supaflav

The buzzards will find him without fail. I walked out to check the mail a couple of weeks ago and there was a buzzard standing across the street in my neighbors yard. I kind of paused, thinking what in the hell is he doing. There was a dead squirrel laying in their yard under the oak trees. It's amazing what they can find and even more amazing that the dogs didn't get after him.

Mojotex

DCFD - Unfortunately I am in SE Alabama! If I was up that way, I'd love to bring Mojo over for a try. I try to get him all the work he can stand. To give you an idea of what a good blood trailer can do, my pooch (Tex) tracked a gut shot buck some 1 1/2 +/- miles. The buck had been shot at about 1:30 p.m. We started in on the track at about 08:30 p.m. It had rained and sleeted all day, with 15-20 mph winds .... and was still sleeting hard when we headed out. We would have left it until morning but the shooter had to head back that night. The buck crossed the same shallow creek three times. We found it laying down in a firebreak a full section north from where it had been shot. Took Tex about 4 hours to find the deer. So some times, even in rainy conditions, the dog can keep the track going. Frankly I saw maybe three-four blood splatters on the ground and a few smears on the sides of sapplings the whole way. With out the pooch, no way we'd have recovered that deer.

Last year a good friend came by to see one morning about 10:00 a.m. Asked me if I'd bring Mojo (Tex passed 3 years ago) to track a massive buck he had arrowed the night before. It had rained off and on all night. The guy is a very accomplished hunter, but had lost the blood trail in the dark and rain. Took Mojo about 20 minutes.

I am not saying this to brag or to mean that in every case after rains can this be pulled off. But these two times it was.

Had any luck so far?

DCFD3512

Wow man that's incredible. It really is amazing what dogs can do. I wish you were closer as we have not found him yet. I have been out 3 full days this week and am going back down with a group of guys on Sunday. 1 1/2+ miles??? Wow that is really discouraging. I am just praying we will smell him on Sunday and realize we've been simply walking right past him all this time. It's been 5 days and I'm still sick about it. I just can't believe I may not find him. I wish I knew a guy with a great dog near by.

DCFD3512

After almost 30 hours in the woods searching I've given up. I'm really p*ssed.

NebBuckHunter

He might still be alive somewhere?? Bring ny dog out to the woods. My dog always seem to find the dead things....

wisbowhunter2009

Don't get down on yourself man.. More than likely if you haven't found him by now, he's still alive. I've gut shot 1 deer and tracked him and looked for him for a week and a half and never found him. Later that season i got a picture of him on trail cam doing well! good luck!

fastetti

I agree with Wisconbow, I put an arrow through my biggest deer ever 2 years ago. I searched for two days and never found him. About 50 yards from the shot I found about two softball size puddles of blood then nothing after that. I walked miles of CRP and even had a buddy come out with his dog and walk all the CRP. Unique thing was the area he ran into was surrounded by 6 foot fence with only a handful of areas where the fence was down. Never found him. From what I figured I hit him a litte far forward. Even found the arrow with 12 inches of Penetration with good blood on the arrow. Last year in October I was checking my cameras and there he was, one side slightly non typical as well. I was very happy he made it. You can even see what I believe to be a scar on his front shoulder/neck area.

All you can hope for now it that he made it. I have to say that I think he probably did. You did all you possibly can, more than a lot of people would have done. Don't beat yourself up too much, it's happened to everyone who has hunted enough.

Claude485

I'd check any hill or ridge. He's going to lay down and he'll want to see. I'd bet he's trying to go up, not down. He's going to die, there is no question. So like mentioned earlier, you're doing what you can.

ihookem1

They head for water. A shallow creek where he can lay down in a few inches of water. I followed a doe I shot ounce and found it drowning in water a bit too deep too keep her head up. It died in a few minutes.

MO-KS_hunter

I'd try setting a few trail cams up in the area that you think he might be and see if you can't catch him still limping along.