shot a buck tonight

T

TylerT

Guest
I shot a buck around 5:30 tonight. I waited an hour before I started tracking him. I got about hundred yards into the blood trail and it started raining for a good hour. The area I shot the buck heavy forest with lots of vegetation. I'm sick to my stomach thinking I'm not going to find him. I cut my tag after being rained on for a 2 hours. Should I go back again in the morning for one last try at finding him? What would you do?
 
Yes, absolutely go back and look. You will never know if you don't go back and look around. You owe it to yourself and to the buck do whatever you can to find him dead or alive.

Best of luck in your efforts.

jdh
www.muleyphotos.com
 
Get your Ass back up there bright & early & Recover the Animal!

For GAWDS Sakes Guys,We Got Kids on this Site,Some of them are 65 years Old!:D

I don't care if they're big or small!
If they throw lead I like em all!
:p
 
What kind of blood were you finding? Where do you think you hit him? While you were tracking him, did he seem to move in one general direction? Definately go back in the morning. he may not be too far from where you last saw blood. I have found a few animals just by going off general direction they seemed to be traveling when the blood trail dried up. Good luck and don't give up!
 
Take a minute and read robiland's post. Get back up there and stick with it.

Hawkeye

Browning A-Bolt 300 Win Mag
Winchester Apex .50 Cal
Mathews Drenalin LD
 
It is a NO brainer, you get out there and look...and look some more.

I can see that deer bedding down to get out of the rain, so he may not be right out in the open.

Good luck.


48696fc97cd60c01.jpg
 
I shot a little far back. I found some good blood for about 50 yards. Then the rain started and nothing. When I left there was still some blood on the leafs but not much. He ran up hill and I tracked him about a hundred yards and lost blood. I'm going to head back and do a 50 circle and look for anything possible.
 
Might consider bringing a dog with you if you think you made a fatal shot(if its legal in your area of course). When you go back, analyze the foot tracks if you can find them. Look for a limp, progressively shorter strides, sloppy footing, etc. You might be able to tell how bad he is wounded.
 
I hit him about a few inches behind the shoulder. I found a little guts on my arrow. What's the chance of him dieing with a gut shot?
 
I headed up the hill about 50 yards to see if I could find anything but I couldn't find anything
 
dono what the chances of him dying quickly from a gut shot are but I would think that he would bed down not far from the shot if he was indeed hit in the guts... Just going off what I have seen while rifle hunting. But I say get out there early and hit it hard! Like I said he may not be dead but maybe close to and not too far away... Best of luck
 
Check more than just 50 yards. If there is a thick patch of brush or trees within a few hundred yards make sure to check there. Check around nearby water sources. Cover the area really well. This last saturday my friend hit a cow elk in the guts and lost blood after about 70 yards. Long story short I found her in a small pine patch 5 hours later and about 450 yards away. Dont give up that quick just because there is no blood to follow.
 
he went uphill? when hit hard they almost always go downhill,,,,, any water close by? like a creek ,,,, he wont want to cross if hit hard ,,,,,,, get back up there and keep looking
 
I have seen HARD hit deer/Elk go uphill, downhill and side hill
Watched a doe swim the Missouri about halfway she crossed a sandbar then started swimming again before she just sink, I bet he's is dead and with in a 1000 yds of where you last saw him.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
 
Yeah there is a drainage. I'm not sure how far he went up hill. He may of changed direction.
 
>I hit him about a few
>inches behind the shoulder. I
>found a little guts on
>my arrow. What's the chance
>of him dieing with a
>gut shot?


If you shot him a few inches behind the shoulder, then you wouldn't have any guts on the arrow.
 
Are you related to Ben Thompson? Tyler Thompson. I believe we are dealing with another of "these" posts. He followed it up 50 yards?
 
50 Yards boss. REally.... Get up there every damn day till the hunt closes and how bout expand that 50 yards to a few miles. Get on your hands and knees and find the blood. There is something on that ground with some blood on it.
 
I'm guessing you meant 50 yards in the dark. I bet you find him this morning piled up close by. Good luck.
 
Well I gave it hell all morning. Hiked up and down and all around the hill side...about a hour and a half into trying to find any blood what so ever I couldn't find anything. So I decided to head in the direction I last seen him last night. About 300 yards that direction I jumped him out of his bed in the thick pines. I waited for a good 20 minutes after looking where he was bedded and found no blood then followed him out of the pines. I got within 400 yards of him this morning but he was very spooked and I couldn't put a stalk together. He didn't act like he was hurt at all. I just don't understand it. I thought I made a decent shot. My arrow really didn't have any blood on it and kind of looked like I made a gut shot. after going to the brush my arrow was in I found that some of the brush had stuck to the blood. I know it's the same buck I found this morning because I have been watching him for the last month now. It just blows me away he is alive and acted like he never was even hit. Do you think I just knicked him good?
 
Keep on him. Sounds like you did not hit a few inches behind the shoulder. Can you see blood on him where the arrow hit? I would recommend sticking with him. If you hit him in the guts they can live for a while. Try to get another arrow in him. You owe it to that deer to finish the game. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
I would say to keep on him maybe he will give you another chance but you said you cut your tag that day after it rained on you. so technically now you would be hunting with out a valid license.

Maybe try calling the DWR and tell them the situation and see what they will do.Good luck.
 
If you made a gut shot your arrow would stink. If it is greasy with very little blood and no smell you likely just caught some fat on the brisket. If it was a gut shot you need to find him. If it was the brisket he will be fine.
 
Since he only ran 300 yards from where you shot him and he bedded for at least 15 hours (???), I am guessing it was a gut shot. If it was brisket, I think he would have moved more than that. There is that sweet spot above the lungs and below the spine as well where they could live if hit, but I would think he would have gone farther than that as well.

I'm guessing here, but maybe it was all intestines and no stomach?

Does this buck wander much or does he stay in the same area mostly? If he stays close to the same home turf, he might end up staying pretty close and might actually return soon and give you another shot.
 
Spend the day looking if that's what it takes. Watch for ravens and magpies they find dead deer pretty quick.


Government doesn't fix anything and has spent trillions proving it!!!
Let's face it...After Monday and Tuesday, even the calender says WTF!
 
?I would say to keep on him maybe he will give you another chance but you said you cut your tag that day after it rained on you. so technically now you would be hunting with out a valid license.

Maybe try calling the DWR and tell them the situation and see what they will do. Good luck. ?

I called the dnr yesterday and explained to them what had happened with this buck. I had an officer meet with me and sign off on my tag. I should have never cut the tag until I was certain. The buck has been staying in the same basin and was still in the same area last night. He doesn't act like he has been hit at all. I watched him out feeding for a good hour but just can't put a good stalk on him where he has been feeding. I'm going to keep on him and hopefully seal the deal in the next few days. Wish me luck because I'm going to need it!
 
Are some of you not reading the followup posts the OP is making? He has been back and says he watched the same buck feeding in the area for over an hour. Obviously the deer did not go off and die from a bad hit if he's up feeding a day or two after the shot!
 
Our TWO posts are dated prior to Tyler's last post stating that. His showed up higher in the thread because he replied to another post above ours. Guess it was non-fatal.
 
hell ya man get back out there and find you buck

"Better to dwell in the wilderness, Then with a contentious and angry women Proverbs 21:19)
 
Good luck TylerT.

You'll never find the tough ones if you quit.

I spend over an hour and a half looking for a downed dove, yesterday. I finally found it. You'd have thought I'd just found a 200" buck by the way I acted.
I HATE losing stuff and will go to great lengths to find my critters.

Zeke
 

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