Well I preety sure I gut shot a buck tonight. I originaly thought I missed. When I released the arrow it sounded like I hit the log in front of the deer but after I got down and inspeted my arrow it had some hair ( white with brown on the ends) not alot, it was coated with what looked like tallow or fat,and kind of slimey with alittle bitof blood. Notreally any food partiles though and it didnt smell that bad. When I saw the arrow I backed out and left. Before I got out of the tree I spooked a deer coming from the opposet side that the buck ran. I dont think the deer I spooked was the same deer. After the shot the deer troted off slowly with his tail up. i didnt notice him hunched up or running off with his tail down like most gut shot deer do. hopfully I will find him in the morning. Any advise on the shot and traking would be great. i know I have a hard track ahead of me.

Thanks

well it sounds like you already did the right thing by backing out. Go back and look for him in the daylight, usually a gut shot deer will find a thick place nearby to hole up. If the shot hit something fatal hopefully he died peacefully in his bed over the night. Just got nice and slow when you are tracking him, if you don't find a lot of blood (or for that matter, any blood) you will have to make a grid and just search for him by sight.

First of all, you did the right thing by backing out. I promise you that deer probably didn't go more than 100 yrds. before he laid down. My advice is to wait until its been day light a couple hours and get on the trail. You will find blood but its going to be sparse. Don't give up!!!! If you did hit him in the guts he will be dead and you should be able to find him.

If there is any water sourcenearby (ie. creek ,pond, ect.) That's where I would look if there is no trail. They will almost always seek out water(if there not dead)because of fluid loss.

Good job on backing out.Go back in the morning and start looking. If no blood, start a grid search. And dont give up. I found an eight point last year about 900 yards from where I shot him by grid searching. Walked a ton, but it payed off.
-Jake

Did the deer run for acouple seconds then walk? Did he hunch his back and tuck his tail? Usually when you gut shoot a deer they wont run real far before goign to a walk.