wounded deer.....what would you do?
 

This season I shot a small buck at 20 yards, The shot was an excellent shot, complete pass through. The deer just walked away, I waited about an hour before I started falling the blood trail. At this time it was dark and I was using a flashlight to follow the blood trail. While following the blood trail I would stop and shine the light around, 25 yards away I saw the eyes glowing. It was my deer bedded down looking at me.......what would you do?

RE: wounded deer.....what would you do?
 

I've had this happen to me several times. Two times it happend while I was bowhunting. The third time was during shotgun season.

Both times during bowseason, I went home and came back out and tracked them in the morning. Both times I found the two bucks, and they were still alive. I would track them and kick them up from the bed spot to bed spot. I eventually gave up on them.

The one during shotgun season. I went after that night. I took him after sunset by shining him with a flashlight and shooting him in the neck.

RE: wounded deer.....what would you do?
 

If all you say is true, I'd shoot it again. I've done it with one of my wife bucks. I don't see that it violates any TX law or is even close to unethical.

RE: wounded deer.....what would you do?
 

I have done the following:

1) be patient and wait for it to expire since it was an excellent shot.

2) Shoot again. This will waste more meat.

3) Bull dog the deer and slice its thoat since it was a complet pass though. I did this in my
younger days and had the living ba-geeus kicked out of me at times with the hooves and
racks and even the knife thrown from my hand on one occassion.

Every situation is different and you use what is applicable in that particular situation. Sometimes it ain't always pretty.
As far as the deer looking at you, I'm not even going to go there. Bobby

RE: wounded deer.....what would you do?
 

Obviously, the excellent shot proved wrong once you encountered the deer still alive after an hour. Rarely does an animal live longer than 8-10 seconds after a double lung pass through or 8-10 mins. after a vital-area pass through.
If it were me, I'd let the deer lay and resume the tracking early the following morning. Bring your bow though because you might have to follow up with another shot.

RE: wounded deer.....what would you do?
 

Lets not discuss how the shot was vs the shot call. Thats moot at this point.

Let me assume(many bowkills and years of hunting with a large group) that if the deer was not dead then it also is not bleeding much. Which will mean that if it lays there long enough it will probably be clotted up enough that when it stands to move again hours later it will leave no trail. At least not at first. And that may allow the animal to escape to die and never be located.

You have the bird in hand so to speak, finish the job. No one cares about wasted meat(did that once and it took us almost 24 hours to find the buck dead and the meat was almost totally ruined-- we had the chance to shoot him again where he fell before he got up.......). You started this and even though none of us are perfect, you need to end it as quickly as you can.

Jeff

RE: wounded deer.....what would you do?
 

I would have backed off, left the woods, and came back the next morning.

RE: wounded deer.....what would you do?
 

Just to let everyone know I did recover the deer the next mornig in the exact spot where I last saw him. I agree withyou roost I had the bird in hand, I just wasn't comfortable making a bow shot after dark. I stated the shot was excellent, maybe I should have said I made a good shot. The deer, slightly quartered 10 yards away in a ravine, making me about 28 feet up from the deer. I am about 18 feet off the ground the 10 foot ravine made me a little high at 28 feet. The arrow entered right behind the front shoulder, and came out between the front legs. So I was wrong in saying an excellent shot, but it was not a bad shot by any means. I am just wanting some ideas as to what other bowhunters would do. Keep the posts coming. Thanks

RE: wounded deer.....what would you do?
 

Here in Mi. it is illegal to carry bow or gun after dark unless you are walking to or from your blind.

RE: wounded deer.....what would you do?
 

Shoot again...and again...and again until you're empty.[8D] Then go back and find another arrow or two and shoot again.... and again. And when you've lost all your arrows or broken them trying to get them out of trees, use your safety belt to hook em up and tie 'em off to a tree(warning.... don't be attached to the other end) Then slit the buggers throat with your knife. Sit down and LYAO and start guttin' and draggin'.:eek::eek: I've heard of things like that happening.[&:][&:] I've also "heard" that an arrow bouncing off an antler in the dark makes sparks.[&:] I've also heard it's hard to hold a flashlight in your mouth and shoot a bow.