Wounded Deer Tonight 10/18 Your Thoughts?
 

Hopefully you guys can give me a little help tonight. Got out of the woods a little bit ago and haven't had this situation bow hunting yet (Only a few years bowhunting but gun hunting for 20 yrs).

After a 3 months of nothing on my trail cam other than a few small bucks and not one doe, tonight a huge 10 pt comes in...and well to save the story since there is no deer to speak of, I took a shot close to sunset. In short, it was a 20 yard shot, broadside, (maybe a few degrees either way but no where near quarter towards me or away) but I believe it to be broadside. Well, I didnt get a good look at the hit but had the pin on his vitals and a tree blocking all of his stomach and guts so I don't believe I hit there. Well, After waiting 30 mins, got out of my tree and and after about 8 feet I find a broken arrow (picture below). I only went about 10 feet further with my flashlight and decided to back out. I didn't spot any blood in those 10 feet so I wasn't going to risk it and keep pushing. Since I can't give an accurate description on the exact spot of impact, I thought I'd show some pictures and see what everyone thinks. Its going to be a long sleepless night and a sick day at work tomorrow. Hopefully by the pictures some more experience bowhunters might be able to assist.

My thoughts (and mean really nothing) is that I went in a little forward, and the arrow hit the other shoulder bone, just a thought but haven't had an arrow break off before)

Also, I shoot #65 pd draw weight and 29 inch draw if that helps. Shooting thunderheads as well. Thanks everyone, I appreciate the thoughts.
Thanks everyone.

First Picture shows the penetration compared to my other arrow with brodhead. I have a light aroow drawn on the broken arrow to show where I have blood to then a few strands of hair.

Second picture is total length of arrows.

Third is the picture of the broken arrow with an arrow showing penetration (just a little closer)

I'm thinking the arrow penetrated the body to the opposite side and hit the inside of the shoulder, stopping the arrow. When he ran off he snapped the shaft off.

Check your PMs

From the looks of the arrow I would say you have a dead deer out there. I'm going to guess about 60 yards from impact. Good luck! The reason for no blood could be the broken arrow plugging the hole!
Live it up! Doug

I agree with both of these, that looks a lot like my arrow from my buck last year, and both of those are true as to what happened. Went in, hit the ribs on the otherside (after penetrating thick muscle infront of the left front shoulder) and after about 10 yards I found a broken arrow, and after about 60 yards, my buck.

First of all good move backing out, when in doubt PULL OUT!!!! HAHA I really just thought of that. Looking forward to seeing some pictures but goodluck!!!! Where in Chicago are you? Im in Algonquin.

I wouldnt wait until after work, I think I would be calling in sick, and getting out there early in the morning. Good Luck, cant wait to see pics.

Yotes, yotes and more yotes.....

Call in with workitis... or anal glocoma=cant see ur a$$ goin in tomorrow and go get ur dead deer!!!

Calling in would be my choice too! Missed class today and work in order to track my deer. No way i could handle going into work. Nice job on the buck. Should be piled up not too far away.

LOL.. That's funny.
When I shot my elk a couple tears ago.I shot it on a Saturday morn off the Hope Princeton Highway. Took it to the butchers in Princeton.
Went back to Kamloops my home town.I phoned work the next night and told them I was going to Abbotsford to get the thing mounted. And I wouldn't be back till Tuesday. Nobody calls in sick at my work, being sick is a sign of weakness. Man up, tell them you have an wounded animal to find and you won't be back till it's found.
Hell, maybe the whole place will shut down and they will all be out there looking for ya. But yeah don't call in sick for something like this.
Your not gonna lose your job over that. That's a promise.But you will lose your job getting caught in a lie.

Be there at first light, you owe it to the deer, the sport and yourself! (we expect pics too)

Even first light, don't expect the deer to be good. Tracked a buddies deer from 7PM to 11PM Sat. night. Came back in the AM and found the deer, meat was loud.

Got down to 45F that night and we found him in water half way. He wasn't puffed up or anything. I took out the inner loins thinknig I would have dinner. Stunk up the house aweful. Fed em to the dogs. Butcher wouldn't take the rest either.

