Bow shot deer
 

Decided to go bow hunting in expanded this am and around 7:55 I shot a 4 pointer and it was a good shot had good lung blood on ground and arrow. I thought I was going to give him an hour or so. Then about 8:15 a coyote came by and I tried shooting him. The coyote proceeded to go down same trail as deer. So I got down from tree stand and tried to find him before coyotes. I think they bumped him and ran him until he fell over. I think this because everytime I found puddles of blood I found coyote tracks. The blood trail went for about a mile up and down ridges and ravines. I couldn't find anymore blood after crawling around on my hands and knees for an hour looking and this was at 3:30pm. Then I proceeded to search area until dark. I feel bad for the deer. I am disappointed because it would have been my first bow deer

Sorry, but it happens. Now, get back out there, he's not the only buck running around your woods! The harder you try, the better your odds. :s4:

Thanks for the encouragement.

Nature can an will be cruel an unpredictable always. Just start hunting again.

May just put more pressure on hunters
 

Coyotes around may force hunters to drop a deer within 100 yards, or else they take the chance of losing the deer.

I use to swamp hunt with a gun. Dropping the deer on the spot was a requirement. Knowing how to be very accurate became more important.

That just seems crazy to me. We have a lot of coyotes where I'm at but they are not enticed so easily. If they were we would be shooting them.

So what is the story? If yotes are so easily enticed in your area what keeps you from just shooting the ...... out of them?

We do shoot them and trap them. Theres been 5 females trapped on property in last 2 weeks

Just different parts of the country I guess. Like I said we have a lot of them but having to worry about then getting your deer because it ran 100 yards? That is crazy. I'd be shooting them on gut piles and deer scraps until they quit coming to them or they were thinned out.

This is the first time I have had a coyote run off my shot deer, but I know there in the woods. I just didn't think there was that many, now I know. The two coyotes might have been chasing that buck right to me, who knows. What part of country are you from rockport?

I'm in IL. Hunt in pike, Adams, and Scott counties

The yotes just don't seem to bother deer much here from my observation.

They do scavenge deer but its not like they are all over it as soon as it hits the ground.

Were you sure it was lung blood? Ive never had a deer run very far with a good lung shot...Did the arrow pass through?

Like others said it happens...even with rifles...do your best to find it is all you can do. Nature will take care of it...one way or the other...

That is why yotes have a $50 bounty on their head in my area. Some guys I know take their.223's and hunt the yotes for a payday.

I'm going to be quite honest with you because I've "been there and done that". Sometimes we see what we want to see, meaning a good double lung shot when it isn't so. A double lung shot deer does and cannot travel a mile. 200 yards? Maybe, but the norm is about 100 yards or less.

Coyotes? I've been fortunate enough to never lost a deer to them so won't comment on it.

yep...the heart/lung shot deer fell in under 60yds from where they got hit...now I did have a doe that only punctured one lung and she ran a good ways...maybe close to 1/2 mile and she didn't lose any major blood...she basically bled out internally.

That could have happened, don't know and won't unless I find him. I am still looking. There is a lot of possibilities and I know I feel bad for possibly injuring him if he didn't die.
I am trying to find him with every free moment.

Ive seen a single lung shot live 24 hours and still have to be shot again but he still didn't go far. He laid down at about 300 yards and stayed there. Ive also had perfect double lungs with no blood but ive never had one go very far at all.

Ive never had it happen but I'd guess its possible to hit a lung and still go a mile if being pushed. (not a chanced with a double lung though)