lost a big buck, i'm sick

[Abndoc]

i shot the biggest buck of my life last night, huge typical 8 pointer, 17 yards slight quatering away....i dont know what happened. complete pass through. imy arrow had blood covering the shaft, with what seemed like fat. trailed him for 4 hrs last night, very little blood followed by a patches of bright red blood every 50 yards. Started again this morning at 7, stayed out until 1, same blood trail until it just ended. just sick to my stomach. might hang up the bow. any idea's where i hit him.

[DonBo]

Generally if you've got fat on the arrow from up in the front, it's brisket. If that's the case, that deer will be spreading his genes all over the woods in a few weeks. It's hard, we've all done it. It's not worth hanging up the bow. Learn from it, hit the next one good and move on.

[RumRiverRat]

Generally if you've got fat on the arrow from up in the front, it's brisket. If that's the case, that deer will be spreading his genes all over the woods in a few weeks. It's hard, we've all done it. It's not worth hanging up the bow. Learn from it, hit the next one good and move on.

This 100%

[Powerstroke]

Especially this early in the season I'm thinking the same thing. There isn't much fat on them right now except in the brisket area. Sounds like you aimed too low and had a steep shot. Thats too bad. I've done the same thing but missed high. My deer lived to evade me another day.

Keep an eye out, you may see him again. Only now he's smarter.

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

How far did you track him?

[harvey lee]

It happens to all if they have hunted long enough. Seems you did all you could to recover it and thats all one can do.

The last thing I would do is hang it up.

Just keep working at it. We all miss or hit a deer bad in our lifetime. You just got yours out of the way right away.

[Nathansdad]

I've been in the same boat but don't give up on him quite yet. I had a poor shot on one and made the mistake of not giving him enough time. I backed out of the woods when I realized I was pushing him. The next day I got on his trail end spent the entire day looking for him. I tracked his blood trail and marked every speck of blood with a piece of toilet paper. The toilet paper makes it very easy to judge where the deer may be headed without much blood. Some of the specks were 20 yards apart. It was amazing how many times he circled, bedded down and back tracked. After 5 hours on my hands and knees the specs of blood came to an end. Three of us spent the rest of the day walking the woods looking for him. We could not find him. The next morning about 9am I went back out to listen for crows that may be on him. The minute I got out of the truck I heard several crows just a squaking. I walked directly to where the crows were and there was my buck. He was about 200 yards from the last speck of blood and we walked within 25 yards of him the day before looking for him. I learned these tricks from a hunting guide in Montana who looks for poorly hit animals every season. This buck was the largest I have shot to date. A very nice 8 point that is on the wall. Don't give up...go listen for the crows...you may get lucky.

[mrklean]

the exact same thing happened to me last year we trailed for hours and i finally found the deer still alive bedded down, almost stepped on the thing and it didnt even move. Dont give up just keep looking.

[walterman]

A few years ago we helped a guy track a nice buck and the guy had 4 or five one hundred yard rolls of the survey string found at your local home improvement store, from the start of blood he wound out the string as we found the blood. It greatly helped in the finding of the buck because we had a nice visual of where it was headed. I dont know if this makes sense but it works.

[bogwalker]

I does make a guy feel sick. You never forget these, but stick with it and it will make you a better hunter. I have gone with my son-in-law who is a professional tracker. He has the patience of a clam. He finds critters others miss. Don't give up.

[Odonata]

Same thing happened to me last year during rifle season. First buck ever lost. Drilled him in the "boiler room" or so I thought, tracked him until dark that night (hit at 2)and tracked the next day until the blood trail literally STOPPED. Deer never bedded despite giving him an hour before pursuing. Concluded it was a brisket hit, but still felt "sick". It's not fun, it's not a good memory, but it happens. The deer went about 2-3 miles, literally before the blood trail ended. Press on, good luck, but don't hang up your bow!

[buckhunter21]

I feel your pain, same thing happened to me a couple years ago. The biggest buck I ever got a crack at came in perfect to about 15 yards and I thought I made a perfect shot. I had good blood but a little fat on the arrow so I backed out for a couple hours. We found spotty blood for about 400 yards and then it started to dissapear so we decided to look again in the morning, well it rained about an inch that night and washed away all the blood, so we spent most of that day walking around looking but no luck. It sucks but its no reason to quit hunting, you will get a chance to redeem yourself and then you will be glad you stuck with it.

[splakeshaker]

I lost a 9 pointer last year. Caught him in the shoulder plate. Looked for 2 days and had next to nothing for blood. A drop here and drop 30 yards later. We were on our hands and knees for 2 days looking for this guy. Never did find him. I kinda suspect he lived but I don't know. Just gotta get back in the saddle, remember what you've learned and apply it to future hunts. If ya truly love bowhunting get back in the game. This stuff happens to everyone at some point and yea it never feels good but that feeling shows you what a true sportsman you are. Better to have that sick feeling than to not in my opinion. Now screw on a G5 striker and get in a tree.

