Well, today I finally gotwhat I thought was a perfect broadside shot on a doe. Only the third deer I've seen so far this season. Instead, I have a gut shot deer somewhere in the woods.[&o]To say I'm bumming would be a gross understatement, I still can't quite believe it. [:@]
I watched this doe feed for an hour and a half before I finally got her in range (20yrds) and broadside. The tree I was in had some low hanging branches with vines. When she got in an opening I lined up my scope on her lung area,everything looked perfectly clear and I fired. I really thought I had a perfect shot except it sounded like my bolt hit a leaf. Like I say when I looked through the scope everthing looked clear, I guess I was wrong!
I still was convinced I made a perfect shot. I waited 15mins to come down quietly to look for my bolt. I was so convinced I had a great hit that I got my camera out to take pics when I found her! What I found was my bolt with stomach fluid and some white hair on it! Un fricken real!!![:@]
I had watched her run and she stopped about 40yrds outtwitching her tail. Classic gut shot actions I guess. So I backed out and left the woods. I know not to push her so I'm hoping she bedded down quickly. Hopefully I will find her in the morning. I'm not used to messing up shots like this.
I marked the spot I last saw her visually, so thats where I'll start in the morning. Any helpful advice would be appreciated guys![&o]

Well sorry to hear that bud! The only thing I could add is search long and hard! The deer deserves it! Some guys search in a circle pattern, but I find that easy to not know what you have covered. I break areas up in a grid style pattern and have a better chance of covering the ground evenly. I give my hat off to ya for not pushing the deer. I think the vast majority of deer not found are do to the hunter jumping out of the stand and going hot on the trail. Good job for showing restraint. Keep us updated and let us know how it goes in the morning.

Take a small bottle with a sprayer on it filled with peroxcide. Spray onto what looks like blood on leaves, pine needles or twigs. This time of year red is on leaves, so if it bubbles with the spray, it's blood. You did right for backing out until morning early. Good luck finding her man.
BBO

You dide right by backing out. I did tht last year with a git shot and she was close by the next morning....but the yotes or foxes had taken a few bites during the night[:@] If she didn't run when you slipped out the she will likely lay down quickly and be within 50 to 100 yards.

Mitch

aye it's a sickening feeling bro, has happened to me too. i want to echo the fact that you did the right thing to get out of there. if not pushed...they'll usually bed soon. don't forget, there is sign other that blood. i found a gut shot deer the next day by following the slim sign and the green blow flies that apperentely found the unseen slime on the ground. use all your wits and give it your very best shot at recovery....wish i could help. good luck bro.

a kid that we know shot a deer in the guts, we got like 15-20 guys together from school, all hardcore rednecks like me lol. we walked around lookin for blood with our hunting knives open in hand incase we had to jump on it. we ended up finding it and when we walked up to it, it was still alive. one of the guys dove for it but missed, it ran over a ravine side and died at the bottom. luckily we found it but it's good to be calm and go in the morning. what kind of broadhead were you using? if it had a big diameter head it may have inflicted enough damage to cause it to die in it's bed. it may have died of shock also. good luck and keep us posted, look hard, i dont want to hear about 1 hour tracking jobs

Squirrell, I was using a 100gr Spitfire. Could that leaf have made that broadhead open prematurely?

No point in second guessing yourself but yes analyze the situation. You knew that this wasn't going to be easy. You got prepared for everything and thats why you backed off and are doing the right thing. I would feel as horrible as you are feeling right now but you know as well as I do, this is called hunting not killing. Buddy came up with a good idea but you need help and you also have to put someone in charge and listen to him. You need an organized search.

i dont think so..most of time when a bad shot happens ,you hit back towards gut area..from what i see ,a crossbow is a heavy bow to use.. i noticed that sitting in chair which i did to simulate being in treestand,if i moved just a hair do to wobble in my arms, arrow shot way off from center..so, if you do not hold bow tight and steady from tree, i am willing to bet arrow could be off..arrows can deflect on branch,leaf possibly..

what i did find while sighting these bows in ,if i just aim and squeezed the trigger, i hit bulleyes much better.. if i took my time and aimed thru scope, i was off..same with a gun..if you see target and shoot, you do much better than sitting there aiming for a minute..

on deer,it should not be far away..injured deer usually go down hill and if water, thats where she will head too.if you saw white hair, you hit real low on belly..most of time i missed a deer from treestand,i always shot TOO LOW..some of bucks i missed JUMPED ,it was not me, ha..good luck, i am kucky, it has never happened to me but my kids it did..kids get excited and dont place shot in boiler room..

last bit of advice, a wounded deer will also head INTO wind..if you can remember which way wind was blowing,thats big help..i am always testing wind,hope you did too..take care

I dont think it would, i shot 125 spits and it takes a bit of a push with my fingers to get them to open without fireing them. open one with your fingers and you'll see it'd take a blow of a good sized limb to do anything that would affect the opening of the broadhead. are you using the kinetic or the old banded heads?