What's the "right" decision?
 

When a buck is down via our arrow......and the hit is marginal.....we have a decision to make if the temps are "marginal". What's the "right" decision? Do we leave at a time when we take a chance of jumping the buck up.....in order to save the meat? Or....do we give the buck PLENTY of time to expire.....knowing we're going to lose the meat?

Isn't there a risk, either way? Who's to say what's "right"......other than the man who took the shot?

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

Personally, I would elect to let him lay. I would rather find the deer the next day, rotten meat/eaten by coyotes, than not find him at all. At least you have a sense of closure to the story, and are not left second-guessing your decisions and having to live with a deer that was hit and not recovered. That sucks.

EDIT - I don't think there's necessary a right or wrong decision in this case, it's up to the individual who shot the deer. If you are that concerned about spoilage or predators and decide to go chase the deer, that is your perogative. You may find him dead, you may bump him, or you may not find him at all. Those are the chances we all take every time we let an arrow fly.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

Your exactly correct... but if every hunter's purpose of "harvesting" a deer is to eat it, then why would you ever wait when you know the meat will be spoiled.

Most of the people on this website hunt for bone, and eat what they get, and that is fine. But few ofthe people on this websitehunt only for the antler, or so I hope.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

I may be in the minority here but I ALWAYS back out when I think the hit is marginal..even if the temps are high. I have never had any problems with the meat I have eaten, even when the temps hit the low 70's the next day when I found the deer. Maybe I am just naive to the fact that the meat can go bad quick, but I have just never had a problemwith the meat when I find the deer the next day, even when the temps are relatively high.

shadow

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

Tough question.....It's hard to say sitting here, I guess the decision would have to be made per event.....

BUT, I'm also inclined to give him time to expire. If you jump him and don't find him, you don't get to eat him anyway.....Nor do you get the photo ops....:D

Also, I think whether it's a buck or doe is irrelevant...

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

Justin....it works both ways. I'd rather have closure, too (I think this goes without saying for all of us)....but...to let an animal lay for a period of time that ENSURES the meat will be wasted is not acceptable to many.

It works both ways..

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

I would say that it all depends on the situation and each person. Personally for a doe, I wouldn't want the meat to spoil so I might not give her as much time as a buck. But as far as a buck, I would rather find him dead then chase him all over the county.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

You guys are assuming the worst case scenario to bolster your argument for waiting. OF COURSE we'd rather recover a deer than bump him all over the country....but you're assuming you ARE going to bump the deer.

The other side of that argument is....

I'd ratherrecover a deer I knew I could eat, than to let the deer lay out there and KNOW I couldn't eat it because I waited.

Neither is "fair". Each strategy comes with its own risk.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

I still think I would let him, or her lay. To me, it doesn't matter what sex the deer is. I will wait until I feel like the deer has had adequate time to expire before taking up the blood trail. I think that we owe it to them for two reasons.

1. Ensures, or betters our chances to recover our downed animal, and
2. Lets the animal die quicker, and with less stress then pushing "it" around the property.

Thats what ***I*** would do.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

GMMAT--seems like you already have the answer to your question.

shadow

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

Agreed

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

I agree VA.....there is no "right" answer......but we're always (it seems, as a community) quick to tell someone to wait......even knowing the meat will be spoiled.

I don't think this is figured into the equation, every time.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

If the buck is down, by god I'm gonna go get him.;) Now if I know its a marginal shot and I didn't see the buck go down..... then I would wait. :D

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

I wonder if GregH will chime in he let his deer sit for 24 hrs. He said he thought the deer expired around midnight on a day when day-time temps were mid 60's. Some of the hindquarter was takes by coyote's.

Greg was the rest of the meat salvage-able? If he did die at night probably so.

BUT as a caveat the deer was right where he expected him. Did it die sooner? Was a quiet track and follow-up possible?
I would never second guess himas his record speaks for itself. But with the advantage (now) of hindsight would you have done anything different?

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

If you fear of jumping him, the meat will be fine, because he is still alive. If you are not sure, then its a guessing game. 6 to one half a dozen to another. I would tend to wait as long as you can stand. Here in Texas, we have to make that decison all the time. 90 degrees temps is pretty much the norm in these parts at the first of the season.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

I think it's been pounded into us (at least me) that it is always the right thing to let the deer lay if you don't know exactly how well of a hit it was. Also, its lOCATION. I'm from Minnesota and USUALLY during bowhunting season it is okay to let a deer lay for a longer amount of time becuase normally,HIGH temps aren't much of an issue. But now that global warmi...well never mind that[8D]

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

I believe there is a degree of hope involved in either scenerio.

Personally, I'd rather hope that the meat is not spoiled when I recover the deer.

High temperatures will not make the deer expire any faster so I will not get on the deer any quicker.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

bob....you're assuming you might not recover it if you don't wait. Fair enough....but you also might. Waiting until you KNOW the meat is spoiled isn't acceptable to some.

You have to see that this is a double-edged sword, buddy.

