Hit buck not dead
 

Last night my buddy shot a 8 pointer. He shot it at 6 yards with a slight quarting away. We waited 3 hrs before tracking just to be sure even though he felt great about the shot. We found bright red blood right away and followed it steadily for about 200 yrd into a marsh with shin deep water we then lost the blood and had nothing to go on. It poured hard last night and wiped out any chance of a little blood that we might of missed. We searched for 6 hrs today to no avail. We checked the wood lines he could of gone to to bed and we checked his sancuary that he spends his time in and searched the marsh hard between last blood and his sancuary. We did not find any more sign. Just wondering what people think I think the shot was a little forward and just missed the lungs but my buddy says he hit behind the shoulder and the angle the deer was at should of made it perfect. So dont know if the deer will live or we we find it. We will be hunting tomm. and the next week and if it is dead hopefully the crows will lead us to it but I think its still walking around. let me know what you think
thanks
jOE

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

if you all found bright red blood, seems like a good shot, hes probably around there some where, i wouldnt give up on him, keep searching

good luck

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

I have NEVER in my life heard of a true confirmed double lunged ANYTHING going 200 yards. His shot was not what he thinks.
Heart shot animals can run a bit further than a double lung but even then 200 yards is farther than anything I've heard as well.
They just don't get that far before stopping and succumbing to such injuries and loss of blood or air.

He quite possibly hit a bit low and back of the heart area catching the nearside lung only. Thats an animal that will bleed well with lung blood but can cover some serious ground.

All I can say is that you need more manpower to search that marsh and surrounding areas. Hard hit animals can be prone to sudden changes in direction and many times just aren't where you expect them to be.
IMO you need to skip the hunting tomorrow and do more searching.

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

That's a bad deal hoser, but every hit can't be perfect. In my neck of the woods, no pun intended, we have alot of turkey buzzards that will always circle over a dead animal and give away its location after enough time.

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

I was thinking the same think!! If the deer is 6 yds away he should be able to see where the arrow hit. Might want to try those glow nocks!!!

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

hoser, do they allow blood tracking dogs in WI, if so, why haven't you utilized one of them. They can be found on sites like http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1665984 There are two known trackers in your state according to the site.

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

was he shooting out of a stand or off the ground? IMO, shots 10yards or less out of a stand are terrible shots to take, greatly increasing odds of hittng animal and missing vitals. Sorry to hear that the buck hasn't been found, I'd just keep on looking

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

I agee with Matt on this matter .I'd take tomorrow off as well a sdo a grid search ,don't be surprised if he's closer than you think ,wounded deer have a funny way of doubling back .

nubo

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

Ditto! I'd keep looking as well! Good luck and don't give up!

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

The deer was shot from a tree stand about 15 ft up in the tree. Last that i knew deer dogs were not allowed in wisconsin and a dog would have a hard time in that marsh it would be up to its belly the whole time in mud and water.

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.

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

The water is the key. I would look further in the marsh.

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

matt, i used to have the same idea that a double lung shot deer would fall in within 100 yards, but last saturday i had an experience with an out of the pack montec that gave less than perfect results. double lung shot, 32 yards, doe ran 70 yards and bedded down, not ball up or crash.....i left her for about an hour, when i returned she was gone. at that point i thought maybe not a double lung shot, but found the deer a short time later, still alive.......she ran from point of impact about 125 yards. when i got to the deer, she was on her feet, and wobbling back and forth. she allowed me to get within 15 yards of her, and i could see bubbles coming from her side. i knew i had one lung at that point, but when my buddy described the same on the other side i was dumbfounded.....we let her be, she died within a few minutes of us finding her standing. when i field dressed the deer, she was in fact shot thru the lower 1/3 of both lungs and even had a blazer vane still inside one lung. that doe should have died long before she did, and i take full responsibilty for not sharpening the montec, which i knew better to begin with.....she didnt cover 200 yards, but lived much longer than i ever dreamed......

as for the wounded deer, i agree, look some more....i hate giving up on a deer.....

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

We havent gave up yet. went out last saturday searched the marsh more didnt find it. Right at dark heard some coyotes to the south of the stand across the river about 200 yrds south of the stand. Heard them yipping and howling think they found the deer dead or crippled. Heard them for about 10-15 minuets sounded about like 4 of them then they got quite we think they found the deer. We are about to be leaving to go check it out tonight and see if we find it or what remains atleast maybe get the horns. Ill keep you posted thanks for the thoughts.
JOE

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

well if anyone is still keeping tabs on this thread I went out tonight with the little time I had to see if crows found it or I could smell it. Crows were going nuts on the ridge across the river. Did not have time to get to the ridge going out with my buddy up the river and onto that ridge. Am almost 100 percent certain those crows were on the deer. will keep you updated on how thursday turns out.
JOE

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

alrigth get over there before the squirrels take to the antlers!! I hope its the deer, id say its gonna smell wonderful, id just take the horns and leave it for the critters to finish.Id say theyd like a steak every now and then :D

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

did you find the arrow. if not i have seen some shoulder shots that would fool you into thinking lungs by the blood but i saw the deer when hit and the arrow was only broadhead deep into the shoulder, same for the hind leg. it was really bright red blood.

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

did u find it ?!

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

bubbles in the blood dont mean its a lung hit although there will be bubbles when it is a lung hit. if you puncture the diaphram of the deer (behind the vitals) it will "breath" out blood and cause bubbles and when you look at the animal or hear it youll think lungs for sure sounds exactly the same when its breathing.

RE: Hit buck not dead
 

So how'd it go today?