[archerystud]

It happens to everyone. I lost small buck about 20 seasons ago and it took me about 2 weeks to get back into the woods I was so sick to my stomach. To be honest I think any good hunter should feel bad about losing an animal.

The best advice I can give is think back to the shot and think about what you may have done wrong. Did you rush the shot? Not pick a point on the animal to shoot at?......

Analyze what happened and see how or what you can improve on for next time.

I do agree with others and it sounds like you hit him in the brisket or low. Either way it sounds like a real good chance that he'll make it through. Heck I posted pics of a three legged buck last year from my trail cam and he made it through the winter!

[96trigger]

It sucks, but as anybody on here can tell you. It happens. Happened to me before. Don't even think about hanging it up, don't be a quitter. I bow hunted and had all sorts of mishaps getting a trophy buck, including one at less than 10 yards. Stick with it, when it all comes together, and it will eventually, it will be worth it.

Long story short, I had a deer bend a broadhead for some unknown reason, big buck. Would have been at that time the biggest buck of my life. Anyway, do you know where that broadhead is? Its hanging where I practice. Everytime I think I don't have time to shoot, or think I have shot enough, I see that thing and it reminds me that there is never enough. Keep the arrow, just like it is, hang it up, and use it to make you better.

[Bear55]

Like other have said it sounds like a brisket shot. Please don't hang up the bow, there is plenty of season left, get out there and go after this buck because it sounds like he is alive and well.

[vister]

would you feel better if this buck came around again in say a week or so, and gave you another crack at him!!?? well, with the bow collecting dust in the garage, one wouldn't get that oppurtunity. hint hint

[Meat-Run]

sorry to hear about this misfortune but don't think that the deer is dead and gone. You might not see him the rest of the year but if it is brisket shot there is a good chance of making it. Unfortunetly I know first hand because I hit a nice doe two years ago with the exact angle you discribed and I still see her on my game camera with scares to prove it but she is the last one to the feeder and the first one to leave at first light...they learn real fast when something goes through there body at 290fps.

Good luck and don't give up!

mr

[Jmnhunter]

not to start a debate, but if it was a mechanical head, did it open up? my buddy shot 2 bucks in 2 years in a row he thought it went perfect, both mechanical heads lost both deer; he was thinking the blades didnt open properly.

I shot at a doe last year, ended up going through her "arm pit" of her front leg, tracked it all night, same type of results as you, bright blood, it stopped, then it would pick up again. We looked for blood in one spot for a good 20 min until we found it again. ended up walking over 3/4 of a mile, went back the next morning after getting permission to keep looking and found it right away.

hope u find it!

[gurkster]

I feel for you - been there. Like others have said get back in the stand. All you can do is learn all you can from it, hopefully he is still out there.

[sticknstring]

Sorry to hear that, I know the feeling and judging by most of the responses you've gotten, most of everyone else does do. It's no fun and the feeling doesn't go away easily but you'll learn from it and become a better hunter because of it. Give it everything you have at recovering him and if you can't find him, have hope he's still alive and well. Deer are tough critters. I put an arrow right through one high in the chest last year that we never found. A guy in our hunting party shot him 10 days later with the rifle chasing does. Maybe he'll be your 2nd chance buck in a few weeks. Best thing is to keep climbing into the stand and center punch the next one.

[Musky Buck]

Bad luck, luckily I haven't ever dealt with this nor has anyone in our group lost a deer unfortunately, but we only rifle hunt. A year ago I mentioned using a leashed dog to find wounded game, legal no, but if it did the trick I still believe it's better than losing the deer altogether. Maybe it will survive, hopefully it doesn't get that greenish fever in the wound and all of that. My group has shot deer that had broadhead's in a few of them over the years,found them while skinning, they surivived. I give you tons of credit for admitting and owning the deer you shot. You should not quit bowhunting, the amount that you care for the animals tells me without saying you really care about the resource and are just stymied about what happened and searching for a solution, kudo's to you. Keep on searchin' and good luck.

[Musky Buck]

Missed the fat part, since they don't have a lot yet, this could be healed up and there's a great chance he's still kickin and you'll bump into him again, if you have a Tcam option I'd make sure it's out there and he might skate by it for you. Knock on wood but with my luck someone in our group will wound one this year, no one ever hopes for that, but look at the geese flying around dangling a leg etc. It happens. My hope is he survives, becomes a monster non-typical next year, and next year you bag him.

[Abndoc]

just alittle update, My 6 year old, begged me last night to take him out, so we set up a ground blind in our field, and watched a doe with 2 fawns come in to about 15 yards and eat for approx. 45 mins. He wanted me to shoot so bad, i explained to him that we will let momma walk. His excitement i the situation, definitly brought mine back. Spent another couple of hours today looking for my buck...nothing...so I sure hope I see this beast real soon. thanks for the support.

[james_walleye]

Someone brought it up earlier, but I would head out at first light in the morning and listen for the crows. I have heard multiple accounts of people finding deer this way and theres nothing to lose by trying it....