RE: what happened
 

I read some of your additions.

Some people suggest gut shots to a 12 hour wait. Much of my gutshot deer tracking knowledge comes from a personal experience. I shot a doe couple years ago, 8 am. I went back out at 4, following a horribly sparse blood trail. Finally found a bed, and blood that picked up fresh, I stayed on it but moved quietly as I could. I literally crawled into postion and shot the deer again at 5 pm. 9 hours after initally hitting it, but very much alive.

Yes you ended up pushing it, but you still did good by waiting a long time. It just turns out it happened to not be long enough, but it very well could have been. I think now your only hope is that dog. But it found it once, I bet it can find it again.

RE: what happened
 

I have found gut shot deer alive as much as 24 hours after impact. They weren't in good shape but nevertheless alive. My experience has been a deer hit in one lung has a better chance of making it than a gut shot deer. Septic shock is a killer albeit a slow one.

Even when you have lost the trail keep looking in beding areas and you might find your deer. I have found them as much as a half mile away from where they were shot even though they were never pushed so don't beat yourself up to bad.

Your experience is further proof that even the real simple and most ethical shots can go awry. If a person has enough shot exposures sometime, somewhere, somehow, something will go wrong. I guess that is the way most things in life are.

Good luck, I wish you well.

RE: what happened
 

I can attest to bad shots. The do on occasion happen even when everything feel perfect. If your arrow shows green slime back out. Give 8 to 10 hours and then go back in. If you've got a dog that can track even better.

IMO the most important thing to do is let it lay and not push it. A gut shot deer can run for miles and if pushed that's exactly what it'll do.

RE: what happened
 

Doubt if you hit liver, rarely will a deer be able to move after 5 hours. Sounds like intestine to me, intestine shots can go 24 hours before posioning system, it's worse to recover then stomach. Real tough one to recover. But, still check all water sources, then grid search.

RE: what happened
 

True in general, but if you hit towards the outer edge of the liver that deer can still be alive 8 hrs plus. The liver is such a wild card organ it seems. Hit it square center and your deer piles up in 100 yds with easy blood trail. Catch it anywhere else, and the time goes up and blood trail goes down. I've seen liver/1 lung deer make it 3-4 hours.

RE: what happened
 

I agree, but remember that I said that they will not be able to move. I have found deer after 5 hours hit in the liver that were down and alert, but could not get up and run. Second shot required.

RE: what happened
 

Yea I didn't pay attention to the not move part. Not proud to say, but I have been in that exact situation and delivered the 2nd shot.

RE: what happened
 

Everyone pretty much covered the scenario.

You probably hit the intestines as the material there tends to be greener and slimey while the stomach matter tends to be brownish and mixed with blood. Intestines and stomach matter quickly plug holes making any sign limited at best. Especially when they lay down, the insides move around and really plug the holes. That could account for nothing in the bed.

It is dead, just your job to find it. My longest living gut/intestine shot that I've had first hand experience with has lasted nine hours.

Always go to the water. Check every source available. I'll bet dollars to donuts that is where you''l find her.

Greg