Lost buck......

[CoryTDF]

4 guys gps grid search over the same area 3 times and nothing. I am at a loss. but they did as good if not better of a job looking as anybody. its dead im sure of that. but who knows where.

[runamuk]

4 guys gps grid search over the same area 3 times and nothing. I am at a loss. but they did as good if not better of a job looking as anybody. its dead im sure of that. but who knows where.

Sorry to hear, any chance something packed it off?

[ghosthunter]

4 guys gps grid search over the same area 3 times and nothing. I am at a loss. but they did as good if not better of a job looking as anybody. its dead im sure of that. but who knows where.

Well I would grab a shotgun and a lab and make one more pass. If is around the dog will smell it.
Gamie shows up. You are grouse hunting.

[Michelle_Nelson]

If it just hit guts it could go on for days.  You may never find it.  No one likes to think about it or admit it but it happens.  More than likely a predator of some kind will find it.  Nothing ever goes to waste.

[madmack76]

bad hit probably bled internal hope you find it.

[Band]

4 guys gps grid search over the same area 3 times and nothing. I am at a loss. but they did as good if not better of a job looking as anybody. its dead im sure of that. but who knows where.

If there is any water in the area I would continue my search there.  When I liver shot my bull a couple years ago he laid down in the nearest creek in an attempt to ease the pain and couldn't get back up.  By the time I found him the only movement he could make was rotating his neck to see me take the finishing shot.

[ldjbuff]

My doe this year was hit in the same spot. We searched for 2 days. just a little far back, it will bleed internally. It went almost a mile until we stopped finding blood.

[CoryTDF]

No recovery. vanished

[carpsniperg2]

Were they shooting from a tree stand or higher above the buck. I would have thought if that was a strait shot on the level with the buck it would have wiped him. If it was at a higher angle I could see it coming out low and not doing enough to get him down fast.

[huntindoc]

Thanks for this post.  I've got a question on this type scenario...

My daughter is in a stand and a small white tail buck comes by at 8 yrds.  She shot it just a bit back, just about the same place above for an exit wound.  We gave it 40 min, started tracking.  We bumped it from it's bed in deep grass at 45 yrds (further than she shoots).  My mistake there, I should have smoked it.  Anyway, it beds again, we bump again.  It heads out into a field and beds again.  Some moron drives his truck into the field verge  ( close to 50 deer in the field at the time) and bumps him again!  Deer finally jumps a fence, I see him bed again, now about 250 yrds from the first shot, probably 1 hr after the shot.  A bigger buck comes over, noses him to his feet, and the wounded buck wanders over and stands still by a small bluff with all sorts of thick stuff around.  I watched it through binocs from 150 yrds untill too dark to see it.  Went back in the AM and spent forever and did not find it.  No doubt dead, but chest deep thick grass and thickets.  My daughter is bummed about her first deer.  This is the first North American animal I've lost in 13 yrs of archery hunting.

Last night, same place, I poke a little 3 point right at dark.  Same situation.  I hit it just a bit back, plus it was quartering toward more than I realized (my mistake).  The buck jumped a fence, trotted about 10 yrds, stood still for 15 min, then jumped back over the fence, made it 30 yrds, and bedded down hard.  Only about 70 yrds from the stand.  I watched it until it was too dark to see anything, got quietly out of the stand and left it.  I did not see it stand up or leave.  Went back this AM, climbed the stand, did not see the buck, found his bed, then thankfully found the buck only about 30 yrds away.  I went back and tried to track from the first bed, and the dew had washed off the blood.  Would have been a heck of a tracking job to find any blood, and I knew where he went!

Question is- better to follow up at night? or wait?  The first buck, I wish I'd followed, but may have pushed further.  Second buck, it worked out and he had been dead most of the night.  Thankfully it was cool last night and nothing spoiled.

So again, do you follow at night? or let lie overnight and and loose blood trail due to ants and dew?

Thanks for the info

[Steve Jo]

How long after the hit did you wait to trail?
That entry hole missed the right side lung.  Im guessing because you didnt find it right away that it missed the left lung as well and so got the liver only.

Liver hit deer can go a LONG way.  My wife's first buck was liver hit.  I waited 4 hours and took up the trail.  Thankfully in 4 of fresh snow that quit falling about 15 minutes before the shot.  I went 300 yards following a single drop of blood about every 5 yards before I found the first bed, and then found 4 more beds in quick succession.  I knew we were very close.  My heart sank when I saw him dash through the woods about 20 yards away.

We went back to camp.  It got into the single digits that night.

Picked up the trail at first light, about 16 hours after the shot.  Continued following his tracks.  No blood now.

600 yards later we found him dead, but still warm.

dont push em unless you see or hear them go down

[tjthebest]

I hit my deer low and back as well. Started tracking after an hour with  very very little blood. Ended up spotting him about 150 yds awayBedded dodow.  waited a few Hours and right before dark I went to get another shot. He bolted and we followed the very light trail again til dark. Came back the next morning and couldn't find and blood since the last drop the night before. Followed slight imprint and what I thought were footprints for about 200 yds. Then found the trail again. We ended up finding him still alive but barely. A total of about 800 yds from the shot.

[Drake29]

Grab the dog, you'll find it.

[jrebel]

What broadhead was used? 

This year I finally convinced my hunting partner to change broadheads.  He hit a deer this year and it did not bleed at all......tracked it and found it dead 80 yards later.  I saw the shot and knew it was a kill shot....but still very little blood.  This is the 3rd animal that has been shot with these broadheads and the blood trail on all was horrible.  The broadhead is the Sonic 125.  If it were not for great tracking and even greater patience we would have lost all three animals.  Luckily we recovered all and he will be shooting the slick tricks next year.   

Three years ago I switched broadheads due to the blood trails being so horrible with the Sonics.  I have been shooting Shuttle T Locks and this year Slick trick.  Both of these broadheads leave amazing blood trails.  My doe this year literally painted the forest red with blood from a double lung shot.  She was shooting blood 3-4 feet out both sides and both entrance and exit wounds looked like she was shot with a high powered rifle. 

If you are not getting good blood trails find a new broadhead!!

[deerhuntr4885]