I NEED HELP...Pic included
 

I shot this deer Sunday evening around 6:30 PM. He was about 20 yds broad side when I shot and it looked like a solid hit. After the shot he ran about 20 yds up the hill, stopped, tucked his tail, and walked slowly and unsteadily into the woods with his head down about 75 yds away. I almost thought he was going down within sight but he didn't. Shortly after, I checked my arrow and couldn't believe to find I gut shot him. I then backed out and waited until morning to find a short blood trail that didn't amount to much. We have spent 16 hours the last 2 days walking the entire area with no luck. Checked all of the creek bottoms and tried checking all downed tree tops. I don't think he's been dead long enough to smell and haven't seen any buzzards circling. I currently plan on waiting until this weekend and giving it another go since he will more than likely smell by then. I'm hoping he just burried himself under some brush and I have just been walking by him numerous times.

Couple questions...

First of all any advice?

Second a blood tracking dog would be useless since we have walked all over and it rained but does anyone have or know someone that has a cadaver dog for finding dead deer? The property I hunt is in the Cambridge OH area. I have read a lot of forums that say those dogs produce fairly good results. I would be willing to pay for the service then extra if he can find my deer.

I have never gut shot a deer before so any help would be greatly appreciated. Of course the one time it happens is on the biggest buck I've ever shot.

I didnt think Ohio had any Sunday hunts for another couple weeks?

Opening day was last Saturday. You've been allowed to hunt Sundays for years now.

Sounds like you are doing what you need to do. The key is staying at it. Sadly, he may not be dead yet. Depending on what you hit, he may die from an infection in his intestines.

Did you catch any liver by chance? i.e. dark blood on the arrow.

BTW, that's a DANDY buck!

And then he could heal up,watch for buzzards they might help you.

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.

One other thing I do when I track, is use my nose. I used to cut about 200 deer a year at my uncles butcher shop. And a dead deer has a smell (not a bad one, it's not a death smell. well at least not right away) that is very recognizable to me. Even 2 hours old, I can smell them. Just my lil trick. Found a doe for my dad with just my nose once. Then we found blood. After that we were both believers. Good Luck!

A gut shot deer is 100% going to die. Many times they will be near water because of fever. If you have a pond or creek near by take a close look. I would listen for coyotes to howl at daylight or dark as see where they are. They will find a kill and come together and feed on it. I saw them eat a full grown doe overnight once. It sounded like a lot of them when they started howling and they will finish it fast if so. If its been several days it may be eaten already.

Just a small spot of dark blood. The short blood trail I found was a little dark but not sure about liver. I really find it hard to believe it didn't catch something significant though. I swear the shot didn't seem that far back. I just can't believe it. I'm sick.

Thanks for the tips and I will try them all. I am afraid of the coyotes too and as I was walking out of the woods that night I could hear them howling. I almost thought about camping out on the hillside listening for them that night. I did walk out there at about 3 AM and listened for a while but never hear them. Since the meat would be bad anyhow it's just an antler recovery now. I just hope they don't destroy the rack.

ALSO...Anyone know if the buzzards will find dead animals if it's in the woods or mainly just the fields??

Thanks again.

I agree with water. That wound will "burn". He will head for water.

The carnivorous animals won't eat the rack. Only rodents and IMO it is too soon for them to do much damage.

Buzzards will normally find them in the woods as well as the open fields. Crows also. Good luck with your search as I know you are trying your best. That sure was a dandy buck!

Look for crows and vultures, they will both find dead animals in the woods. Hey man, I really hope you find the animal. I know the feeling your talking about, it sucks.. Keep on looking. If he didn't get bumped by you or other animals he probably didn't go all that far.. Like what was said before, water is a good place to look, creeks, swamps, drainage ditches etc etc.

listen for crows too...

Don't give up. He sure looks like a good buck. My dad always told me it could take 8 or more hrs sometimes for a deer to die after it's gut shot. If you didn't bump him and he had no clue as to what happened. He should have layed down quite fast. He may have circled back. I have lost deer in my younger years and found they had circled back behind my stand. Just a guess. Good luck.

It sounds like you are doing everthing right. Id say find the thickest, nastiest stuff you can find and get in there. Most likely he is in there if he isn't next to the creek or near any other water source. We've found more than one buck in spring in stuff you can barely crawl through. When we used to rabbit hunt public land every december you could always count on finding at least one deer in the thick briars and thorns. If you checked everywhere else, I'd try to pick out the nastiest stuff within 500 yards and grid search that. Good Luck, we've all been there!

We dont have any restrictions on hunting Sundays in Ohio...

Call in the dog

Sorry to hear about your buck and the gut shot... Crap truly does happen, especially in Bow Hunting! Personally, from experience of having to track deer that have been gut shot for friends and family look around the closest water source. That's where I always find them piled up. Good luck bro!

I am just guessing, but very dark blood probably indicates that yu cut the liver. It'll be a miracle if the deer survives a lliver hit.

Don't short change a good blood tracking dog. I have one ... rain, muck, us trampling around, etc. ... not an issue. If there is any blood, even miniscule, a good blood trailer should be able to keep the track going. I'd look very hard along the line on which he came in. Lots of time, a wounded deer will eventually head back from where it came. For sure you'll need to widen yuor visual search area and be very methodical. Good luck !

I have actually tried calling a couple guys with dogs that I found on the internet. Unfortunately they all say that the window of opportunity has passed for a dog. Are you anywhere in the Eastern Ohio area by chance? I would be willing to compensate you for your time if you think your dog could make a difference. Or if you know anyone else who is could you refer them to me??? Thanks again.

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.

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?

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.

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

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.