Im going to be sick

[ZachD]

darn, I realize guys a leashed dog wouldn't be a cure all as somehow some would abuse that system, however for archery I think it would be a good thing really, once snow there's no issue usually I wish Zach D my old dog could be there to help, may take a full minute for him to find it for you once on the track except dragging me would take a bit longer. I once wondered about a heat detection handheld like every fire dept. has but you would risk jumping him if wounded.

i was actually thinking i should have went out and bought a thermal scope and climbed a tree and had at it...

[FISHINGURU]

What's wrong with you taking your dog for a walk? Wink Wink

[ZachD]

What's wrong with you taking your dog for a walk? Wink Wink

Or grouse hunting

[ZachD]

I would say that is about what i did today... some parts were more detailed search than others because of the terrain some I came back more than once and the times i can back was more of a sporadic search hoping I would stuble upon it.

[ZachD]

Im just sick of the whole situation......

I need to buy lighted nocs for sure now....

I need to get some arrow wraps or something with bright colors ( I have black with blue and lime greed fletching) Im thinking hot pink arrows will do the trick

Do you guys think I should have threw another arrow his way when he walked away the first time... he was 40ish yards but was either standing away from me or straight at me

[ZachD]

Im just sick of the whole situation......

I need to buy lighted nocs for sure now....

I need to get some arrow wraps or something with bright colors ( I have black with blue and lime greed fletching) Im thinking hot pink arrows will do the trick

Do you guys think I should have threw another arrow his way when he walked away the first time... he was 40ish yards but was either standing away from me or straight at me

I really didnt want to do that in case i missed him the first time then just slap an arrow at his chest

[Rippinlip]

Sorry you are going through this.

I still go back to your original post, no arrow, no blood and the "thwack"

Any chance at all you pulled the shot and hit a limb, brush, stump?

The arrow could have launched anywhere and the reason the buck stood there is he was just totally confused.

The wheezing could have been grunting, snorting, wheezing due to the rut.

Remember he was with another buck, might have been looking for him again.

I am just saying there is a chance you missed and he is fine and you will get another crack at him.

Hoping for a great outcome!

[ZachD]

Sorry you are going through this.

I still go back to your original post, no arrow, no blood and the "thwack"

Any chance at all you pulled the shot and hit a limb, brush, stump?

The arrow could have launched anywhere and the reason the buck stood there is he was just totally confused.

The wheezing could have been grunting, snorting, wheezing due to the rut.

Remember he was with another buck, might have been looking for him again.

I am just saying there is a chance you missed and he is fine and you will get another crack at him.

Hoping for a great outcome!

I dunno it was a pretty straight forward shot and I would have to of pulled pretty good as he was smack in the middle of the shooting lane. Not saying that it could't happen but my gut feeling is that I pulled slightly. And the wheeze sounded very sick. but lets just hope that I did miss and that he is ok..... I wont be hunting that area again this year I do believe..

[ZachD]

Thanks everyone for the encouraging words. You kept my spirits high when I was taking breaks from walking in that hell. Wish the outcome would have been different though

[Jeff13]

Take a rake out there tomorrow and rake those leaves if your arrow is there you'll find it, kicking leaves around works but you really want to make sure on this one.

[FISHINGURU]

If you hit pure shoulder there probably wouldn't be any blood and could be why you can't find your arrow. He could be anywhere out there laying dead right now, or still be alive if you didn't get alot of penetration.

Either that or you had a clean miss and your arrow deflected somewhere, it could be anywhere, or even stuck in the ground under things.

Tough call but if it were me I'd call everyone I know and search the woods like we were looking for a missing body.

[sticknstring]

Quick checking in before leaving work. Quick thought... doesn't look like you looked BEHIND your stand from your yellow outline. Bucks will do crazy things when hit and circle back. Make sure those woods behind you are checked. Get some rest and come back with fresh eyes, some help, & some hips or waders. I'm still thinking miss from everything you've told us, but you need to make sure. Good luck - hope for some better news next check-in...

[ZachD]

Quick checking in before leaving work. Quick thought... doesn't look like you looked BEHIND your stand from your yellow outline. Bucks will do crazy things when hit and circle back. Make sure those woods behind you are checked. Get some rest and come back with fresh eyes, some help, & some hips or waders. I'm still thinking miss from everything you've told us, but you need to make sure. Good luck - hope for some better news next check-in...

