Brisket shot-DEAD or ALIVE??

[patton1]

First of all bad decision on the shot selection, quartering away yes, quartering towards wait for a better angle. That being said, hopefully he is alive but, I am leaning towards pilled up some where in some brush or near a creek dead. From the last statement you said he was walking hunched up and wobbling. This tells me your arrow probably went thru one lung possibly, maybe a partial liver and thru the guts. And if it did enter the abdominal cavity it will not heal itself. I have seen a lot of gut shot deer rifle, or arrow head towards a water source, is there a water source nearby? And you may have possibly bumped him and didn't even know it. If you had penatrated the guts, the gut linning and inners probably started to plug the hole and that's why the loss of the blood trail. That being said it is still hard to tell not being there, all just assumptions off of your statements.

Everything you said makes good sense and was my original opinion until talking to people I know back in MI.  Quartering towards isn't the best shot and I should have waited. It was just a slight angle towards me.  No water source nearby that I know of. I know that they usually head towards water if they're gut shot but the only water is a small lake about a mile away that i don't have access to.

[carpsniperg2]

yep not the best shot but a animal can be taken that way as well. if the arrow went in at a quartering to angle it probably got sometin like gut or liver but missed the lungs and heart.  if you nicked a lung it will deflate and the deer will die i would say if you did find a decent amount of blood and the arrow went into the rib cage the animal will not live. you did good looking for it i would of probably spent a bit more time but do not know what the conditions were. next time i am sure you will pass that shot and wait for a better shot angle.

[NWBREW]

From the sounds of what you saw as the deers reaction after the shot and the shot placement I would say that deer is probobly dead. If you saw him "wobble" multiple times and thought he was going down, I would say that is a loss of blood and may have clipped the heart. I don't know about being within 100 yards of where he hoped the fence though. I shot a big whitetail a few years back and the shot took out the top portion of the heart. Found him 2 hours later over 300 yards away.....I had good blood though. It is amazing how far an animal will go after being hit like that. White hair means low shot.....but the wobble...blood loss and dead deer. IMO I would go back and look a little more for recovery. I hope it works out for you and you find the deer....or if your lucky he's still alive and licking his wounds. All of the above is just my  .    Good luck

[Goldeneye]

With the information provided, I would say at the least you got a liver hit.  He is not far.  Go back and look.  I mean crawl into every cranny you can find within a quarter mile.  They can get into brush or holes you can't believe when they are sick.  You owe it to the animal.  I found one once in an area I had went by a half dozen times earlier during the search.  I just happened to see a piece of hide mixed in with the briar's.  I looked closer and there he was.

[patton1]

I agree with what everyone is saying.  I was just hoping for the He's alive and well!  I will go back and look some more tomorrow, I can get out of work early. I've been hunting for about 15 years but haven't hunted for the last 3 due to military obligations.  I think I let my excitement get the best of me on this one. It really does bother me that this happened. I should have waited for a better shot. Thanks for the replies

[bow4elk]

Just want to see you recover your deer.  If I was closer, I'd be there in the morning to help.  Try to think like a wounded deer and remember that they will often bed where they can have the wind at their backs and visually watch their backtrail.  They are in survival mode.  Best of luck to you!!

[Savage3006]

Not sure where you hunted but I'm in Bothell and can help you look for the deer tomorrow if it's not too far. PM me and let me know if you need any help.

[scoyoc5]

nice offer Savage!!! This site has some great members 

[NWBREW]

Patton1.....I live in arlington and do not work tomarrow or the next. PM me if you need some extra help looking. I'd be glad to help if needed..........................Brew

[patton1]

Not sure where you hunted but I'm in Bothell and can help you look for the deer tomorrow if it's not too far. PM me and let me know if you need any help.

Thanks Savage.  I wish that was an option but the lady who owns the property is really weird about people she doesn't know coming around.  My buddy and me are the only ones she allows out there for this type of stuff.  That's an awesome gesture.  It would be nice to be able to get more eyes out there.

[patton1]

Patton1.....I live in arlington and do not work tomarrow or the next. PM me if you need some extra help looking. I'd be glad to help if needed..........................Brew

Thanks to you to Brew, wish that was an option.  I got to say there are some great members on here.  It says a lot about a person to offer that kind of help to a perfect stranger.

[NWBREW]

Patton1.....I live in arlington and do not work tomarrow or the next. PM me if you need some extra help looking. I'd be glad to help if needed..........................Brew

Thanks to you to Brew, wish that was an option.  I got to say there are some great members on here.  It says a lot about a person to offer that kind of help to a perfect stranger.
[/quote


I never met a PERFECT stranger.  If the option arrives let me know.......the offer still stands even if you are perfect....thats ok. 

[patton1]

  thanks brew

[the1rod]

well the only advice that i can offer is that he may be closer than you think. when i last say my girlfriends deer it was going strong and i thought it had kept going, but it was about 5 feet from where i last saw it. so just make sure you dont overlook any areas thinking that it would be to easy. 

[elksnout]

While quartering up my bull a couple falls back my saw hit a " dead " spot when I was sawing through the brisket. I pried the area open to find a broadhead lodged dead center. The entire area was healed up and there was no way you could tell this had ever happened. This could have only happened with the bowhunter shooting straight on with this bull. Poor shot angle for the bowhunter but the bull was no worse for wear it appeared. This was a nice 5 point and must have happened the fall or two before.