I fully agree with the others, you'll have a dead deer on the end of what should be a short track job. If you have any 'yotes like we do down here in So. Il (And I know you do for I worked up there for 5 years) do not wait till after work!!!! Call a buddy or so if possible and take them along and call off work and go get your deer. Having others along (If you don't mind showing your hunting spot) to help track makes things much easier, extra eyes, ideas, and then the backs to help drag it out!!!! Been there, done that, have the racks to show it!!!

Wounded Deer
 

Tell me where your hunting spot is and I will find it for you.
(Just kidding) I don't think I would wait for morning. The coyotes will take care of it for you.

Great penetration. I would say you buried in the opposite shoulder and you have a dead deer within a 100 yards.

Bowhunting is not like hunting with a gun. If you take a shot at dusk, you had better be able to follow through and that means tracking in the AM if necessary. If you're not willing or able to do that, don't hunt in the afternoon! This applies to any deer, let alone a "massive" buck.

I agree with others, the arrow penetrated to the opposite side of the deer and probably hit shoulder bone. Most likely a dead deer within 100 yds especially since you did not push it.

What does gun hunting have to do in this situation? I have seen countless deer shot with a gun that ran just as far as deer shot with an arrow. Are you saying every deer shot with a gun magicaly drops in its tracks?

2 lunger - I think it was meant as a generalization, though you do have a good point. Generally speaking the deer don't go as far, although there are exceptions. I think the point was to plan ahead. In any case, I'd be out looking for that deer.

Absolutely. I'm sure he is after thinking about it all night.

Probably. I used Thunderheads this year and had a complete pass through in September (double lung) with very little blood trail. Turns out a chunk of fat or tissue plugged the exit hole.

Good luck finding your deer....sounds like he's probably dead. I'd take a vacation day and look this morning if you can.

Depends on where you work. Where I work, a 'sick' day simply means an unplanned vacation day. Doesn't actually mean you're sick, because you can use your PTO days for anything you want. ;)

the suspense is KILLING ME.

You def. have a dead deer not far away. Hopefully, the dogs didn't get to it too bad.

My point is, If you are hunting with a gun and decide to shoot a deer at dusk, and know that you are unable to trail in the AM if necessary, you can choose to shoot the deer through the shoulders or use a high shoulder shot to maximize the chance it will drop. I do the same thing when I'm hunting near a property boundary. In those situations, if I can't shoot to anchor the deer I don't shoot.

No, all deer don't drop magically, but if you know where to shoot and can hit what you aim at, a very high percentage of gun-shot deer will drop almost instantly.

This really can't be done reliably with a bow unless you try to hit the spine and that's not real practical.

From one uncle to another- well said unc, well said.

Well Im lucky in the way that if I can't make it to work, oh well.
Too bad to sad for them. It's one thing to shoot one and take time off to find the next morn and make up those lost hours by maybe working later, but to shoot one at all, knowing that your not gonna
put the forth the effort to find it until after work and the animal is wasted away is mind boggaling.I totally understand and know the best time to find big bucks is just before and after dusk.But people you have to think third dimensionally.If there is absolutely no way you can get out of work don't shoot.Hopefully he managed to do the right thing and take time off of work but to even suggest he was gonna look fir it afte. Is disappointing to read.

Even if a person does take off work the next AM and gets at it at 7AM, doesn't mean the animal is good.

I see some guys say they let a doe sit all night with a low of 55F and swear up and down its good, but I wouldn't eat it.

Nope it doesn't. But it shows you've taken responsibility about putting this first and foremost. If you put it last we as hunters are losing. Next thing you know, hunting will be banned on weekdays cause to many people can't look for their wounded and lost animals cause they have to work the next day.It's not out of the relm of possibilities.

should be seeing a post any second bout this deer he got..im guessin it went 40-100 yards..

what were the temps anyway.

A year or two ago, I would have agreed with you. But after having some kids, and a wife. I have learned that in life, there are more important things than deer. Lots more important. In this economy, keeping yourself gainfully employed, and your family with a roof overhead should and is priority number one. If you have a job where you feel its no big deal to make it in, fine. Good for you. Not everybody does.

