Whino83

I shot a very nice buck yesterday evening with my muzzleloader. He came in at about 30-40 yards broadside. Right as I was squeezing off the trigger he began to run. The crosshairs were about mid body. I assume liver hit. The deer bolted hard but was running "hurt" running over dead trees etc. where the deer stodd there was lots of hair and lots of very dark almost purple blood with small pieces of meat (looked like liver). I thought I heard the deer go down so I took up the trail. Blood was everywhere! I tracked him about 75-85 yards with a blood trail a blind man could follow when I heard a deer blow (very softly) I looked up and saw the buck bound off. I figured I'd walk to where it was standing and mark that spot and leave for the evening when half way there he jumped again only running a few yards before walking very "heavy footed". It was WAY to thick to shoot so a follow up shot was out of the question. It has rained all day yesterday so a deer walking shouldn't have made much noise so when it last walked away it was obviously hurt bad by the sounds it was making. I went home and have been up ALL night worried sick. As soon as my sister comes to watch my daughter this morning I am heading out. If someone were to tell me that story and ask my advice I would think "the deer was jumped twice and only went a short distance, he's hurt, go back the next morning and get your dead buck!". But since this ones mine I'm having lots of doubts. What do you guys think? Btw I was using a 54 cal t/c hawken with a .530" round ball ball pushed by 90 grains of FFG.

Ridge Runner

acts like a liver hit, always fatal, they get sick fast and don't go far.
RR

Champlain Islander

I agree with RR but have on occasion seen a liver hit deer go for quite a long ways before tipping over. Good luck on finding it.

Ridge Runner

they do on occasion cover a lot of ground, if they don't bleed out due to a fringe hit on the liver, he's bleeding heavily, don't think he'll go far before bedding up. have a good feeling for recovery based on the OP's description.
RR

WV Hunter

The fact that you jumped him two times in a short period is good, he's hurt bad. I believe you will find him today not far from the last spot. Good luck, post the pics

Good rule of thumb is, if you know you made a bad hit...leave em lay. Liver/gut hits, the longer the better. Min 4hrs is my rule, longer if possible. They will usually lay down within a short distance. If left be, they will often die where they laid down initially.

MaineRida

This is great advice though it is harder and harder to do each year with so many coyotes about. Thirty years ago I wouldn't have thought twice.

Champlain Islander

That's the way it is here in Northern Vt. When I was a kid there weren't any coyotes. Today they are all over the place and actually are crossed with wolf DNA giving them some big sizes.

super_hunt54

Around here I've walked up on deer that I had hit less than an hour before and had half it's rear chewed out by yotes. Thats the bad part of bow hunting around here. Even with a perfect double lung you are risking yote damage. DRT doesn't happen to often with archery equipment.

Whino, from your description I'd have to agree with RR and the others. You have a deer down from a liver shot. I've seen them go for a long way with liver hits and I've seen them go 10 yards and lay down. If it was heading towards the direction of a water source that would be the first place I looked. Gut and marginal liver hit deer will 90% of the time head for water.

uncle matt

I don't think he went far either. You jumped him twice so the hurt is deep and he wants to lay down. My guess is you leaving relieved the pressure he was getting from you so he laid down and bled out.

If you don't find him in the area remember deer usually seek water when injured to make up for lost blood volume.

Good luck.

WV Hunter

Any luck finding him?