Just shouldered a doe...will she live??
 

About 7:30 am this morning I wacked a doe :o, she was about 14 yds slightly quartering towards me. It was a real steep shot as I was pretty high up and for one reason or another I hit her in the left shoulder :sad:, a little high too as I was shooting a pretty steep angle. She bolter about 125 yds across a grass field with the arrow still in her, I didnt find any blood where I hit her and didnt seem to see any in her first few steps, I also just walked across the field where she entered the woods on the opposite side and didnt see the arrow either. Any opinions:confused0024: ? Im not sure about penetration as I didnt get the arrow. Oh and im shooting rage 2 blades from a 71lb air raid and cx maxima hunters! Thanks guys !!

Give her some time. She will die, if you have a dog with you take it with you!! Oh, and don't take shots quartering to you......

I would just say that since you're not sure about the hit, just give her until mid day or early afternoon and try and pick up the trail with some help if you can.

I know I know I know, but she was barely quartering at all that Ive taken several deer standing nearly the same in the past, the bottom line is I didnt get the arrow exactly where it needed to be. I just wanna know what my chances are of recovering her. Believe me Ill be looking from about 12 till tonight, and tomorrow morning if necessary, I just dont know where to start! I marked where I hit her and where she entered the woods on the opposite side of the field so we'll see what happens I gues :o

Muliefever summed up just about rt. I'd probably leave Fido at home unless he/she is a trained tracking dog. If you have binoculars take them with you and if you can't find a bloodtrail use them as you move slowly along any obvious trails where she entered the woods. I'd give her at least 6 hrs. if it was me. Wounded deer will usually bed down relatively quickly and hopefully you'll find her piled up within 200-300 yds. In the absence of a bloodtrail move slow and use your binoculars to scour every in. of woods.

Dan

You seen the arrow still in her? Could you tell about how much penetration you got?

The best thing you can do right now is wait and get everything ready. Gather some friends or family and see if you can locate a tracking dog (if legal in your State). If you are positive of where she entered the timber again, start there looking first for blood. If no blood, all you can do is start grid searching for here. An aerial map would be helpful, mark it into boxes and check them off after checking every piece of thick cover and deadfall. Giving her time will put the odds in your favor. Good luck!

I have had this same thing happen - hitting a doe in the shoulder that is. In fact, it was the only time I ever lost a deer. My mistake was not waiting long enough. I gave her 5 hours and then took up the trail. No good, when I realized after about an hour of slowly following blood that got fresher and fresher that I was pushing her. I backed out and looked again all the next day but she must have left Dodge. A wise old hunter I know told me I should have gave her much longer, probably waited overnight, so her leg would stiffen up, etc. Anyway, I wish now that I would have done that and it still makes me a little sick to my stomach. At least the coyotes got to eat I guess. Good luck. I hope you find her and just wouldn't push it when looking for her.

This is true, howver its pretty hot out today, and im sure the meet will spoil very quickly, so if I dont find her fairly soon the only think she'll be good for is her hide and ill get my earn a buck tag. I really hope I find her though, I'd absolutely hate to waste a perfectly healthy doe :nonono2:

I'll offer up a bit of a different take on your situation.

It really depends on WHERE in the shoulder you hit her. If you stuck that tip exactly in the ball of her shoulder bone (or whatever terminology you want to use, but meaning the thick end of the bone..) you most likely didn't get ANY penetration, the arrow is stuck there, and she'll pull it out later when she's calm and has a chance to stop and work on it.

In my mind, without a drop of blood anywhere, this is the most likely scenario -- plus the fact you watched her run for over 100 yards without falling.

An inch or two either way and you would have been driving through the scapula provided your bow is properly tuned.

Having said that, you owe her your best effort in an attempt to recover her until you absolutely can verfiy she's still alive.

The buck I killed last year was a shoulder shot at 30 yards. It went through the shoulder breaking it in half. The muzzy actually lodged on the opposite shoulder. The arrow broke instantly, i thought he was gone for sure, but he only went about 60 yrds and crashed over. My shot severed the aorta and he didn't stand a chance. there was actualy no blood trail, the meat of the shoulder clogged up the hole. i just walked off the last time i saw him and sure enough he was there, dead.

She will die, it's just a matter of time. Wait it out and start searching from the last place you saw her. Just give her time to expire. Good Luck.