RE: Hit buck not dead
 

Man.. that is my worst fear with hunting next to a marshy area... It sound like he should be anywhere close of course the last place would ever expect


Tim

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

Look for antler protruding from the water. Just an idea. I heard of bear trackers finding them covered in water in swamps.

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

If he was 15 feet up and shooting a deer 6 yards away, he probably only hit one lung. That deer could still be alive.

That's why I don't like those straight down shots! Let em get out there 15 yards and then you'll hit both lungs.

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

I shot a doe last year that at a quartering away angle that I believed was a double lung hit. Even when it ran off the entry and exit wounds looked prefect. Well we foound her alive and bedded down 6 hours later. Another arrow and gutting her opened showed me that I had just caught one lung and narrowly missed the 2nd. Also we lost all blood after about 150 yards.

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

Grid search that marsh. If mortally wounded and you waited 3 hours my money is on he is dead in the water. Good Luck!

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

I second the grid search. A friend of mine hit a buck a few years ago and it ran into a marsh, We lost the blood trail so we did a grid search it took 3 guys almost 4 hours to search 300 yards. It took a wile but we found it.

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

don’t stop looking, your responsibility as a hunter is to give your best effort and energy to finding the deer

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

You might want to check your regulations. There is a difference in deer dogs and a registered tracking dog for wounded game and the marsh, no problem, water holds the scent.

It all comes down to how bad and determined you are to find a wounded animal. Much time is now passing and your options are dwindling. I'm again going to recommend taking the time to read the thread pinned to the top of the page so that mistakes might be thwarted in the future.

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

I agree they will double back ,,I shot the first buck I ever shot and got a double lung hit but with no pass though,,the deer tore out of there though the tree's out of sight ,,with little blood and darkness falling I had to resume the search the next day with a friend that had been hunting for years. He stood me on the spot I shoot the deer and started walking circles around me about 20 yards out he yells I found him,, He had doubled back from where he had run off too and look like he was tring to head back up the same trail he had come in on...so don't give up ,,look up the trail he came in on ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,good luck!!!!!

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

Well i hope ya find it, I hit a doe last week (my first with a bow) And i must have only hit on lung because we had bubbles in the blood but the deer went like 300 yds, befor the blood thined and eventualy we lost it, Went lookin for it the next day and the day after but never could find it, I felt bad about it but every one tells me it will happen and keep tryin, So thats what im doin. i really wished i got her since this is my 3rd year bowhunting, and havent shot a deer yet.