mathewsarcher

Tonight at 6:10 pm I shot a huge blacktail doe. 19 yards, broadside shot, recovered the arrow, complete pass thru, slightly high double lung shot. It is now 1:51 am my time, just go home. CANNOT FIND THE DEER!!!!!! Came home for a short break at 9:30 to enlist help from a friend. The blood trail stopped after 35 yards. I am sick. When I guided this would happen from time to time, but it was NEVER my animal. I know that I did everything humanly possible to recover this deer. I guess that' s huntin...............

DaveH

You' re not done tracking yet.

Now that' s it' s light out, go back over there and look again. In the daylight, you may see sign that your flashlight missed. Plus, if the shot was as good as you suspect it was, the animal shouldn' t be that far away.

Go look again.

tm

I agree-go look again. Lotsa stuff shows up in daylight that goes unseen at night. let us know if you find her.

brucelit

Don' t give up that easily Like Dave said now it is daylight get back out there and take a better look. Seems to me if the shot were like you described it can' t be that far from where you last saw blood. Keep tracking and good luck Let us know the outcome.

mathewsarcher

Just got back from 5 more hours of crawling on my hands and knees. This deer won' t bleed! I have lost all sign. Remember that I was a professional guide in Montana for several years and I know how to track! I have never seen anything like this one before. I saw the arrow enter and exit the chest at about 6 inches above the top of the heart. I wish I would have had a damn camaraman with me to rewind the tape! I know that it was a lethal hit. Last night when we went out we used lanterns, IMO the blood does not " glow" it looks black, used some peroxide on suspected black spots, and did find a drop or two. This a.m. I was on my hands and knees and did grid searches from the last blood found and came up with all zero' s. If any of you have ever hunted Western Washington......... Stinging nettels, blackberry bushes, my bride says I look like I just got out of Viet Nam!

If anybody knows of something that I have not mentioned, Please give me your opinions! I know that if you bowhunt long enough, you will lose an animal. It has just never happened to me before

Rack-attack

I agree with the others - you have to go out and look during daylight.

Its a much easier job.

To be honest I would of waited till the mourning to start it up - once I found the deer did not go down quick

Rickmur

It wasn' t a double lung then. No way is a double lunger going more than 75 yrds, 100 on a strecth. I too wish you had it on film to verify. A single lung hit deer will go on and on and on and it sounds like you could have pushed it too soon. Is there any possiabity you could be wrong on what you think you saw with the hit? Not being a wise guy here but I see no other reason for what happened. I suspect you got one lung and not two.

mathewsarcher

I appreciate your insight and drive to not give up, all of you! I think that perhaps a single lung IS possible, but I saw that arrow drive right thru that deer! If I had to pin point it exactly the arrow entered the deer' s right side 5 inches below the spine, right in line with the back of the front leg. The blood that I did find, (what little there was) was dark red, to pinkish red. (no bubbles) So mdbohunter I think that you could be right. Just got back from looking for another hour or so of looking. No luck.

highcountry13

since its a far up hit mayeb the hole got plugged and the blood then has to drip the whole way down her body before starting to get on the ground again i would enlarge the search area

Tazman

If it is legal I would take a dog and check it out.