I shot a doe and cant find a blood trail. HELP!
 

I was hunting today here in Fort Stewart Georgia,after walking for about an hour through thicket I cam to a small opening and saw a little bit of movement. Well to my surprise considering I thought I was going to jump some hogs walking through here I saw some does feeding on some little red berries. They were about 40 yards in front of me. So I took a knee and sized up all three doe. I shot the largest one and she fell to the ground and flailed for a minute then once her other 2 doe friends took off running she got up and bolted. She ran into some thicket and I went to the spot where I hit here to see if I could find some blood but there was none and I couldnt find any on the thicket. What should I do? This is my first time hunting without my father with me and he taught me how to track but this is the first time I havent dropped a deer where it stood. Any help will be appreciated.

get some of the flagging tape sold at walmart, etc for marking trails (its usually florescent red or green), and best as you can go back and mark where you were when u shot, where the doe went down, and the last spot you saw her at. From there just try and get a line of travel....think like a wounded animal, they usually run downhill or what ever is easiest.....reference the line the tape is making and mark any new clues you come across (blood, trampled grass, tracks). Good luck

You described the classic loin hit. They drop instantly, flail for a second or two, regain their feet and run off. Most of these deer are not recovered unless a second shot puts them down before they can run off. For this reason I am always suspect of deer that drop instantly.

There is a chance that the bullet deflected and got some lung, or perhaps a chunk of bone blew into the lungs, so give it a thorough search.

I had this happen to me on a buck in SD. I shot he dropped, my brother and I were high fiveing each other and the buck jumped up and ran away. We were on the prairie so we watched where he went, obviously running hurt. We left him for the night and went to where we last saw him the next day. He was bedded with his head up, but moving very slow. I shot him in his bed to anchor him. When skinning him out, my first shot hit high in the front end and was close enough to shock his spinal cord but not kill him. Hopefully my story will help in some way. Good luck, I hope you find her!!

As ScottyCoyote said, try to get a line of travel. Look for deep tracks made by running deer. A wounded deer usually isn't gracefull and will leave deep erratic tracks when it is trying to keep up with other deer. Look for broken brush, hair, blood spray and contact blood high on trees and brush. Sometimes animals don't start bleeding right away. Make 1/2 circles, increasingly larger looking for any sign. Don't forget your nose! I have found several deer, especially bucks, by smelling them first. Can you use dogs there?

Some bloodtrails I have followed took a while to get started. If you only went to that thicket and did a quick scout in there then go back and do a good deal more looking. I also live in Georgia and we have a very large cold front coming in now as im sure your aware. This may effect your deer and help you find her. She will run down hill, sometimes close to water and will be hunkered down in the thickest stuff in some low spot to avoid the wind. Thats My guess if I were in your shoes...

it sux when this happens, a wounded deer running around out there, or laying dead to never be found...all ya can do is keep looking...i would use my dog, but not everyone has that option....look in the paper, usually a dog in there fer hire. i wouldnt believe the downhill thing, as i seen em go every which way. dont go messin up the sign by jumping ahead....you should be on your hands and knee's looking..not standing up walkin all over lookin round.

i have seen them not blead untill about 50 yards and then start gushing look at point of shot and start doing grid serches if no blood there. theres blood somewhere if it fell down

Did you think you would find the doe playing on your computer ?
You'll do more to find your deer staying out looking for it closer to where you shot it than you will soliciting for "help" from forum members who could be thousands of miles away.

Just sayin..............

dont beat the guy up over it he is trying to do the right thing..... to the OP keep looking and hopefully you will find her