And trying to judge folks, because of your fortunate circumstances is not right. I don't want to judge you Jeff. Maybe you have a bunch of kids, and a family to support and you make it happen even if you miss work or not. But not everyone does. There are more important things than a deer. And chances are, a spoiled deer.

And don't think I am just a slob hunter either. I spent 6 hours with a buddy Sat. night tracking and walked 3 miles on a road back to our truck. Spent the night at his house, drove an hour back and found the deer on Sunday AM. And the deer turned out to be spoiled anyway. Thru all this, I learned, that I would rather be home playing with my little boy. I glad I stuck it out with my buddy. And am sure one day I will ask for the favor in return. Just saying, there are more important things than a deer.

I would have went out after it at midnight if I new I could not get out in the morning. Would not want to waste something I made a decision to kill.

Thankfully I can get any time off if needed so I do not need to go through that. But I do go out after them after what I deem a required wait depending on the shot due to I hunt some spots with lots of yotes and if I need to track deer in the middle of the night so the thiefs do not get them that is what I do.

I have to agree with bigcountry on this one - it's a deer, let's try and keep that in perspective before we nail someone to the wall when we don't know if he did or did not go out at midnight, morning or after work.

It amazes me how fellow hunters impose their "holier than thee" ethics on someone who came here looking for advice. He obviously cares with all the pictures he took and posting them up for help, so give the guy a chance. He mentioned a "sick day at work". That can mean two things, sick worrying about the deer while at work or sick day taken to look for the deer.

I'm sure he didn't expect to wound the deer (mostly likely it's dead within 50 yards, no pass through so cavity had to fill up before blood on ground, that's why he didn't see any) and wasn't expecting a long track. I'll bet 99% of you would take that shot as well (no deer on cams in 3 months, huge 10 point shows up) and deal with the circumstances as they unfold as I am sure he his doing right now. I would have let the arrow go as well.

Yup, "DNR will ban hunting cuz no one looks for deer".......come down off your horse plz...If you hunt deer with a bow, this stuff is going to happen to everyone now and then, if you say not so for me, then you need to be on your own TV show rather than posting your greatness here...giddy up cowboys.

I havn't nailed anybody to the wall yet.
Understand the totally the economy thing.
But if work us so important that you can't follow through,
why shoot.Its not alot to suggest. I have passed on shots
cause I had to go home that afternoon and new if I killed ut my wife
would kill me. Passed on shots cause it was day of a 10 day moose hunt and didn't feel like rearranging the trucks around to get the animal in a truck. That's my point.I hope he finds it this afternoon.
Just disappointed he was doing it afterwork that's all.
I am happy he is looking for it trust me I am.
I hope he finds it.

So let me get this right. In your head, if someone has to work tomorrow, he shouldn't hunt espeically since you don't approve?

I just want to know if he got the freaking deer.

Come on this is killin me. Did ya get it????????????????????????????

It's my opionion, it's not the law but yeah Big Country. My rule is if you can't kill, and find the goddamn thing, don't hunt.LOL. I stand behind it 110%.We can go on if you want I don't care. I hope he finds it, glad you where able to help a friend find his.It wasn't Charlies by the way was it.

Likewise. We need to have that happy ending...update please.

Nope, it was another poster named 95 harley. Charlie is leavin to CO tomorrow I think.

One think I have learned, is you can't take anything for granted bowhunting. Gunhunting, possibly, but not bowhunting. Like I said, 2 years ago, I would have agreed with all the holier than you judgements, but learned from experience, there's more to life than a deer.

Well as no one knows whether he got out last night, this morn or whatever......why not let it be for now?

Maybe everything is as good as it can be.

Maybe he just hasn't got tome to log back on

Yeah your right with the bow hunting thing.You can't take anything for granted hunting with that. I'm very impressed with how people can shoot one.I know one guy who can put an arrow in the Bulls eye (plus or minus a couple of inches) at 80 yrds away every time.moose hunting this year he shot us 6 grouse for dinner with his bow. He managed to take the heads off of every one of them.I won't do it cause I stink at putting arrows in the kill zone.In fact I missed the whole target and back board and lost 3 of his arrows.LOL Rifle though I miss nothing.

He probably got sick of the arguing and said screw it, so now he probably won't tell us lol.