looking?

[jason4429]

This is the deer hunting forum.

[400out]

Since you put this thread in a gun column, I'll answer it - Right away. Cuz he's usually layin dead about 2 seconds after the bang.

Yep Bang dead !let the work begin

[sakoshooter]

This is the deer hunting forum.

Correct. But there IS a bowhunting forum on this site.

[WSU]

I always wait at least a half hour if I don't see the animal fall.  After having learned the hard way I think it is foolish to do otherwise.   

[steen]

I hunt with a rifle.  I usually sit just for a minute and think about deer reaction, let the adrenalin pass a bit, watch where the deer goes.  If it goes in a draw I watch to see if it comes out but for the most part I look pretty quickly.  This year I saw my deer's reaction as a good shot but doubt set in when in the dim early morning light I couldn't find blood.  I started looking where I last saw him and headed down to the bottom and just guessed where I thought he'd go and how far with a lunge shot.  I went west cause that was the angle he headed down and found nothing, at least as far as I thought a lunge shot deer would go.  Then I headed the other way on the same game trail and found him as far as I thought he'd go.  I did find the blood trail after the light was better.  It amazed me how the color of blood does not show up in the dim light,   (I shot my deer 30 min. after shooting hours started in the AM.)  and how obvious it was at 10:00 am after my help came to drag him out. 
 We have looked for more than one day for deer and well into the night.  In the NW rain can damper a trial pretty quick so most of the time the quicker you get on them the better.  Lots of good flashlights.

[Hangfire]

There are a lot of variables. I use modern rife and muzzleloader. I like to go to the spot where the animal was immediately. I then, if the animal not visible, I go back over, did I hit it, how did it react, can I get to a point of visibility for the area and watch, how soon until dark etc.

If I got to the area, found hair, no blood and last light, no snow. I would go home and come back in am. If raining and good light I would start trailing slowly, being very observant watching  ahead. Each case is different.The normal is get to site, hair and blood, dead animal in less than 100 yards.

[D-Rock425]

I normally mark where I was when I shot then mark where animal was and then first blood.  Then I make a decision on how long to wait depending on what kinda shot I made and the animals reaction. 30 minutes is about the normal for me.

[muleracks]

Rifle hunting 90% of the time it drops, go over quickly, cut the mountain oysters off, remove the leg glands, cut and drain immediately and open it up so it can begin to cool.  Sit down and begin to wonder how I'm going to get this thing out of here.  Bone it out and start packing; often the next day after cooling all night. Sometimes it is easier but the best bucks/elk are frequently not standing above the road.

Gut/rump shot Sit for at least a half hour then start on the trail.  Dress out immediately.

[CAMPMEAT]

Oh, I go back to the lodge, have dinner, get drunk, get up the next morning, 8 hours later, and go look for my deer. That's the way because all of the high fence movie stars on TV do it. It must be OK.

[colockumelk]

With a bow unless I see or hear it crash Ill give it an hour.  I typically hunt in places where there isn't much if any hunting pressure so I know my animal isn't gonna get taken by someone else.

In 2003 I shot a cow elk with my muzzle loader.  She went down got back up and ran off.  In my excitement I ran over to where I shot her and found blood and hair   So figuring she must be dead and couldn't be too far off I immediately went in after her.  I found two of her beds with blood in them.  I never found her until 2 days later all bloated up.  It was gut wrenching and I vowed that would never happen again.  I learned from that mistake and so far (knock on wood) I havnt done that since. 

[chester]

Rifle hunting 90% of the time it drops, go over quickly, cut the mountain oysters off, remove the leg glands, cut and drain immediately and open it up so it can begin to cool.  Sit down and begin to wonder how I'm going to get this thing out of here. 

Gut/rump shot Sit for at least a half hour then start on the trail.  Dress out immediately.

yea pretty much sums it up. I also scramble to the nearest high point once i find the animal praying for cell service. 

[coachcw]

From a bowhunters perspective . I'll get right on the blood if its raining hard so not to loose the trail . In other situations I'll wait 5-10 min if I know its a lung shot  and if its not good or a little back I'll wait three hours . one other point is I always try to stat quiet after a shot on a elk I'll cow call and try to calm the animal down thats worked many times once I had a bull stop and bugle back at me after a poor liver shot , he then just turned and walked slowly away and I was able to watch him bed up . I havn't hit any animal through both lungs that went more than 100 yards .

[WSU]

With a bow unless I see or hear it crash Ill give it an hour.  I typically hunt in places where there isn't much if any hunting pressure so I know my animal isn't gonna get taken by someone else.

In 2003 I shot a cow elk with my muzzle loader.  She went down got back up and ran off.  In my excitement I ran over to where I shot her and found blood and hair   So figuring she must be dead and couldn't be too far off I immediately went in after her.  I found two of her beds with blood in them.  I never found her until 2 days later all bloated up.  It was gut wrenching and I vowed that would never happen again.  I learned from that mistake and so far (knock on wood) I havnt done that since. 

Exactly how I learned the lesson, although it was a muley buck in my case.  Good blood, but jumped him out of his bed and went along way.  It then started raining and I lost the trail and the deer.  Had I given him time he would have died very close to where he was originally hit.