Im going to be sick

[ZachD]

No luck yet

[Rick G]

Best of luck Zach!

[sticknstring]

No luck yet

Any hair at impact? Blood...arrow? Wish I could come help...

[Bear55]

Keep at it Zack

[ZachD]

Nothing at all just know where he was standing when he went into the swamp... Combed every inch on where I shot at to find arrow nothing... Combed where he went in and to the left and right of it... Check the pond checked the island across from where he went in... Have to check the opposite side maybe he circled around and is by the creek

[InTheSchool]

Maybe take 15 and sit in your stand and replay it again and again. Use your binos to check for arrow from the stand. If you are off initally by 10 feet it can be huge. Good luck.

[RangerJack]

How well can you see the color red? A lot of men have trouble seeing certain shades of red. Did you have a buddy out with you too? Don't give up yet, definitely follow any trails close to the shot to look for any speck of blood. I've done some track jobs where we didn't find first blood until 50+ yards away from the shot, and even then it was the size of a pin head. My buddy lost a 140" eight pointer this year, and he hit it in the center of the body. People do make poor shots, it just happens. Keep looking and don't quit hunting if you can't find him.

Good luck.

[sticknstring]

Would be nice to find a drop of blood or some hair to rule out a miss. Did you look up to make sure your arrow isn't lodged in a sapling? If you truly hit him and he stood for 20 minutes, there would be some blood there. There would also be hair at the spot of impact. Find exactly where he was standing and see if you can find any. You need to be certain you hit him.

[Musky Buck]

I'm the joker that is so in favor of using a leashed dog to find him because I'd rather any hunter find the deer, vs. drilling another one and maybe yet another one. My old dog would find him in a heartbeat, take maybe 5 minutes to cover an 80. I certainly wouldn't be in favor of carrying your weapon with you while you searched however wounded then what well you could take the dog home and go to that exact spot since many have a gps now and resume tracking and finishing him off. Good luck to you and I sure hope you can locate him, he sounded like a dandy. It is the 7th today so hope that 7 is lucky for you !

[ZachD]

Would be nice to find a drop of blood or some hair to rule out a miss. Did you look up to make sure your arrow isn't lodged in a sapling? If you truly hit him and he stood for 20 minutes, there would be some blood there. There would also be hair at the spot of impact. Find exactly where he was standing and see if you can find any. You need to be certain you hit him.

that's what I'm focusing on now.... I am almost certain I found where he was standing when he moved the second time... Nothing I combed from my tree out the direction he was when I shot and nothing I just wish I could find the arrow.... I think I am going to go to lighted nocs now...... At this point I just don't know what to do running out of energy

[jerkbait]

Time to get back in your stand and sit an look whrer you shot him. Go trhough it again. Look in the direction you shot foe awhile. Maybe you will see the arrow stuck in something. It will give you a break and maybe see things more clearly. Good luck

[Scott K]

I started using lighted nocs last year. I always use them now. For the very reason you are going through.

[96trigger]

Did you find anything? Even a drop of blood? Anything that would indicate a hit? If you did not, I would really go over that area well. Get back up in the stand as was mentioned, and replay it all over again. See the shot and look for your arrow. I have to agree, that if he stood in one spot for 20 minutes, there should be at least some sign of a hit there.

[MNHunter65]

It would be helpful if you got back in the stand and had another person go to where you think the deer was when you shot. Things look so much different from the ground than in the tree. I've had it more than once where the deer was actually a bit farther or closer than I thought. Looking forever thinking I missed only to move 15' farther back and find hair or blood.

Keep at it.

[Coach1310]

Good luck in your search. If you had a clean miss, that doesn't explain the wheezing you heard. It might explain why he stood in one spot so long, but it doesn't explain the wheezing. Was it a sharp vertical angle? My bro in law shot a doe at a very steep angle from above and there was no blood trail at all. GOOD LUCK. Kudos to you for still searching... some guys give it 5 minutes and then move on.

[deerminator]

+1 on the lighted nocks. I thought I hit one two years ago but was never sure. I could not find the arrow in the cut corn field - and never found him - and switched to lighted nocks the next year. Last year, I clearly saw the point of impact and knew there was no point in waiting more than half an hour. Now if I could just use an arrow! Good luck to you. Take a break, get something to each and see if you can get someone to go back out with you.

[NoWiser]

Good luck, Zach! Keep at it! I just got a call from my buddy. His girlfriend arrowed a nice 10 last night. They looked for a long time without finding any blood or sign of the deer. They finally gave up, but her dad went out today to keep looking and found it dead. He said there was not a drop of blood to be found. Good luck!

