Why Wait?

[turkeyfeather]

I have left one over night. Admittedly it was not a great shot (archery) and it was at last light. It was snowing and cold so I decided to wait till morning. Good thing I probably would have never found it in the dark, and the meat was fine. Now if it's a bear or early sept and still hot. I probably would stay out till I found it.

[furbearer365]

Had a buddy call me 2 years ago, the night before thanksgiving.  He had stuck a cow and wanted to get up in the morning and go look for her.  He said he shot her about 1/2 hour before dark and when he called me it had been dark for about 2 hours.  I told him that we should just go and look that night because if she was mortally wounded she would be dead long before we get there.  He insisted that we get up on Thanksgiving and go.  When we got there we literally on walked 50 yards from where he last marked blood and there she laid.  IMO giving the animal overnight is risking the chance of rotten meat.  If the animal is gonna expire and is mortally hit, just give it a couple hours to be safe and then go get it.  I dont know how but his cow was still good but still to risky for me to pull that maneuver.

[Hermit]

I wait about a half hour to a hour. Don't start running after it before the smoke clears. A wounded animal will lay down and stiffen up if given the chance.

[coachcw]

the only way i'd leave an animal overnight is if I know the shot was back in the liver or guts . If I feel I hit the lungs at all or  have a arrow working in the front cavity I will give it a couple of hours and round up the troops . we have done it any times and pulled all nighters getting an animal out.

[Hermit]

I'm not sure I could leave it overnight either. If you don't chase them they usually won't go far, lay down and either die or stiffen up so they can't get up and run...... Usually.

[Timberstalker]

the only way i'd leave an animal overnight is if I know the shot was back in the liver or guts . If I feel I hit the lungs at all or  have a arrow working in the front cavity I will give it a couple of hours and round up the troops . we have done it any times and pulled all nighters getting an animal out.

My thoughts exactly.