Solax

Here's the situation, shot a doe last night at 4:55. Quartering away, pass through, bright red blood and some white hair at the shot site. Waited an hour went to the hit site with a friend (jroot on this board). Followed a blood trail that was sparse for 20 yds then picked up. Lots of blood, but not a ton like some I've seen. The blood trail was inconsistent, there was lots of blood in places then not much blood at all, then it would pick up again. After about 130 yds or so we heard a deer take off on our right side, bad sign. This was about 2 hours after the shot.

Now the doe had 2 off spring with her so we thought maybe that was one of them and she would be up there. We talked it over and decided if the trail turned right we would back out for the night. we followed the trail about another 20 yds and then it just stopped. We backed out for the night and when I went out this morning I found blood ( a lot of blood) for about another 10 yds from where we stopped and then nothing, not a thing. I did widening circles, nothing. I went down hill towards water thinking I might find her, nothing. I'm not done looking by a long shot but I wanted your opinions on this.

Lay of the land: The trail we were following was along a ridgetop (when I say ridgetop in MD terms it means a small hill, but running in a ridge formation none the less) there is a stream fairly close on the right side (80-100 yds) and another on the left that is farther away (200 + yds.) both down hill. It is very thick every where in there so "checking the thick stuff" is not an option. If you follow the ridge further it crosses a logging road and then more woods. On the right, at the head of the stream, are some houses.

Her path: She ran pretty much straight away the entire time then made a '?' type of pattern at the end. I'm guessing this is where we jumped her and we're not finding blood because she ran a ways. She stayed on the top of the ridge mostly and her last straight line (10 yds) was headed along the ridge. The last 30 yds or so were the top of the '?'. So she could have 1) ran staright 2) completed the '?' and doubled back.

If anyone has any other ideas and/or suggestions I'd appreciate it. I'm planning on doing widening circles (again) when I get back out there and hope I find something. If after that I can't find any blood I guess I'll just start doing grid patterns trying to find her. I want to aviod this though becuase it's so thick. There are places where you can't see 10 yds and you would have to practically be on top of her to see her.

Thanks for the help, sorry the post was so long.

Greg / MO

No concerns about the long post; in fact, I wish more people who had lost a deer would give as much info as you put in here for us to try to help.

Unfortunately, or fortunately -- as it were -- it really sounds as if you're doing everything right, and I can't think of too much else to offer, other than grasping at straws and suggesting you keep walking along the path she was originally taking, straight ahead. And then trying to double back in case she turned like you thought she may have. Lastly, I'd walk the bank of both water sources.

Solax

One more thing guys. The arrow had blood on it and that was kind of clear....ish. There were no bubbles and it didn't stink like a gut shot. I'm almost positive it wasn't a gut shot because of the (no) smell, no chunks of anything and the blood trail we were following was bright redblood.

I'm thinking single lung. Can anyone give an idea of how far a single lung shot can run before expiring? What's the fatality rate with a single lung shot? I realize there is no scientific answer but 'in your opinion'.

DaveH

I guess you're far enough south of me that there's no snow to help you out. An inch or two like we have left here would help a lot. I think you're going about it in the right way. It sounds like your area is similar to the ones I hunt and---even though there's a ton of it--look all around the brush in the most likely areas where you think she ran. I have found that hard hit deer almost never run uphill and often will go downhill. I would also check all the areas along the streams since they often seek water after being shot.

It seems we're mirroring each other again. The day after you shot your buck, I shot mine. Last night, I shot at a doe at the same time you shot yours. I immediately realized--after the deer departed--that there was a maze of branches blocking my shot that didn't show up against the deer. I assumed I missed due to the deflection. My arrow looked clean in my flashlight beam, but as I was changing the broadhead blades this morning, I discovered hair meaning I'll be looking today too. At least I have snow to help!

Let us know what you find.

Greg / MO

Solax, I have heard of a few cases where single-lung shot deer survived, though have never witnessed any personally. I know they can cover a lot of ground, say up to 600 yards or further from reading of others' experiences on this board.

Solax

DaveH, first of all stop trying to be like me and shooting deer at the same time. Just kidding, good luck finding her. No snow down here in St. Mary's Co., I hope we don't get any either so I can see the blood trail.

I followed the stream on the right side from the houses all the way back to my stand and didn't see her or any blood. Also, she was at the highest point around so she either stayed on the same elevation (along the ridge) or walked down hill.

Thanks for the help guys.

tabby

A single lunged deer may not die. Depends. I am not very good at tracking, so I can't really help you out too much. But...

Do you know the area where the arrow hit the deer? Could the arrow have been deflected? What was the deers reaction to the shot? How far did she run before slowing down/stopping, if she even did? You said there were fawns with her. Did she flee the fawns, or did they stay together?

Stay with it. I hope you find her.

Belle Island

I've had single lung hit deer live for as much as 3 hrs, before I tracked them and put another arrow in them. I've also seen several one lung hit deer cover 200+ yds. And I've also bumped a one lung hit deer and never recovered them. A single lung is usually a killing shot, but I've seen examples opposing that thought.

Sounds like you are doing everything right, stick with it and good luck.

Solax

Good questions. The arrow was laying on the ground, not stuck in it so deflection is a good possibility. I didn't see exactly where the arrow hit her. She took off on her incoming trail and the fawns were way back there. She ran about 50 yds until I lost her, and who knows how much longer. So her and the fawns ran off in the same direction.

Other points: she was VERY nervous coming in and (you're gonna slaughter me for this one but I'm just trying to get as much info out there as I can) my broad heads weren't very sharp.

Rack-attack

Forget about the circles and the grid.

Go to the last blood and find more. It is there. Get down on all fours and look inch by inch for the blood. move out from the last blood about 10 yds then come back to it and do it again.

If you find more blood repeat again.

Only after hours and hours of doing this would I start to look for her.

Good Luck