I'm not advocating getting on the trail too quickly. I hope no one misconstrues this. I'm simply posing a question. It seems like we're always telling people to "wait" at all costs.....even KNOWING we'll lose the meat.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

That is correct. As I said, temperatures orany whether condition (including rain, snow, etc)is not a determinant factor inthe time needed to wait. The only determinant factor to me is shot placement and identification (which is also usually a judgement call ;)).

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

Throw in to the equation the coyote factor,or wolf or mountain lion depending upon where you are from.I am hesitant to say it,but I will,I have never not recovered an animal I have shot.My second bow kill many years ago,I shot the deer through the liver at just about last shooting light.I waited an hour (Self taught,didn't know any better,didn't know exactly where I hit it until I recovered it.Jumped it upon trailing it,and I backed right out so not to push it.Came back at first light the next morning and found it 150 or so yards away.Coyotes had decimated it.I was sick.Temperatures were not a concern,it was plenty cold.I know they are predators also,it just isn't the way I want to see an animal I kill be consumed.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

Hit the nail on the head.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

You know, I had to think heavily before I responded to this because I'm sure my honest responsewill be against the grain of some people here.........but I'm not gonna sugar coat it.

The sex/size of the animal definitely plays a role in when I decide to track a poorly hit deer. If it's a slammer P&Y whitetail..........I didn't shoot that animal for meat. I shoot does for meat. I shot that animal for it's rack, for a beautiful mount, and to bring closure to ahunt that I had the opportunity to share with it.

With that said, if I put what I consider to be a marginal shot on an animal....I inspect the sight of impact and don't see adequate sign, and it's a slammer buck........I'm giving the animal probably 12 hoursno matter what the temp is. In that scenario, I'll err on the side of caution of at least finding the animal and give the animal probably a couple more hours than what would be needed in any imaginable circumstance for it to expire, and I would probably also protect the scene as well from outside disturbances that might make the animal get up and move. I know if given enough timeand no disturbance........I'm going to probably find that animal even if there is no blood. At least I have the rack.............and in the worst case scenario nothing else truly goes to "waste". Mother nature will make sure of that. I'd like to avoid this circumstance at all costs, but if I find myself there this is how I would handle it.

Now if it's a doe that I have shot, and it's a marginal shot and the arrow/sign around the scene of impact shows me this, I'm still going to give her the recommended time to expire of at least 4 hours for liver, 8 hours for guts or anything else not in the immediate chest cavity no matter what the temp is. I'm not going to push that one to 12 hours though "just in case" if its in the temps that could possibly ruin the meat.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

Ever wonder how many deer were not actually dead before the coyotes got there. I bet it is a stagering percentage of wounded deer that are killed much earlier by coyotes then the normal time it would have taken the wounded deer to expire.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

Matt....

You probably just answered honestly for about 90% of all hunters.

Thanks, buddy....enjoy your vacation. I'm pulling for ya!;)

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

To me, this brings up another question. That is, does anybody know how long it actually takes for a deer to spoil? I don't know that leaving a deer for 24 hours would the meat to spoil, and if it did I think some of it would be salvageable.

Does anybody know how long a deer can lay before spoiling in say 60 plus degree temps?

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

91% I share your thoughts,

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

There is no doubt to what you are saying Bob.I have helped friends track deer the day after they have shot them and have recovered animals completely unscathed in Coyote infested area's.I guess it all depends upon where the pack wanted to hang out that night.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

It's kind of funny though, in my experience, ask three different butchers when the meat will spoil and get three different answers.

I had one expereince when I let a deer go overnight that probably died only minutes from the shot. I was lucky enough to catch I believe the spleen or pancreas, but I thought I had a pure stomach hit. It was early morning when I made the shot and we waited till late afternoon before we started tracking. We tracked it about 200 yards before deciding to back off till morning (no more blood). Temps that day were mid 60's. On the way home my friend who was hunting only 80 yards from me told me he heard a crash that day coming down the hill in front of him, but it couldn't have been my deer. Turns out it was. The deer was dead in the bottom of a ravine for proably 24 hours. We cleaned it and took it to the butcher who claimed it was fine. It must have been since we ate it and had no problems. But the taste of the meat was not good at all. To be honest, if something like that happned again, I probably get the whole thng made into sausage or hot dogs.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

I've been through experiences on both sides of this fence.

Today, I'd opt to wait and suffer my losses with the meat on a marginal hit.

I lost the second biggest buck I have ever shot with a bow because I pushed him on a marginal forward shoulder shot. I hated myself for doingit, when Iknew better...I felt like stopping bowhunting all together that NOV....I didnt hunt for almost a month after that, I was sick and disgusted with myself..... I just kept looking for him and looking for him...many times I had walked close to him and didnt know it until I finally found him..it was just such a nastythicket/mess in where he crawled up and died..... I ended up finding him in shed hunting season two months later once all the leafs dropped....Bitter, bittersweet, but it taught me a valuable lesson. Better to find them with theirmeat eaten or sour..than to completely lose them.. imo

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

I would never leave a deer longer than six hours, or overnight on an evening hit. If a deer is gut shot and is going to die, it should be sick enough by then that it won't get up. I recovered one that way once, found it alive late in the afternoon after a morning hit. It was alive with it's head up, but didn't get up. If you wait that long and jump it, observe where it goes, wait again and look again. It's a difficult situation, lots of variables, but I'm in it for the venison, and I would never leave a morning hit deer until the next morning, especially in the mid 60's. I too am wondering about the quality of Greg's venison or if he even kept it.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

HuntingBry, thanks you saved me typing. Leaving the coyotes out of it this time, an answer to this question could help a lot of people make theirdecisions in the future. This is a big community here so there has to be someone that can give us some educated input. Any professional butchers out there?

