<img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle> Saturday morning I shot what was to be my best buck with a bow to date. He was a perfectly typical 8 point that I estimate high 120's to low 130's. He came in broadside slightly quartering to me at less than 20 yards. I was hunting on the ground so elevation did not come into play. I executed the shot perfectly, anchored perfect with the kisser in the corner of the mouth and string touching the end of my nose, probably the best release I have done while hunting. At the shot he slightly lunged/wheeled to his right (right side was facing me) and took off. I could see the arrow buried in a cedar tree where he was standing. As he was running off he appeared to be favoring his right shoulder/leg. I waited about 15 minutes and went to check the arrow. When I walked up to the arrow, my heart just sank, it was covered in nothing but stomach matter. I returned back to my ground blind and waited about an hour and a half. Then I went to folow the blood trail. At the time I didn't take my bow or anything with me. the blood drops were about the size of dimes and sporadic. I was easing up a hill when I happened to see he was bedded down facing wdown the hill. I went back to my blind and got my bow and stuff and stalked up behind him. It took me about another hour to stalk to within 40 yards of him. When I was about 40 yards away, he stood up and began walking straight away from me, but bedded down about 50 yards later. I ran to get behind a big cedar just as he bedded down again, but this time he was facing me so I was stuck. He was within range but was facing directly at me. Finally about an hour later he stood up again and began walking away from me. I tried to follow him but ended up losing him in the cedars. As I slipped around I jumped him again and he took off down the hill. I could only find a couple of small blood drops where he landed after jumping off the hill. After that nothing. I tried to find him for 3 more hours but no luck. I even looked for buzzards the entire next day but saw nothing.

Given what I have told you do you think he might survive? Based on the angle of the shot and the way he appeared to be favoring that front shoulder, I would have thought I hit at least one lung and the liver. All the signs told me otherwise though. There was not even much blood in the places he bedded down.

On top of all that, I missed a doe that afternoon. She &quot;jumped the string&quot; on me and I shot over her back.

So needless to say I am very bummed right now. I just hope the buck survives and doesn't die a slow horrible death. I have been bowhunting for 17 years and this is only the second deer I have lost and I absolutely hate it.

Sorry to hear about that. Unfortunately, he will die. I'd say you could probably find him within a few hundred yards of where you last saw him. Gutshot deer need time to expire. I think you would have probably been better to back out of there for 5 or 6 hours, once you first saw him bedded. The other thing is, when you push them, they usually don't bleed much because the holes are plugged...thus not much trail to follow. But of course, hindsight is always 20/20. <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle> Anyhow, I'm sure he's dead by now...get out there and find him, I'm sure the buzzards have by now. Good luck.

I feel your pain as I've been in a similar situation. It's in your best interest to wait at least 4 hours before tracking a deer that you think you may have gut shot. Personally I would have come back in a bout 6 to 8 hours and resumed tracking. Hindsight is always 20-20, and I wish I knew then what I know now....

Did you try a grid search? Gather up some friends and Start circling.

I am sorry to hear about your day. I read once that 75% of deer not recovered after being shot by an arrow fully recover. The best advice I have ever received when it comes to bowhunting was given to me by Rob/PA Bowyer here on these forums. He stated that unless it is absolutely neccessary due to hot weather or pouring down rain, wait 3 hours or more before beginning to track a deer. Unless a deer goes down and stays down within your sight, I say wait. Sooner or later a bad experience will happen to us all when it comes to bowhunting. Better luck next time.

How's that for timing WV and Tribal?

Thanks, guys. Just as a note, it was probably a good 3 hours from the time I shot him to the time he first got up out of his bed. By the time I jumped him that last time, it was a solid 4 hours. Each time he got up, he was not spooked, he just casually walked away from me. He didn't acyt spooked until the last time I saw him. And yes, another buddy came and helped me look for him later that day.

I just have to ask---why in h#ll did you go back after him when you saw him bedded, after you thought he was hit in the guts??

You should have just waited 6 more hours and recovered the dead deer. More than likely, if you hadn't kept bumping him, he would have probably died right there in that first bed.

I'm also questioning how bad you felt, considering you starting shooting at another deer the same evening, before exhausting your efforts looking for one you wounded.

Check the closest watering hole, that's probably where you'll find him. I would suggest in the future not shooting at another deer the same day you have a bad hit---personally, I think it's not wise---but moreso, your mind is still replaying that first shot and that wounded deer. Give yourself a day or two to check the emotions, and take a few practice rounds to reassure your mental state.

I'm also guessing that in 17 years you haven't had many gutshots, as you should wait at least 6-8 hours before even thinking about tracking these animals.

S&R

My thoughts exactly Strut&Rut. Forcing the deer out of his bed on purpose and then shooting at another deer when you should still be tracking the one you hit that morning is not the way to go in my book. Enough said.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
I just have to ask---why in h#ll did you go back after him when you saw him bedded, after you thought he was hit in the guts??

You should have just waited 6 more hours and recovered the dead deer. More than likely, if you hadn't kept bumping him, he would have probably died right there in that first bed.

I'm also questioning how bad you felt, considering you starting shooting at another deer the same evening, before exhausting your efforts looking for one you wounded.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

The reason I went after him so soon is that I knew he was very much alive and felt that it would be better to try to put a second arrow in him to finish him. And I was not constantly bumping him. Until the last time that he got up, he never even had a clue I was there. I was coming up from behind him and downwind so he never knew I was there. The 2 other times that he got up, he was casually relocating to another bedding spot I assume because the wind shifted directions.

AS far as shooting at another deer that evening, I had already looked for this deer for about 7 hours and had exhausted every possibile place of locating him. It's not like I just gave up immediately and said oh well, I'll just go shoot another one. I disagree with you about waiting to shoot another deer if the opportunity presents itself, I think if anything it can be a confidence builder.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Check the closest watering hole, that's probably where you'll find him. I would suggest in the future not shooting at another deer the same day you have a bad hit---personally, I think it's not wise---but moreso, your mind is still replaying that first shot and that wounded deer. Give yourself a day or two to check the emotions, and take a few practice rounds to reassure your mental state.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

Been there, done that. The first place I checked was the thickest, knarliest places on the lease, second was the water holes. I have already taken the practice rounds, my bow is dead on accurate so I can't blame the equipment.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>I'm also guessing that in 17 years you haven't had many gutshots, as you should wait at least 6-8 hours before even thinking about tracking these animals.

S&R<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

You are correct, this is the first animal that I have ever gut shot with a bow. I am familiar with the waiting that should be required with a gut shot animal, but I guess I made a judgement error by deciding to try finish him off with a second shot. My other concern was that it was over 90 degrees here this weekend. Had it been cold, I would have not thought twice about letting him lay for several hours before pursuing him.

Edited by - Mike from Texas on 10/07/2002 15:15:00

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