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little help

beararchery

Member
Alright so here's the deal, I shot a good buck last night at 20 yards. Shot a tad low and maybe back a little but for sure hitting liver? When I first got down to grab my arrow I looked at the blodd trail the first five yards and he was pouring blood. We came back to trail 2 hours later anx followed good blood, them came to smaller drops but atill consistent. We were about 3 hours in after the shot when we jumped him along a small creek bank. So we backed out. I now think I have gut shot him...I know I probably should have gaven him more time but when I saw blood like that I guess I got to excited... any thoughts, I am headin back right now to see if I can get on last blood.
 
Sounds like Liver or guts- if you let him sit overnight I would think he has expired by now- if it was liver shot I would keep close to that creek

what part of southern Iowa? I will be down in southern iowa all weekend hunting
 
You may have done what every bow hunter fears. You may never find this deer unless you are hunting a large tract. Your neighbor will probably find him. He will die but probably not on your property. Heavy rain coming.
 
You may have done what every bow hunter fears. You may never find this deer unless you are hunting a large tract. Your neighbor will probably find him. He will die but probably not on your property. Heavy rain coming.


this^. get out now before the rain washes any evidence away. get as many guys as you can cover every inch of the creek bead. More than likely that is where is laid back down.
 
When in doubt back out, best advice anyone could give to a bow hunter. Always a tough call, especially when you're on good blood and with this crappy forecast for today you did what anyone would have done. I'd just go to where to last seen em and push on, that's all you can do. Was he quartering to you? I'd say if you had that much blood right away you definitely caught at least one lung. If he was bedded by the creek (water) that also screams lung or gut. Either way both fatal and I'd assume he's dead, just going to take a bit more searching now that you bumped him. Good luck, hope ya find him. :way:
 
Stay optimistic! Yes, it's unfortunate you bumped the deer but hopefully he laid back down after you backed out. He may not be too far. Good luck and keep us updated.
 
I made the exact same shot on a buck last year. The blood trail was amazing for about 500 yards. I kept thinking with that much blood, he had to be dead just over the next hill. We looked for 2 full days and well over 2 miles. We never did find him.
 
Sounds like you may have hit guts, what did the blood look like? Did the arrow smell bad? If you hit guts he died somewhere overnight, I hope you find him!
 
Good dark red blood in clarke county for the guy rhat asked pm if your in the area and il give you a little bettee details
 
Sounds like liver, I would grid search the creek bed. Had this happen two years ago got a group together and grid searched the area 10 hours later. On the second trip up the creek my brother found the buck laying in some thick stuff still alive head held against the ground but immobilized. If we hadn't walked the creek a second time pry would have never recovered him. There's still hope. Just take it slow.
 
Hang in there. I shot a buck similar to your describing. I did the same thing and jumped him. He did not go very far after that because I backed out. It did take about 6 hours though for him to expire. I had awesome blood early and a kindergartner could have followed it. Then kind of ran to drops again. Hope you can recover him....Good Luck.
 
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