Bad day in the field...
 

I guess you have to take the best of days hunting with the worst.

Today was a tough one.

Decided to use the decoy this morning. Set it up about 25 yards off my climber. I was settled in about 30 minutes before daybreak. About an hour into the morning I had a big buck approach the decoy. He stopped about 15 yards from the decoy...about 40 yards from my stand. He stayed absolutely still for about five minutes before approaching the decoy and circling all the way around. As he turned toward the back of her I let my shot rip. At the time he was about 20 yards out.

It wasn't a pass thru but I thought I hit him nicely. The arrow stayed in him as he bolted deeper into the corn field. He slowed down about 150 yards into the field and came to a stop. I hit him with the eyeglasses and could immediately see a blood spot about the size of a softball on the entry side. The arrow must have fallen out/broke off during the retreat.

He stood motionless for about 5 minutes. After that he walked slowly up the cornfield until he sat down. I could see him rocking his head back and forth...I thought it was the end.

He sat there for 20 minutes. I didn't want to spook him so I backed out of my stand and went home (quarter mile away) to give him time to expire. On my way home I hit him with the glasses one last time. All I saw above the beat-down cornstalks was his monster rack. He was a beautiful 8 point.

That's the last I saw of him.

I waited over two hours and went back with my dad to recover the trophy. Like I said....nothing. I went to the spot I last saw him and found a moderate pool of blood. We followed the blood trail about 50 yards deeper into the cornfield...until the trail disappeared. No blood anywhere. We searched the closest block of woods and the field for seven hours.

This is so frustrating... I thought the shot location was good...about 2 inches back of the shoulder. I have to believe he sat down and was able to clot up enough to be able to walk off.

I hate knowing an injured animal is potentially downed in the woods...especially a prize buck. Does anyone have any suggestions? So disappointed.

Thx.

And no luck finding the arrow either. The arrow had a camo colored shaft which blends in perfectly with the beat down corn field.

was the shot high? If you hit him between the lungs and the spine you might not ever find him. but if you hit him in the lower 3rd of the body, the arrow doenst have to go in very far to hit the vitals. 6-8 inches in the right spot should be enough to at least take out 1 lung. My dad shot a buck between the vitals and the spine and we never found him either. He didnt bleed much though.

That really sucks the only thing you could do is just keep looking !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had something close to that happen a few years ago I hit one a little high and had good blood for about 200 yds , the blood went from walking blood trail to nothing. Couldnt find him that night luckily I went back the next morning and just happened upon him in a briar thicket. You may also look into a blood trailing dog if legal in your state. Good luck to you.

I would never leave a downed deer if I could sill see him. I would read a magazine, get on my pone, etc. if he's bedded down within sight,....I'm staying put,....just in case.

Thanks for this post guys I was going through the same thing.

Search that cornfield very hard, you said its downed stalks right? I had a friend shoot a deer and he said it was in the field, but we couldn't find it. Rode an ATV back and forth across that field for hours before we found him. They blend in pretty good when laying in the corn.

I would circle back where you shot him, its amazing how many times I get asked to track a deer just to find it 50 yards from the stand. Check out by water too just in case it was a gut shot.

that sucks man but this is a perfect example of why to never leave your stand as long as you can watch the deer.

How high up was your stand? Any chance you got one lung and then guts?

Sounds like a good time to call in a blood dog.

X2
I have a blood tracking dog (my avatar) and she has helped many hunters recover deer that would have never been found otherwise.

-fsh

Exactly what I was going to say!

You may have hit his shoulder blade.If he was laying down for 20+ minutes and all you found was moderate blood.I would check to see if you can get a tracking dog.Also like someone already mentioned,they blend in very well in a cornfield.He may be 5-10 yards off the blood trail.
Almost anyone who has done alot of hunting have wounded deer and not been able to find them.I know how awful you feel.I've been hunting for 40+ years and have wounded 2.I saw one of the buck's the following year and that made me feel great.Please keep us up to date,Good Luck!

Yes keep us informed on whats goin on. I hope you find that buck!
losing a deer(big buck) is the worst feeling in the world, but you will find him. Keep on trying!!!!
goodluck.

Any more news?

Sounds like that deer is likely down somewhere. I'd be doing everything in my power to find him. (though its 5 days later now with no more reports, I'm assuming you didn't)

As others mentioned, don't leave the woods if you can still see the wounded animal.

They'll circle, backtrack and do all kinds of unexpected things that are hard to figure out from tracks and sign alone.