality.I lost one because I went looking too soon.I nevber forgot that and have since learned a great deal.I have seen them go down in site and even to this day I wont move until it is dark this way I do 2 things.1 I give my deer time to expire and 2 I dont ruin the stand by showing myself getting down from it and alerting the local herd to my stand site.

RE: 7th Annual Recovery, What To Do After The Shot Thread
 

Wow....great stuff.I carefully read all of your suggestions and techniques and hopefully I can use all them to my advantage.I have one small question.Now I know that finding the deer is most important,but I was just curious if the meat would still be good after waiting overnight to track the deer?I'm sure the temperature will play a big role in this.Can you guys maybe shed some light on this for me?In any case I would not rush tracking the deer for the sake of the meat but wondered what would be done if the meat did spoil and how to tell if the meat is spoiled in the case that it does take hours to find the deer?
Thanks for all the information.
JE

RE: 7th Annual Recovery, What To Do After The Shot Thread
 

Great info! Even though i hav been hunting for years and only lost one deer thatI shot, it is good torefresh.

RE: 7th Annual Recovery, What To Do After The Shot Thread
 

Your right, anyone, veteran or novice can get or give advice...thanks.

RE: 7th Annual Recovery, What To Do After The Shot Thread
 

Good information here. I would add that I try to take a compass reading where the deer was standing and another where I last saw it. Things look very different from the ground than the tree and it is easy to loose just where these spots were.

Marmax, just a note. For deer with the 44 magnum I have found the 200 grain Hornady XTP bullet to be very effective. I much prefer it to the 240 grain.

Pete

RE: 7th Annual Recovery, What To Do After The Shot Thread
 

Well Fellow bowhunters, even after reading this I lost one on Saturday. A beautiful 8 point. I waited 4 hours because I knew I hit him back a little. There was good blood, and no food in the blood. Just good dark red blood. Tracked blood for 400 yards before the deer stopped in 5 different sports and stood (puddles). Then from there???????????????? No more blood. I think the local farmer drove into the field near the woods and spooked him into a run. We searched all day to find nothing.

RE: 7th Annual Recovery, What To Do After The Shot Thread
 

Thanks for the article on recovery. I hit a nice buck on the first day of PA bow season saturday. He was quartered away slightly, the arrow did not pass through completely, but shot looked good, behind should, I thought maybe I hit the opposite shoulder. Waited 2 hours to look, found good blood, trailed him about 75 yards and found bed, I guess we jumped him when we started trailing him, he then went about 300 yds before we found another bed, then more blood, but eventually ran out of blood. Seemed that when he would lay down, he would fill up with blood, then when on his feet walking or running, eventually would run out of blood. He did make a huge circle, so I'm thinking of looking in area where he was heading in the morning before I shot him. what do you think.

RE: 7th Annual Recovery, What To Do After The Shot Thread... CAN SOMEONE HELP ME???
 

CAN SOMEONE HELP ME OUT??
I shot at a nice 4 pointer last night. When I shot it was about 40 yards away, I was in my stand 16' up in a tree and the buck was down a hill. Upon pulling my trigger release he went to step forward. When the arrow was released it sounded like it hit the ground/trees, I thought I missed but I did witness the deer jump streight in the air and hunch over, do a 360 and head in the opposite direction that he was going. I couldn't see the arrow hit because he was broadside to me and when he jumped and did the 360 he had the opposite side towards me. I waited a few, should have waited longer, but I didn't think it hit him. I went to where I last saw the deer run from and found no arrow but did find ruffed up marks. I followed them in the direction that he traveled and found that he haulted very quickly and left a hell of a skid mark of hoof prints. I looked to my left and found the arrow it was about about 100 yards away on the ground from where I shot him. The arrow was covered about 12" up with blood the arrow had grey, brown and white hair on it the blood was a dark yet kinda bright red... the blood may have been watered down slightly from the rain. It appears as funny as it sounds the deer might have pulled it out because there was some leaves stuck on the broadhead as if he pulled it out and flung it with his head. I left and let the area cool down foa 1-1/2 hours and went back...it was night time now and rainning (two wonderful things against me). My buddy and I found a couple of spots of blood where the arrow was pulled out and then it looked like the deer jumped over the stone wall because there was blood all over a fern on the stone wall and two drops of blood on the stonewall. We lost the blood trail and I went back today. We searched from 6:30pm untill 11:30pm and then I went out today for six more hours, found where he jumped the stone wall and then a couple more bounds and then nothing, blood was totaly washed off the rock and ferns. he did though run in somewhat of a direction of a swamp from what I could tell. I checked the area and found nothing. Do you think he could still be alive? What gets me is the way he jumped, the blood and the distance he traveled witht he arrow still in him!!! Did this ruin the area??? Please help me out, this would be my second year ever hunting with a bow and my first time ever getting a buck bow or gun. Thank you for all your suggestions. E-MAIL: [email protected]

Thank you for your time, Mathew Bouchard, Concord, N.H.