Losing a deer

[PNWheckle]

How many of you have been unable to locate a deer after the shot? Just experienced it for the first time last night. Walking down a horse trail and see some ears above the grass up the hill. Turns out to be the same three point, maybe four depending on eye guard height, that I saw a few days earlier. Was able to get a shot off as he just stood there and watched me, knew I hit him in an organ with the way he jumped then dropped, got up and stared at me again, at this point knowing what I know now I would have probably shot him a 2nd time. He takes off up the hill so I let him go for about 20 minutes. Then start tracking, with no luck after about 2 hours. Went home and got my brother and a couple more flashlights. Tracked it uphill about 1/2 mile to where I saw him crossing a road a few days before, then he went across that road and started booking down it. By this time the blood trail would go many feet before another drop, then sometimes there would be multiple. Even found chunks of organs that he had been coughing up. We ended up calling it shortly after midnight.

Next morning, feeling more determined, even though the meat was probably bad by this time I still couldn't not try to find it again. Thankfully I marked the trail the night prior so I was able to pick up where I left off, but then there was rain. I spent another 4 hours walking up and down deer trails, into swamps, crawling through deer tunnels in the brush. Still nothing.

Such a weird feeling knowing its dead but unable to find it. I probably should've waited longer to start tracking him but by the size of the blood puddle where he stood after I shot I figured he couldn't have gone far.

[AKBowman]

That sucks man. Sorry to hear that. For sure a gut shot there. Normally thy will bump up and hunch their backs if you gut shoot them. I've hit them BAD and had them go almost nowhere and this year I thought I hit one good and he went forever. Their blood does coagulate unbelievably fast but a gut shot or lung shot deer is mortally wounded. I took out one lung high and I understand your predicament. The rain is the X factor in tracking game.

A few years ago I made a good shot that ended up bad and went through the guts. I was able to keep an eye on the buck from my stand and watched him as he just stood there bunched up for 40 minutes in the exact same spot (no shot). When I got too cold I couldn't stand it I climbed out of the stand and he went to take a step and fell over dead. I hit one in the femoral artery and it went 40 yds and died in 5 seconds. You just never really know for sure.

If you're not 100% certain I really do think you have to give them a few hours (weather permitting). If they stop or lay down they won't get up if not pushed. If it is raining or going to rain then you gotta make a judgment call.

Not a subject I like discussing, it is an ugly part of hunting.

[TikkaT3-270Shortmag]

Damn u hit him good. 

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[Gringo31]

He didn't go as far as you think.....find the birds and see what you can salvage.

[JDHasty]

Looks like hit way back behind the stomach in the intestines.  Have blood trailed a coyote on snow that was so hit with a 22-250 and he lost six inch pieces of intestine along the way.  Tracked him out two miles before he tipped over.  Shot in the intestines does only leave drops of blood from a moving animal. 

The coyote was shot on a dead run, not intentionally shot that far back.

[JDHasty]

He didn't go as far as you think.....find the birds and see what you can salvage.

Odds are you are correct, unless hit way back through small intestines then they can go quite a ways.

[TikkaT3-270Shortmag]

By that pool of blood looks like he is hit good

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[tgomez]

    Sorry to hear about that, it does happen eventually. All of us will lose an animal eventually. It sucks, but nature waste nothing.

[coachcw]

Everything  dies ......part of the circle . being a hunter can be brutal , learn and move on.

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

Killing things is a nasty job. Taste great though.  I've lost a few we all do. 

[Jpmiller]

I've never had a worse feeling than when I started worrying I wasn't going to find my deer... I didn't, but I would agree with already posted I believe had I waited longer before trailing him things may have been different. He jumped out of his bed between me and a hunting partner, no shot and then he booked it out of there. 

[Big6bull]

They are tough lessons on shot placement. I've been there. Makes you better hunter in long run but it sucks to happen

[270Shooter]

Tough lesson to learn but I think almost all hunters will run into this eventually. This is also why if I feel like they still have some life in them it's better to shoot again. Keep shooting until they are on the ground.

[scoutdog346]

The intestines...that sucks.  Hr could last a week b4 he dies...sorry man

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

Till they quit moving.  I've learned my most valuable lessons tracking animals. It's basically the entire pout of hunting at all right. To get on the blood trail and find the critter. But that sinking gut feeling when you think the worst. That needs to be controlled. It can cost you an easy find if you can't calm down and go back to last blood or the shot.  Getting God at Tracking is the most valuable tool you could have hunting .