Hi all,

Well tonight I connected with one of the deer I have been chasing. A good 5x5. And for a reason I don't know I hit back from where I wanted. The deer bounded off 50 yards and was slowing down when he went out of sight.
I waited 30 minutes before getting down and retrieving my arrow quietly. No surprise the green slime on the shaft with zero blood. I stuck the arrow in the ground and backed out of there quiet. I did not push him at all and he never knew I was there.

I am embarrassed to a degree, but realize it happens if you hunt long enough. I have been fortunate to take a few good bucks and this is the first bad hit for me. So what I want is your opinion, will this buck certainly die? And if not pushed whats the average distance traveled when gut shot? If hes dead, I WILL FIND HIM. Any help or advice would be great. I am thinking of going tomorrow afternoon to look for him. I shot him at 6:40pm this evening.

It does happen and I believe what you did was right. Going back tomorrow is a good idea as he will surely lay down and if he does not get pushed may dye by then. Good luck.

I agree that he will die and if not pushed will not go far. But it will take several hours.

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1665984

Deer normally when fatally wounded and not pushed, will bed within 250 yards. You definately did the right thing by backing out and I wish you the best of luck.

It happened to me on my best buck in 01. Same thing, I saw the arrow hit to far back, I glassed him and verified the hit. I shot him a 7:30 in the morning, stayed in the stand until 11:00 and then snuck out. I returned late in the afternoon, roughly 8 hours or more later and found him not 50 yards from where I saw him enter the woods.

Again, good luck, I look forward to seeing the pictures.

You did the right thing by backing out right away. I think he'll beddown within the first 150yds and die there unless pushed(hopefully not by coyotes). Gutshot deer also will head towards a water source to drink, so if you you're having trouble finding him check some local streams. Good luck, I wish i was there to help you look.



Zach

Happend to me once also, you definitly did the right thing. I saw mine lay down on a powerline 80yds from where i shot him and thats right where i found him the following morning. Good luck hope you find him.

You'll find him. Usually a passthru shot like that will leave intestins out the far side. Go get him in the morning and keep us posted.

I'm certainly glad to hear you didn't chase him ,I'm sure he'll die ,and if you go back tomorrow you'll find him .

Good luck

nubo

good luck finding him.

I wondered if you had a liver shot, which will leave maroon blood, but you stated there wasany blood, you made the right choice. A liver shot deer will leave darker blood than a heart or lung shot but will always result in a fatality. They might run 200-300 yards but they will die usually in thier first bedding area as long as they are not pushed.