Posted: 11/10/2008 7:08:14 PM EDT
Soooo I made a poor shot on a deer tonight. Not sure how, but I managed to arrow a nice buck in the neck tonight. I was concerned about it at first but had a very heavy blood trail for about 100 yards. Then it was hit and miss. We would find pin drops then lots of blood then back to pin drops. We just now called off the search for the evening. Going to head back in the morning and scan the area. Probably going to lose the the blood trail as it was raining when we left. Im not to optimistic about finding him but Im not giving up. 
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About 5 years ago, I shot a doe with a muzzleloader. It was a twenty yard shot, the deer took a few jumps, and by the time the smoke cleared, I couldn't tell exactly where she went. It had been raining, and it started again after I shot the deer. My buddy helped me look for about an hour, we were hundreds of yards out from the shot. I was headed back to my truck for a couple of flashlights, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a patch of bright white fur. Turns out the deer only wentabout 30 yards after the shot. It's just the way she fell, folded up, right next to a patch of briars, We looked right over her many times. Hidden in plain sight.
I guess my point is, don't overlook the smallest of areas, it's amazing how well they can blend in. 
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| Most deer will head downhill toward water. I used to think it was old timer BS but I have definitely noticed a pattern. My guess is the deer will be within 50yds of your last mark. It was probably standing still from exhaustion and causing large areas of blood. Then you'd spook it and it would run a little ways and repeat. Good luck. PICS! |
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Good luck man, I hope you find him.
I made a bad hit last year on a bruiser. I looked for 3 days. Friend of mine sent me a pic of a monster he shot on Saturday that he planned to get mounted. I took one look at the rack and told him when he caped it out to see if there was a broadhead tucked behind it's right shoulder blade. He thought I was nuts.....but guess what! It's amazing what they can endure, although if hit in the neck, I'd think it was promising for you if methodical in your search. Hopefully he laid up and bled out. I wish you the best. |
Well after a long search today we didnt find him. Rain destroyed all blood trails and a thurough search yielded nothing. Got my hopes up at one point, we saw some antlers sticking up, but it ended being a skull and horns from a deer killed/dying a while back. Was a pretty decent 7 but not what i was looking for..... Maybe someone will stumble upon him this weekend......who knows
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Chances are good that the buck survived. I found this on a deer-tracking website once:
A neck-shot deer will either die in 100 yards or he will recover from the wound. The lower portion of the neck contains the windpipe, neck bone (spine), and carotid (jugular) arteries. If the arteries are hit, the deer will run hard and drop in less than 100 yards. The blood trail will be easy to follow. A shot above the neck bone will give you a good blood trail for about 150 to 200 yards before quitting. The deer will more than likely recover to be hunted again.
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Quoted:
Chances are good that the buck survived. I found this on a deer-tracking website once: A neck-shot deer will either die in 100 yards or he will recover from the wound. The lower portion of the neck contains the windpipe, neck bone (spine), and carotid (jugular) arteries. If the arteries are hit, the deer will run hard and drop in less than 100 yards. The blood trail will be easy to follow. A shot above the neck bone will give you a good blood trail for about 150 to 200 yards before quitting. The deer will more than likely recover to be hunted again. Well that sounds a lot like my adventure. Hopefully he did survive but still stinks that it had to happen. |
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Sounds like you did due diligence in hunting for it. Three years ago, I made a bad shot on an 8 point, quit bleeding totally after 20 yards. Was a pile of blood where it had stopped in the edge of the woodline. Brought in a dog, it quit tracking after 50 yards. Me and an uncle gridded off 80 acres (very thick) and walked it out. I never did find any sign of the deer, never saw any buzzards. I still get sick at the thought of it.
I guess if I had any thing to tell you, it would be to don't let it get you down too much. It probably will live if shot in the neck, even if it doesn't, something will eat it. This is the kind of thing that will happen to every hunter sooner or later whether they hunt with stick/string or 300 Win Mag. Everybody loses some. I've killed over 100 (lost count now), and have lost 3 now. Two of those were bow shots, one was 30-06. FWIW, I've killed 23 with bow including those 2 that were lost. Depressing everytime it happens. |
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It happens sooner or later if you hunt enough. I lost an elk I shot with a 7mm "perfect broadside" shot. Well I found one spot of blood 20 yards from the shot them nothing. I searchrd for three days and nothing. A week later went back and found the birds on the carcase, 75 yards away! It had gone up hill with the herd then dropped into a canyon. It died under a low oak tree surounded by poisen oak. It made me sick but I learned a valuable lesson on tracking.
I applied that lesson to a bear my partner arrowed this year. First of give it an hour or two before starting to track. That is tough to do but extremely important. especially so with marginal hits. Start with what you know, where the shot was. follow and mark the trail on your hands and knees if nessesary. We were finding single hairs when we got down to ground level. Use baby wipes to wipe leaves. Blood shows up very well on the wipes. Don't track using assumptions. The bear we tried to find for two hours had actually gone 120 deg from where the shooter thought it had gone. If you are happy that you have done your best in your seach then that is fine. Noone else can say what should have happened or did happen. Life goes on. |