Phade

I hit a solid 8 pointer. Bad news, it was a poor hit. Worse news, It was only a 10 yard shot.

Appears I have performed my first gut shot. The shot was at last light, and I retrieved my arrow, but could not find blood on the ground with the small (single led bulb...a mini-mini flashlight!).

After the shot,I realized it was a gut shot and wanted to leave him be. This is where I hit a dilema. I'm mentoring a younger 17 yr old hunter, who's in his first year of serious bowhunting. He has no hunting family and friends. So, I'm taking up the role of mentor to him.

Since the shot was literally last light, I couldn't wait too long til I had to get down. I had to go get the kid, as I told him I would do (He was 400 yards away in a different block of woods). The deer hung around about 40 yards from me, but I couldn't see it. So, after only about 5 minutes it was complete darkness. I had no choice but to come down to go get the kid before he got worried.

As I got down,the buckhad to have heard, or seen me as all I could hear was him leaving the woodlot, and running smack into a 25 acre UNCUT corn field. That's what really has me worried.[:@]Little blood sign in a full uncut cornfield that has 6 inches of standing water in it = me being very worried.

I looked at the arrow at home to try to get a better idea of what the damage was. Initially, the shot in my mind as I replayed it was so poor I convinced myself I only hit it with one blade of my braodhead. Only one vane has enough blood to look casually and see it. On inspection at home, I now know the arrow did fully go through the buck. Very little blood though. It has the faintest hint of the famed gut smell. I have more white than brown hairs on the arrow. None of the blades are broken, meaning it didn't meet bone. I'm trying to determine if I've got anystomach/gut content on the shaft, but I can't convince myself either way. It clearly has what looks to be dried fat residue on the shaft on the last half. The front half of the arrow has little blood, and little anything on it. The broadhead impacted 2-3 inches in the soft dirt, cleaning any signs up there. The buck did mule kick. But since I could see it was a poor shot so fast, I was in shock, and didn't check to see if his tail was raised/lowered, and I didn't pay attention very wellto the path he took away from me.

So essentially, I feel like I'm up the creek without a paddle.

I'm sick I made a poor shot. I have to deal all night with this. If I don't find him, I'll be unhappy because I know that deer is in pain, and only God knows what will happen to it. Even if I do find him, I'll still be unhappy that I made such a terrible shot. In hindsight, I believe I dropped my left arm as I released the arrow. Such a rookie mistake for me.

WNY Bowhunter

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Don't get down on yourself...its just one of those things that happens sometimes. If you bowhunt long enough your bound to make a bad hit or two. You're doing the right thing by leaving him overnight. Good luck finding him.

BTBowhunter

My guess is that you may have burned it under his belly. If he hung up at 40 yards he may have guts herniating. Fatal for sure and he wont likely go far before laying back down. I would say that if you cant find ant blood or other sign, a tedious grid search of the standing corn ought to find him. Don't beat yourself up over it. It happens to all of us if we've been bowhunting long enough.

Phade

Any idea what the fat-like residue is from? There's no chunks of it, it simply looks like liquid fat that's dried a cloudy white.

BTBowhunter

That'd likely be the subcutaneus (under the skin) layer of fat. The fact that it seems to be on one side of the arrow is what leads me to believe you may have simply split his belly open.

Deleted User

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BTBowhunter

The mule kick could also mean a low hit.

Phade

That was my interpretation. I believe it was surely a low hit.

BTBowhunter

If the hit is low enough that he has herniated guts coming out, hecouldbe real sick but may not be dead in the morning. I dont know NY law but if Sunday hunting is legal, take your bow and move slowly. He might be barely able to get up. Be ready to give him another dose!

A word of encouragement, One of my best bucks was just such a hit. An unseen branch (last light) deflected my shot. I was only 40 yards from the edge of a steep hill that he went over. I had heard the classic "crash" so I peeked over the hill in time to see him cross a road at the bottom of the hill. We found him stone dead but warm the next morning about 40 yards past where he crossed the road.

SteveBNy

It happens - get some sleep - you will need it in the morning.

Good chance it only went into the corn far enough to feel safe and bedded. Start close with a grid and he should be there,

Good luck
Steve