[leech~~]

that's what I'm focusing on now.... I am almost certain I found where he was standing when he moved the second time... Nothing I combed from my tree out the direction he was when I shot and nothing I just wish I could find the arrow.... I think I am going to go to lighted nocs now...... At this point I just don't know what to do running out of energy

If there was snow and you are finding nothing at all? It may have been a clean miss. He maybe back if you missed him clean.

[nofishfisherman]

If you are looking along go get some assistance. At this point you probably are second guessing everything you first thought. A fresh set of eyes and a fresh perspective might help in this situation. Someone else might walk right up to something that you've overlooked 10 times.

If you can't find any sign of a hit nor the arrow start setting up a grid search and cover the area as best as you can.

[hockeybc69]

Best of luck Zach. I have checked back a few times hoping to see good news.

[TruthWalleyes]

Get into your stand, Try to remember where the deer was when you shot. Is there anything that the arrow could have possible deflected on? If not, get on the ground and lifting up grass until you find that arrow. If you can't find it, it's in that deer. Take your time, move your eyes slowly - it's easy to miss stuff if you're just scanning quickly. Track Track Track.

I've lost two deer in my life. One as a kid taking a foolish shot, and one a few years ago because i kept bumping it - even with a lung shot, that one got away. Never feels good. Best of luck to you.

[leech~~]

My first Bow kill I did not find blood for a long ways and then there was blood going up and down about 4 trails at a trail intersection. I just could not make heads or tails which way he went. So I started doing circles inbetween all the trails and found that he had kicked himself under neith a pile of brush that was hollow in the middle and the arrow was sitting right next to him. He must have reached back and pulled it out on his last breath. I was so glad to find that Deer!

[hockeybc69]

My son had that happen a couple weekends ago....first arrow he has released on a deer. We couldnt find any blood, and a couple hundred yards away we found first blood..... at a trail interseciton of all places. So we werent sure which way he was headed or had come from. Worse yet, only found blood for about 20 yds total and gone again....

We kicked a large buck out of a slough edge about 50 yds from that trail intersectoin and he ran off pretty strong. That was 18 hours after the shot. We can only assume it was him and hoping he made it Ok..... it does happen but doesnt make it any easier to digest...

Git em Zach....

[ZachD]

That would have been my view from my sights

That is what he went into once you get about 15 yards in there is a good 10 inches of water in most spots

[nofishfisherman]

How far into that swamp did you look? If you hit him and he went in there I'm guessing thats where you'll find him.

Get yourself some hip boots and get in there and keep looking.

Good luck on the search. If you find him out there its not going to be a fun drag getting him out but its all part of the game.

[Musky Buck]

Kinda sad a dog would take minutes yanking a guy on a leash, no wasted meat etc. The way i see it a dog isn't what you want scenting up your area but sure beats this as an alternative in my book wasting time and unintentionally wasting a good chunk of venison. The hound could rule out a hit or miss also in a hurry, you'd sleep better. Good luck until I get the leash law into the regs.

[ZachD]

I had to call it off i have been up since noon yesterday as I went hunting then work over nights.... I was walking through all that water with regular boots and I ran out of water in my camel back.. I put in 8am to 230pm I just dont know what else to do... I had to of hit him i mean the big thwack I checked all the trees that could have got in the way.... but i know for a fact i found his track that he took and it goes to right were i thought i shot, there is a print right in between the trees of that picture.. i was on my hands and knees following them from a little bit before where i thought i shot him to the slough.... no blood no fur.... last thing i did was start at my stand and went the direction i shot at going back and forth to look for my arrow nothing then i went back and was kicking the leafs to see if i could find it nothing...

[ZachD]

How far into that swamp did you look? If you hit him and he went in there I'm guessing thats where you'll find him.

Get yourself some hip boots and get in there and keep looking.

Good luck on the search. If you find him out there its not going to be a fun drag getting him out but its all part of the game.

I was in there for a good 4 hours i didnt have hip boots so i was just walking through it with reg bubber boots and had waterproof pants tide tight against the boots kept most the water out

[nofishfisherman]

Gotta be hard to walk away without finding him. Get some rest and see if you can round up some help and do a grid search of that swamp once you had a chance to rest. You could be off by only a couple feet and easily miss him. Probably need to almost step on him to find him in that mess.

[Musky Buck]

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.