Idaho hunter 58

Alright well I am experiencing something strange as far as the recovery of my elk goes. I shot a cow yesterday evening and gave it an hour or so before I checked the area for blood, wouldn't have given longer but it was getting dark. Slowly I looked and found blood and it trailed back to the ridge below my car so i followed it slowly and then marked the last spot with a few ribbons and went up to my car, by this point i had traveled over 100 yards. I came back a few hours later with some serious flash light power and followed the trail for another 50 or so yards until my flash light was starting to dim, so I marked and went home. I came back early this morning and spent four hours going another 100 yards or so, no longer going sidehill but straight down the mountain, when it went through trees i could see a fair amount left on the branches but besides that it was tough going looking for little drops of blood every few feet with the occasional large group.

I have made a trail of ribbons from shot to my last spot before i called it quits for a break, I am getting ready to head back out with a buddy in a hour.

The shot was good, as far as i could tell, right back behind the shoulder, could see the fletching sticking out as it took off, didn't seem that scared, saw it walk over the next ridge and I continued to cow call to it.

Blood is just a reg red color, not light or dark, torwards the end it looked like it kinda was crusty on the leaf i found, kinda, don't know if that means anything after 12 hours.

Any advice? Insight? I am baffled by the length of the trail.

chiefks

Was she broad side? Quartering away or towards you? How high up did the arrow hit? There's a place on whitetails between the spine and lungs, you get a arrow through there, you don't kill that deer. If you hit the lungs the blood should of had bubbles in it.

bowhuntt

in my experience an elk hit high wont bleed much, however, if it was a double lung hit it wouldnt have gone that far.i dont know without more detail about the shotjust keep looking good luck

Dubbya

You may want to read the thread about recovering animals. My advice is this:

I'm assuming that somewhere relatively close is a place for them to water since they do so everyday. Is there any water where she went downhill? That would be the first place I would search, if it was logical.

KodiakArcher

Something didn't happen right. If it was a double lung shot (tucked in behind the shoulder just below mid body) you should have found her long before now. May have only got one lung due to a funky angle or marginal shot. Best of luck.

Idaho hunter 58

twenty yards, uphill, broadside, arrow half way in. blood is dripping out of right side as it walked away. since it started downhill it could be heading for water which is about 150 or so yards, maybe slightly more from the spot i last marked which was 2-3 hundred yards from the shot. possibly a liver hit due to blood color?

chiefks

Could be liver, but thats behind the lungs and not right behind the shouler. If it is a liver hit, she should be dead and its just a matter or finding her. if you lost the blood tail start doinga search grid and walk every square foot of the ground you can. Hope she ins't much further from where the last blood was. Good luck.

wyomingtrapper

Blood is usually a bit darker from a liver shot. A friend of mine shot a cow 9 days ago. Complete penetration. Walked ten yards and stood for 10 minutes (he timed it), walked another five steps and fell over. That cow left a tremendous amount of blood on the ground and I'm amazed she could stand that long. Point being, sometimes they are capable of going further than we think. I agree that there should be some frothiness in the blood if a lung shot. If the trail is faint, try some over the counter hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle. A mist will foam up on drops when sprayed. Keep on it. Look for tracks as well as blood.

atlasman

Liver blood should be dark............you said it was red right? You didn't double lung her that is for sure. Re-think your shot and where it hit. Your hit and results don't match.

davidmil

Obviously not a double lung. Is it possible she was angled enough for the arrow to deflect off a rib or something and slide along behind the shoulder. Red blood doesn't sound like a liver for sure. Is it possible you were low enough to just catch briskett?