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

Back to the original question, in the case of a believed marginal hit, choosing between:

[blockquote]Tracking soon enough that I might jump the deer, OR
Waiting long enough that I'm confident the meat will expire...
[/blockquote]
For a doe, I'll take the chance on jumping it because meat is the motivation. Worst case scenario is that I end up with no meat which is the same end result as the other option. Best case scenario, I've got some venison in the freezer. (I realize the question was originally about a buck but thought I'd answer both ways.)

For a buck, I'm waiting for it to expire. I'll tag it, dress it, register it and save the antlers. The rest will be disposed of since I'm not confident of the meat's safety and/or flavor. Here's why: I'm to the stage that I won't shoot a buck unless I'm interested in the antlers. Three reasons: does are better eating, locally the WI DNR is serious about herd reduction, and the local deer population is way out of whack. If meat were the higher priority, I'd just go ahead and take a doe.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

In my case I have only 45 acres and no access to other properties so I would have to play the waiting game.
Wisconsin laws state you must have permission from the owner before you can go after your game.
Somehow after my big one last year I cant understand for the life of me why he did not leave this 45 acres after we pushed him. Any thoughts?

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

In my eyes, the right decision is to do everything you can to recover the deer. It won't go to waste, coyotes have to eat too.Not recovering the deeris a waste. Putting a killing shot on a deer, no matter how poor, gives you ownership of that deer. It is your responsibility to give it your best effort to try and recover and tag it. Whether the meat is spoiled or not, the "right" thing to do is tag it. In this day and age, with so many doe tags available, getting meat is not an issue.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

The first and foremost thing to be concerned about after shooting a deer is giving yourself the best possible chance of recovering the animal.

If you jump the gun because of the heat andbump the buck to the next county never to be found again then what's the difference? You didn't get the meat and the deer you shot wasn't recovered. If you play it out like youshould according to shot placement and the bloodtrail, you may lose the meat becaue of the time you are forced to wait, but at least you recovered your deer.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

split the difference and wait long enough for him to expire but not long enough that the meat is waisted!

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

No one unless someone was with them during the hunt. JMO.

I've backed out and came back the next day on a questionable shot to find out it was a double lunger and the deer was only 40 - 80yds away from the shot sight. You can't make the right decision 100% of the time. Hope for 90% and learn from mistakes.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

Ok this is one reason I hate Bow hunting in the evening.I just don't like messing around in the dark.I made a good hit on a Doe just at dark.I decided to wait until the next morning.Did have trouble finding her even with good light,but did.The Coyotes had nibbled on her but nothing drastic,and her meat was fine.

Had two last year made bad hits on,one found right off next morning.The other,I seen it lay down,waited go down it gets up and runs.I waited until the next morning couldn't find it,went home got my Dog and found it laying in a little ditch.This one did have one Ham that went bad,the rest was ok.

big rockpile

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

I'm curious Greg, and honestly interested in learning here... What makes the recovery of an unusuable deer any better than having not recovered it because you sought recovery in a way which may or may not provide anything usuable?

It seems to me that either way, the deer is dead and either way, I can't make any real use of it. By taking a chance of jumping it, there's at least a chance of recovering something useful. And, for clarification, I'm talking in the options presented at the outset of this thread rather than providing justification for immediate tracking on a marginal shot.

RE: What's the "right" decision?
 

A couple of things....By recovering the deer it can be reported (tagged/registered) for harvest information, peace of mind, proper disposal so as not to offend landowners, antis or the public in general. There is more to think about than just you and your usable deer. You'll probably get more usable deer by ensuring it's recovery by waiting the proper amount of time than by pursueing too early.

You may try to track a marginally hit deertoo early in order to make use of its meat, but the percentages for recovery are greatly reduced. Non-recovery of the deer can lead to bad perception of hunters by the entire public, other hunters (gun vs bow), antis and landowners. This can be very detrimental to everyones hunting not just the individual who lost the deer.

Gun hunters... those sticks and strings guys should be banned for wounding all these deer and letting them lay.

Antis......hunting should be banned, look how cruel and wasteful.

Landowners..... Sorry, but you can't hunt here anymore.

and on and on.... See my point?

Recover the deer, dispose of it if you have to and get another doe tag for meat.

Anyone who shoots an animal while hunting, should make it his/her number one priority to recover the animal.

If this means waiting and risking that the meat will be bad, then that's the way it should be. Next time be a better shot. You owe it to yourself, the animal, landowner and the public.

I hope this answers your question on why I feel that recovery of the animal is most important.