This evening at about 7:30 I shot at a doe at about 18 yards. She jumped the string a little and my shot was high but directly over the shoulder. She ran away with her tail tucked and I waited until dark to start looking for blood. When I did find blood, it wasn't coming out in gushes, instead, a small spurt here and there. The shot was a pass through. After about 120 yds, I lost blood where she jumped started following a fence line. I couldn't decide where she jumped it. I'm pretty sure she did b/c it's she was in a field and on the other side is where all the cover is. I guess what I'm asking is should I go back out tonight and look or wait until tomorrow morning. The place is only about 10 minutes away.

I would be there at first light with a few seasond trackers.

Do you have or know anyone with a deer dog?

Be careful not to walk IN the bloodtrail as you may destroy it. Sometimes a high hit wll not result in a good trail because it takes a while for the blood to run down the deer and sometimes it can dry before getting to the ground.

Go to the last place you found blood and mark it. Make circles from there widening out on each pass utill you find a spec or two. Mark it and continue.

Each time yu lose the trail, repeate this and hopefully we will see a pic tomorow!

From your name I assume you are a Virginia boy so I would cal the game warden and let him know what is going on.

Last year I shot at dark and had to follow up on a Sunday so I called the warden and he said if I had any trouble checking it in let him know and he would take care of it.

good luck,
SF

Thanks Sprintflyer.... I went back and drove down a road on the adjacent property 50 yards on the other side of the fence where the deer was heading. I looked all up and down the road for blood incase the deer had crossed. I didn't find any so I'm pretty confident that it didn't make it to the road. One of the other guys hunting the field with me said he saw the deer stagger before it jumped the fence. Hopefully it is just on the other side of the fence. The shot was high like I said, but I had pinkish blood all over the arrow and what I did find on the ground. My assumption is that I only hit one lung since we did track for 100 yards without finding it. I do hope I find the deer and only wish that I could have put a better shot on it so that it does not suffer needlessly. I hope I can sleep tonight....If, no, when I find this deer it will be my first bow kill. I'll take the digital camera with me tomorrow and hopefully be back early with good news. Thanks again!
-Rob

Good luck, and don`t give up! We want to see the pictures.

Oh Ya, welcome to the board!

NRA,UBP,BASS Member
New Stanton,PA

Hokie3 Its probobly better you did wait till first light to go back.Let her bed down and expire.Instead of pushing her on farther.The chest cavity will fill up with blood with a hit that high in the shoulder.I'm sure you will find her in the morning if you got pinkish blood on the arrow shaft.I hope you can get some sleep tonight.....Good Luck on the recovery

It's not how big the Deer,But the size of the experiance that matters!!

Pink, frothy blood usually indicates lung. If you hit her high it won't leave a big blood trail. With a high lung IM Experience, it isn't uncommon for them to go over a 100, especially if she was pushed. Hopefully you marked the blood trail and the point your buddy roughly saw her go down the fence line. Go back in the morning, if it is open look for the birds roosted in trees (Ravens or Magpies) they won't get on her till light, but will roost near the kill awaiting the light. Sometimes animals can lead you right to your animal.

Good luck, and hope you find her.

Let us know!!!!