i shot a deer tonight (20 yards), but it was a gut shot and the blood trail stopped. should i keep looking or is it a lost cause?

if it helps i waited for 2 hours before lookin and the blood stoped at about 200-250 yards.

Keep lookin!!! The deer is down, it will just take a bit of effort to recover it. Good luck and keep us posted.

Shots that are True....Pass right Through!!!

HCU,
If you knew it was a gut shot.......You should have waited a lot longer than 2 hrs. I would wait personally minimum 6hrs. Preferably if weather/work allowed.... overnight.

A gut shot deer will die......I would never call the possibility of a dead deer 'A lost Cause'. The reason the deer stopped bleeding is probably that the wound has clogged with gut material.
You have 2 options.......wait a lot longer tonight and retake the trail with help. Even tho you've probably compounded the difficulty of the tracking badly by most likely pushing the deer, you owe it to the animal to NOT just give up because the blood trail ended.

Or wait until first light and try it then.....I would opt for that if possible.

If you are a hunter......a TRUE hunter......you'll go back out later tonight or even better tomorrow morning and try again. Take lanterns if you go tonight...or some bright flashlights and some help. Think like a deer, path of least resistance....probably level or downhill travel and possibly the animal will head for water.

"Lookin" doesn't mean heading home when the blood stops.

Keep us posted of your progress.


Edited by - Matt / PA on 11/04/2002 17:39:13

On A gut shot deer it is best to wait at least 5-6 hours or more, I like to wait at least 6 hours, or go back the next day. But, yes you can find gut shot deer if you don't push them.
Good luck

Edited by - p-tone on 11/04/2002 17:38:47

The deer is probably dead or going to die. Two hours s not long enough. wait untill mourning and resume your search, there is a good chance you will find it.

If you knew it was a gut shot you really need to wait overnight or like Matt/Pa said.(I'd even go 8 hours) On a good absolute shot wait an hour. On a good decent shot wait 2 hours. If your not sure or a bad hit, wait 8 hours or overnight. You have to let the deer expire before you take even one step in the direction that deer went! Learning, following and having the patience to do this will make you a real, successful bowhunter. Next, spend the next day with a couple buddies combing the entire area, the deer is there waiting to be found!


Good Luck!

PRACTICE....PRACTICE....PRACTICE......SUCCESS!

Get out there and keep looking for the deer whether you have blood to follow or not. There is much good info on some of the other hit deer threads on the board. Hopefully you will realize your mistake of tracking too soon on a gutshot and never make it again. Good luck.

From the last spot you found blood, start a grid search. Mark that spot, and work around it. If you end up not finding the deer, make sure you are comfortable in the fact that you did everything you could to try and find it.

--Jim

Go in the morning with some help and go find him. He is out there probable dead its just a matter of finding him.

brian