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Need Advice from you fanatics!

iatreehugger

iatreehugger

PMA Member
Here's the long story...short...had an olddd cull buck come by at 4:00...there was no way he was going to take the course he did...less than 5 yrds from the stand...he did...and he walked becauce he was so close then went straight away. Five minutes later, the same thing except this time the low 150's buck stopped at five yards and slightly quartered. I hit exactly where I was aiming...behind the front leg, but when the air stuck in the ground it was at a straighter angle down that I shot (I figured it hit the shoulder on the back side. The deer jumped at I got to watch him within 50 yrds for five minutes or more. I could not see any exit hole on the opposite side, and the arrow had some white hair on it. I'm guessing a single lung with an exit hole lower than I had anticipated. There was massive blood where he stopped at 30 yards, and for the next 30 yards. The good news is...where the blood stopped he was in a river bottom that recently flooded, so tracks were easy to follow, but I backed out because I have bumped them trailing too soon. I was just wondering what your thoughts were. I told my son when I got home..."this is the part of bowhunting I hate the most!"
 
Was there a good deal of blood on the arrow? Steep shots are tough and can be misleading but if it were me, I'd wait until morning when you can see a long ways and not risk bumping him. If you got both lungs I don't see him standing around for 5 minutes looking around, but very possible with one. No doubt I'd wait and take it back up at full light. He'll be just as dead in the morning. I think you'll get him. Be patient and let us know how it goes!
 
Boy I'd wait too. I've always been wrong when I thought the shot was better than it appeared. Those high angle shots are a bear...it could be exit hair on the other side, or a deflection from the rib cage on the shot side hitting the artery in the front leg.

Give him time!
 
In my opinion if the deer was at 5 yards and you were in a tree stand over 10' high there is no way you could have gotten both lungs..the angle is too steep.Probably 1 lung and a low exit hole.I would definately leave it till morning.
 
Thanks for the advice so far...I have definately backed out, and am waiting until morning...I've been on too many of those late night searches. There was really good blood on the arrow...the problem was that I could see the opposite side and there was no hole, so I know it went out low on the opposite side. Trust me, as soon as I saw him stand there...I wished I had just watched him walk in the corn field.
 
He's a dead deer. Good thing about the low hole is the blood flows out better. You did the right thing backing out. Let us know...
 
you'll get him in the morning, One lung shots can take awhile for the deer to expire but time will take its course and you should find him in the morning. When in doubt back out he will be just as dead in the morning and a lot easier to see in the daylight.
 
I made a similar shot last night about 4:40, Hit high behind the shoulder and saw the arrow sticking out his belly when he walked off. Watched him for 20 minutes before he wandered off. Waited till 6:15 to look and found good blood for 30 yds and a puddle where he stood for 5-10 minutes, then just a drop here and there. Backed out and went in this morning, found deer alive but not going good. Called a buddy and put a plan together, finally got a kill shot on him but it took a while. Autopsy showed back of one lung and just nicked the liver, Not sure it would of killed him.
 
You did the right thing! 933 is right, lower shots are better as more blood will come out. Keep us posted....
 
It was the strangest search I've ever made. My son (who was late for school, and was going to tell the teacher he was discecting) and I went out this morning. We picked up where we left off. There was about 40 yrds where my son said "it looks like he's pouring it out of a cup". Then he goes down a narrow ravine trail and into a recently flooded bottom, so his were the ONLY tracks there. We followed them for 400 yards without a single drop of blood. He then comes to low area that was flooded out...went around that and then joined another trail. He was walking the whole way through the bottom...no running...no spooked bolts, and then his trail joined another heavily used trail and we couldn't pick it out. We combed, and quarted, and nothing. My neighbor single lunged a giant two years ago, and he was shot during late muzzle loader season by someone else.
The moral of the story is...if you're up very high and they are close, you better make sure you can hit low enough to hit the heart, or you'll have a mess on your hands especially if it's a big old one!
 
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