RE: Recovery, What to do after the shot.
 

nice post.......thanks

RE: Recovery, What to do after the shot.
 

I had the fortunate experience of arrowing a nice bull elk last week. He was hit at more of an angle than I like. It took out one lung and the liver. I waited for more than 2 hrs. before trailing. There was good blood at first and then went to a trickle. the bull made it about 1/4 mile straight up the side of the mountain before collapsing. I went and got the help of my buddies who were boning out another bull. I had a suspision that the bull was hit in the liver. The elks path made it up the hill but never far away from the spring. I have found that the liver hit animals will not stray far from water. Low and behold, this held true as the bull was found laying in the spring. He went to quench his uncontrollable thirst and fell into the water. 8hrs had passed from the time of the shot, to the recovery. Never give up on an animal. Even if the animal is hit very well. I like to give it at least an hour. Even if I can here the animal go down. I will usaully make a marker out of sticks pointing to the last known direction of the animal.

RE: Recovery, What to do after the shot.
 

Well I get up at 5am ready for my 2nd day of early Bow here in NJ. I get in my stand at 550am, set up my Thermacell and my new camera-bino. 25 minutes I hear rustling look to left and there were 2 mamas with there 2 kids about 60 yards out and heading away from me. But of course they can change on a dime and sure enough the mama starts feeding towards my stand. I took 4 last year with an average yardage of 15..but she was at 30 and I always practice at that distance so I steadied took aim and let go...a solid hit but a little high..it runs downhill of course straight into a thick cattail swamp. I wait 40 minutes and start my track. Go to spot and see the start of bright red..continue but lose the trail and assume where it went..no luck..say to myself go back to last spot which I marked with a wishbone limb and try to find the trail..find it and walk to a creek..say to myself ok I definetly know where it is..leave the blood trail go into a grouping of beds..no dice.This time I say to myself OK DO NOT LEAVE THE BLOOD AND IF I LOSE IT KEEP LOOKING UNTIL YOU FIND IT...So after going right then left ..backtracking looking for the slightest amount of blood I persist.. come around the thickest stuff around look forward and gasp there it is a 130 pound doe.All the while there is a knot in my stomach about wondering if I could track it. It took 1 hour and it taught me patience and to have a sharp eye on the trail. I learned something today and it was great.

PS- Should you always shoot the biggest Doe out of a herd of 4 or 5????

RE: Recovery, What to do after the shot.
 

Hi all
This is my first time to the forum what a great site.
thanks for all the info!
GW

RE: Recovery, What to do after the shot.
 

Welcome GW.....

RE: Recovery, What to do after the shot.
 

Hey guys, like GW, im a noob. But not only to the forum, but to hunting. This is my first season and i must say, i think i have a chronic case of buck fever. ever since i got my bow, ive had the jitters.

In other news, i have a problem with this article. You see, other than being 20 years old, im slightly retarded. not in the literal sense but in the 20 year old sense. i think im going to be bale to wait for 2+ hours for a freaking deer to die. i wish i could carry my desert eagle and make sure they were done...well, does anybody have any good advice to pass the time? im really anxious like i said and i dont think i can handle it.

(all of this assuming i get a deer...)

RE: Recovery, What to do after the shot.
 

Great Post!! The timeing was good as well. Just last night I posted a message to the board, asking some advice on a shot I had made. My arrow was brown (no blood) so I figured a small intestine. Naturally, and as a few others suggested, I left the area and came back about 13 hours later. As I combed the area, there was no blood trail nor sign of him. To make a long story short, I came up on him and ended the hunt with a finishing shot. I guess the advice I would suggest as an addition to your post..."If you know you have had a bad shot, wait overnight. But when you do look for him the next day, walk as if he will still be alive. This may offer the finishing shot rather than pushing him into the even thicker brush."

I was fortunate to find him, then to have a chance to end it. The variables....no blood trail, light rain, a known gut shot, and a recovery based on thinking what the deer would want to do being injured. He had actually changed direction and headed back to his bedding area.

Again, great post!!
Archer

RE: Recovery, What to do after the shot.
 

That's a real good question, and foreseeing this happening to yourself would make me say that you know yourself pretty well and you want to be prepared beforehand. That's a very good thing. You may want to through a book of magazine into your back pack, or maybe bring a gameboy or something. Always keep your bow handy though. Whatever you do don't shoot at another deer, you may be tempted. If you really are going nutts try to sneak out of the stand after an hour or so if the situation permits and go have lunch or go to the store or something. Just don't go in the direction of the deer if it needs time to expire.

I'm usually good to sit for a while after a shot so it isn't a big problem for me anymore, but I sure know what you are speaking of.

RE: Recovery, What to do after the shot.
 

i actually never thought of that. i always thought that bringing that sort of stuff is taboo...but i guess i did already shoot the deer, its not going anywhere...hmmm, thanks for the help!

and as a follow up question...where i go hunting, you have to sign in to the zone you want to hunt in. if i get a deer and have to wait a few hours, and maybe go get some grub, should i not sign out or what? i dont want to lose that position in my zone...i guess i could just tough it out and wait. either way, though

RE: Recovery, What to do after the shot.
 

I know you are hunting in Medwin. That land is open to the public too. The amount of hunters in each zone is only a suggestion. Once you shoot one and if you go get some grub you can sign back in even if the limit of hunters is met. If you wanted to have someone come and help you drag it out that is allowed too. They don't have to have a permit. They do if they carry a bow in though. They just can not be on the property before 1 hour before sunrise. You can be there 2 hours early.