Oh I checked the woods too the yellow circle was just to the how far in the swamp

[CrewJones]

i dont know how old you are, but from my experience which is only about 15 good years hunting (32 years old) you crowded the shoulder a bit and put the arrow through shoulder blade into one lung with no exit wound.

Im saying that because I have done this twice in the same year, one deer I searched for and followed a mile with very little to no blood. We searched everywhere and gave up, the farmer knew I was looking. 3 days later I had a severed head on my driveway. The farmer noticed lots of crows and eagles flying around he went over there and the buck was dead he kept going farther than we ever figured. I did get the rack but it was very disappointing for me.

the other deer, a doe, was found about 600-700 yards away in thick brush where she beded down there was no blood on that deer.

Don't give up get some people together and try one more time. I do use lighted knocks now, it helps but nothing can replace a good shot.

As far as shooting again from 40 yards, you can second guess yourself forever it wont help. I would have shot again but I practice out to 50 yards and on a second shot would have not hesitated.

[Summett]

I'm kind of stumped at a couple things...the "thwack" & then the "walking away" in this situation.

In my experience, the "thwack" comes from hitting bone. That could be shoulder, ribs, etc...but it's usually followed by a deer that bolts! Many gut shots you don't hear the "thwack", but the deer sometimes hump up and either stand there or walk away. However, you usually get pass a through if it's a gut shot.

Also, on misses, deer will react initially (from bow/arrow sound or the reactions of other deer that are near) but typically take a couple quick steps then stop and review the situation. That is of course unless they've been severely pressured prior. Many times on misses...they will stand for what seems like eternity if they can't figure out what they heard.

I agree with others. Get some rest, regroup, gather a couple friends if possible and look again tomorrow. The weather is in your favor if you do find him tomorrow, as far as the meat is concerned. Keep in mind...that in either kind of "hit" scenario, and you didn't pressure him initially...he's in there more than likely. They usually don't go too far after being hit...if they haven't been bumped.

I've also come to realize that when animals know they are going to die, and it's not a quick death...they find the most secluded places they can find and expire!

[TruthWalleyes]

I've only taken 1 shot on a Deer with a bow. Thought it was a bad shot. Turned out to be a great shot after I found the deer 75 yds and hour and a half later after waiting. Deer hopped and casually walked away after I hit her.I ran that shot through my head for the hour and a half I waited a thousand times. Each time I figured I shot her low and maybe even a little back. I finally got up and stepped off the distance to where I hit her as there was fresh snow pinpointing where I let the arrow fly. After I stepped off 25yds and still hadn't hit the tracks I knew I had misjudged the distance. It was 35yds. Great blood spray. Found the arrow 15 yds further.

Good red blood on the entire arrow indicating a clean pass through. Hair all brown with no white or black indicating it wasn't extremely low or high. After examining the arrow I started looking at the blood on the ground. It was spraying out the side on the exit and entry side of the deer indicating that air is blowing the blood out of the entry and exit.

I lost a deer two or three years ago with the exact same blood splatter because I immediately chased the deer. Ended up tracking it over 5 miles of extremely tough terrain along the root river only to loose it at dark when I found its blood trail heading down the river where it likely crossed into the amazingly thick thickets by the golf course that I had been in a previous day. That deer bedded down 10+ times and I didn't know they had so much blood in them. Still amazed I lost that deer.

Any who. I was glad I had let this deer sit after the shot as I've learned that patience can mean the difference in a dead deer and a failure. Found her noproblem with what ended up being a great shot.

I love the idea of the rake.

You can learn a lot about the shot from the arrow.

If I think I hit an animal, and I haven't missed since I was a kid. I'll take the 2nd shot if given the chance.

Leave the the bow in the truck and get dog.

Walk further past the immediate area into major funnels and start looking for blood. I've seen them go 75yds before finding any blood in cattails with others deer. Nothing's perfect, glad you are putting in the effort bud.

[96trigger]

I agree with everything everyone has said. I would most definitely try and line up some buddies and see if they can help you look. Judging by your circle outline, you maybe only went 100 yds as the crow flies. If you have the spot where he stood, keep looking for tracks or any indication of where he might have went, mark it with colored tape, keep moving until you find the next track or indication. I too think you hit him forward and it went through the shoulder and never got much for penetration. This will mean very little blood but probably a dead deer somewhere.

