I'm on committee that gets called out to recover wounded deer in a controlled hunt.Over the years,I've been on too mnay blood trails to remember.Unfortuantely,most of the time when I get called,it's after a deer has been marginally hit and the hunter jumps down and almost immediately chases the deer off.Here's a few things I've learned over the years.A deer hit in the shoulder(not blade)is probably going to live to see another day.Unless the shot angle is severe enough,there isn't any vitals behind it.A shoulder blade hit is very similar.There is no void between the spine and lungs.Chances are,you shot above the spine and the deer will recover.A sharp broadhead,regardless of size will drop a deer within sight in most cases in put through both lungs and there's no need to throw an axe through an animal.I want an exit wound everytime.I'm a firm believer that recovery should be close to 100% for gut shot deer.Gut shot deer die but it often takes 12 hours or more.Last year I helped recover 3 gut shot deer that were still alive the next morning.If you gut shoot a deer.Climb down and walk the opposite direction the deer went.Come back in about 12 hours and chances are,that deer won't be far from where you last saw it.The single biggest reason most deer are lost is because people chase them way to fast.If I don't see or hear a deer go down,I always wait several hours or until the next morning.

good advice

I think that one of the most important things that you can do is to make sure you stay calm, I've noticed it usually works to my advantage to bring someone in with me who isn't pumped full of adrenaline, I don't know why but it seems to make is 10,000 times harder to find blood if your pumped up with adrenaline, so I try to call someone to come help me, this also serves a double purpose in that by the time the help gets there more time has passed. I know I find blood a lot better for someone else when they call me than when I'm tracking it by myself, post shot.

Just my .02

Ryan.

Rob...this is a great post with a lot of awesome advice. I read it every year.

Thank you but what makes it great is everyone's input.

Thanks ALLOT Rob, I am a newbie to deer hunting as well as to this AWESOME web site! I have learned alot from all of u in just the few days Ive been out here. Ive hunted since I was a kid with my dad, small game. I have friends who bow hunt and I thought they were pretty good friends (one stood with me at my wedding) but I geuss they dont want to share their info or take the time to do so. So I am on my own, but with all of u helpfull bow hunters out here Im POSITIVE I will learn to be a great bow hunter! THANKS for the great info!

Thanks Rob-great post!

Where I hunt the woods are thick they run out of sight in a hurry.What I've learned to do is listen.When you can't hear him running anymore and the woods are quiet just keep listening,you may hear him fall over.
Numerous times I've heard deer crash after they were out of sight.It may only take 30 seconds or a few minutes.Once I shot a deer and he took of running.About 5 minutes later I heard a noice about 50 yards behind my stand.I thought it was another deer because the one I shot ran in the opposite direction.It turned out that he had circled around.

So let me get this stright. You have to wait, right?

Just kiddin.

Great post Rob, Thanks.

Spudrow from Mo

Very good info. i recently shot a nice wide 8 pointer with my bow at 25 yards and hit him a little high. i had to leave that night to go back home from my lease so i could only wait about 1 hour before looking. i started tracking him and found puddles of blood where he had been bedding up. the blood was very fresh and i knew i was pushing him so i had to back off. I stayed home from work the next day becuase the deer was most important to me. i tracked all day and never found him. 3 months later i got some trail camera pictures of the same deer eating at my feeder. he had a scar from the arrow and it is perfect left in right just inbetween the spine and his loungs. it just goes to show you that they will fight to live and if there is a possibilty that they an they probably will. great tips though and i am definantly going to wait longer before tracking my next one.