bigwayne119

Finally did find a faint blood trail that went from about 55 yards to 100 yards from the hit with small droplets and splatter about every 15 feet and then it just ended at the edge of the corn at a ditch bank. No more trail after looking for an hour and a half more. I think this deer may just live to see another day and the one that I jumped may have been it. If it was, it's a shame because it looked way bigger today. After twenty four hours if it is dead somewhere it is spoiled anyway so I think I am just going to call it. I have been looking fourteen hours and two friends could not find any more blood. Time to wait a week or so to let things calm down and hope the buck doesn't leave the property.

fastetti

Sounds like you really gave it your all so you shouldn't be upset. If you had a pass through on both lungs, the deer would have been dead and with how far away you still found blood I'm thinking that you misjudged where you hit the deer. I had blood like that on a neck shot (I'm pretty sure at least). Searched for that deer for two days and never found him. Sure enough, late the next summer I got him on camera. Three years later and I'm still getting pictures of him and really want to get him to see the scars where that arrow hit.

If you want, I'd go out the next few days and see if you can see crows or vultures circling anywhere.

In bowhunting, it happens. You just need to learn from your mistakes and practice, practice and practice some more. Good Luck on the next one.

FlDeerman

You gave it your best try.If it lived great,if not then it's food for the buzzards and coyotes.Watch from a distance and see if you see buzzards circling.

Mojotex

If it was hit where you say, it is dead. More than likely the chest cavity filled with blood before the deer dropped, not leaving much of a blood trail. Go back in and look up about deer chest high along the route the deer ran through the corn. Might be some smears. Other than that, know of someone that has a blood tracking dog? Not sure if that is legal up your way, but worth a try.

About the only other scenario that comes to my mind is that the shot was higher than you think ... and could be a pass through that missed both the lungs and the artery that runs just beneath the spine. There is a narrow space in there that broad head can compleely miss. I have seen that before a few times.

grinder67

when Im faced with this issue and all else fails I always check water sources (creeks, ponds and rivers) in the area. Seems like wounded deer will head for water or the thickest nastest cover they can find. I will check these areas even if the last direction of the deers travel wasnt headed in that direction.

Wilcam47

I have shot a deer in that zone...or close to it...it somehow missed the lungs but was in the spine..and the only drop I found was a speck...

daddus1

Bigwayne,
I hunted Delaware for 12 years, lost our lease last year.
Go to the closest tax ditch , put on your hip boots and that is my suggestion. They will go to water when hit.
IMHO
daddus

hycohounds

deer dont just head to water when hit. deer want to put as much distance between the spot they were hurt and them. most of the time they head in the path of least resistance which is down hill most of the time and water is down hill most of the time. if all deer head to water when hit then just hunt over a creek or pond and they will never run off. sounds like you did your best looking for the deer. my quess and its only my guess that either you didnt hit it as good as thought or he's dead somewhere.......tony