Right now, you are probably all set to give up. Find a friend and take them with you. Somebody that can help and keep you positive can go along ways. Looking by yourself can make you stir crazy and miss things someone else might have picked up on.

[archerystud]

Zach,

It happens to everybody at some point in time. I shot my bow the other day and my arrows were 6 inches left at 20 yards. Had a big buck walked by I probably would have had a horrible shot. Bow shot fine all summer and early fall but my rest moved. A lot of different things can throw you off.

I wounded one a long time ago early season. I couldn't hunt for the next 3 weeks as I felt so bad I had hosed up an easy shot. Learn from your mistakes and make yourself a better hunt.

GOOD LUCK!!!

[Meat-Run]

You might not like this but it's your last chance of finding your buck but you need to return daily. Watch for crows, eagles and turkey vultures, it's almost a gaurantee it's something dead in the woods.

MR

[ZachD]

Just picked up some tall rubber boots its on tomorrow...

[92GSteve]

Not what I expected to hear but glad to hear you are sticking with it. Been there before and all you can do is keep looking and learn from it. Amazing how tough they are though.

[92python]

From what you drew it looks like he headed South into the swamp and there is a big trail to the West of the "pond" that runs through alders which are spots they like to bed in. The trail goes onto the next oak island South of your stand. Which way did the doe go?

[Scott K]

If you can get a metal detector, it will also help you search for an arrow on the ground.

I lost a deer last fall, and I was using lighted nochs. I could see it running away with my arrow. It was a perfect lung shot, no blood until I found my arrow about 50 yards away, then the spray was all over on the left side, entrance side. I couldnt believe the blood this thing was giving out, we ekpt thinking it cant be far, but we came to an open field, and never found a drop of blood after that. I looked for 3 days, nothing. I week later while sitting in stand, I saw crows, I walked over to the crows, and there it was. It must have walked to the field, then cut backwards, because it was about 50 yards from where I found the arrow. But the blood trail kept going solid out to the field. I assume he got to the open field, then circled back.

[Bear55]

Hit those islands to the south and west, see if you can't find him dead in some thick cover near the edge of the wet stuff. If that doesn't work and you can't find anything else start looking for crows.

[hockeybc69]

Man tough spot to be searching for a needle in the haystack.... not much worse than hoping to stumble on a deer in swamps. Walk within feet of it and wont even know it.... Take a dog for a walk as was mentioned before....

[Dave S]

Is this a drainage ditch or something zig-zagging above your area in yellow? I have seen wounded deer bed down in water to help slow the bleeding. Very good chance he laid down in there or any other pocket of water in the area.

You deserve a lot of credit for the amount of time you've put into tracking this deer. It's what any responsible hunter should do. If it turned out to be an errant shot, don't sweat it. It happens to all of us whether it's a bow or gun. Take solice in the fact you've done all you possibly could to retrieve this deer.

[ZachD]

Shot my bow this morning hoping it would be way off from walking through thick cover and its dead on.... I'm pretty confidante to say after replaying the shot in my head over and over in 90% sure I hit him. The doe went northwest an hour before I shot him and the 6 from what I could tell went straight west. The doe and the deer I shot came in from the south west corner. I will search the south west of that pound today... I'll check that drainage ditch and the little pound north of me as well

[deerminator]

Good luck and if you're that sure and didn't bump him. He has to be out there somewhere so don't lose faith. I second the dog walking. One of our beagles, one who was bred for rabbit hunting, meaning his ancestors are field champions or whatever according to the papers, goes bezerk whenever he crosses a known deer path in our woods. As an experiment, I set up a trail cam over one of the trails and when going for walks in the Summer, would run him over the trail. He would go particularly nuts if a deer had just been through the night or evening before. Also, I just got my Cabelas predator hunting catalog. Thermal scopes are about twice the cost of a guided hunt in Buffalo County WI. Would be pretty cool though for predator hunting.

[snapcrackpop]

Access to a Dog or pilot?

I m sure you dont want to give out your spot, but a crew of friends could help also.

[mrklean]

I second what Dave said gut shot deer have been known to bed in water i would walk the ditch