Deer Shot - Need advise on finding it

[Rather_B_Fishing]

OK guys, I'd appreciate hearing any advise you have to help me find this deer. Here is the situation:

Yesterday I shot a doe about 5 PM. The shot was a little further back than I wanted. But it was a pass thru from 15 yards. The deer didn't do the mad death run but rather just kind of trotted away then walked off until it was out of sight. I waited 35 minutes or so then got down and found the arrow. It was covered in thick, dark blood with a few bubbles in it. There was no stomach matter. About 1 hour and 20 minutes after the shot, my buddy and I got on the blood trail. We found lots of blood, some places it was pooled up. We followed the trail for about 75 yards, which took about 30 minutes. My buddy had to leave then to go to a previously scheduled commitment. We marked the last blood. When he got back, we went back to the last blood but couldn't find any more. We walked around looking for it for 90 minutes in the dark then called it off until this morning.

A few things of note are (1) About 10 minutes after I lost sight of the deer, I saw a deer behind me. I don't know if it was the same one or not, and (2) A few minutes after seeing the one behind me, I heard a deer in the direction the one I shot came from snorting.

I know of a doe bedding area. Maybe it's there? There are also swamps and thickets on the property. I will be heading out soon to find it.

I'd appreciate any advise anyone is willing to give. Thanks much.

[RIPN LIPS]

go back to the blood and start over and while tracking the blood look ahead for the easiest route i.e deer trail, path ect. deer are lazy and will take the path of least resistance. use tp to mark all blood along the way after a while it will show you the way it was headed. good luck

[Rippinlip]

If it is a hilly area and you cannot find anymore blood, look towards the top of the hills where she can look over the low areas downwind and where she can smell danger coming from upwind.

Since she was hit pretty well she is trying to avoid anymore danger and doing everything to use what abilities she has left to stay alive.

Never forget to look towards water too, sometimes they try to replenish themselves.

I know this is 2 completely different areas, but past history has shown these 2 areas the most likely spots.

I have found when it has happened to me(us) that bucks sometimes will head towards heavier cover, but does seem to stay away from heavy cover.

Good Luck and keep us posted.

[psepuncher]

I resort back to tracking/scouting.

First off scouting can be as detailed as you want.

good that you know bedding areas and travel routes.

to start....I use online maps that get in close.

The top pic is a closeup of the 2nd pic...

good luck

[Bear55]

If you lose blood get into those bedding/low areas and walk every inch of them. I am guessing you got her back in the liver and she is done for and you find her this morning in some thick nasty stuff, also look near any water.

[cupper]

Hey RBF, a few qustions first...

1. Was the blood trail in a straight line or was it weaving back and forth as you followed it?

2. Do you have water near by?

Ok, I had almost the exact same situation in Sep. I shot a doe a little far back, but she was quartering away. I ended up taking out the liver and one lung. She reacted the same way yours did - trotted off out of sight. I tracked her for about 150 yds with good blood but then it petered out. It went from good blotches every 3-6 feet to dime-sized drops every 30-40 feet towards the end. I was struggling after about an hour of tracking so I went home, called a friend and waited about 1 hour to resume. We went back and my buddy decided to follow what was her percieved path based on following the blood trail and the direction it went. He ended up finding her about 50 yds farther down the trail with almost no blood to guide him. My guess is that you will have a similar result. I think somebody already said it, but start over at the begining of the blood trail so you can get a good sense of her direction. When the blood peters out, continue on that path checking to your left and right (most of the time deer will be a little off the path when they expire). If this does not produce, start making circle searches from the spot of last blood... start with small circles and slowy widen (sometimes deer will double back). Last, and if still nothing, check any water source nearby and listen for crows. Try to stay positive and TAKE YOUR TIME. You will find her, you just have to play CSI now. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

[DonBo]

Don't give up on the blood. She's bleeding, find the next drop, then the next, then the next.......hands and knees if necessary.

Good luck!

[mrklean]

i think one of the best methods of tracking which i dont think a lot of guys do is using TP or ribbons to mark blood so you can see the exact trail it took it gives you great insight on where the deer was moving and where you should make your next move to look

[sticknstring]

TP is the best being it's disposable. No reason to have unsightly leftover ribbon trails in the woods. Good luck tracking - hope you find it.

[fishermatt]

If you have had a good blood trail and it suddenly stops, the deer might have doubled back on it's tracks and then gone in a different direction. If you walk the sides of the blood trail, maybe 10-20 feet off the trail, and find blood, you'll know it went that direction. Otherwise go back to last known blood and do circles, circles, circles, larger and larger. If the blood trail gives you a fairly straight direction, go ahead from the last known blood about 50 yards or so and look there too.

[psepuncher]

has anyone ever gone back a second night with a blue red light

made for tracking blood? Just something I never thought of .....

Anyway, I use a coleman lantern when night tracking

and turn it up high as it will go. Taking baby steps the whole way

with TP as others have said is ideal,

as when you turn around to see where you were the TP stands out pretty well.

[Jack Stasney]

Had a shot similar to what you say. She was quartered away. Lots of blood on the arrow. Found her about 1.5hrs later only about 40-50yrds away. Shot went into the liver then out through one lung. Definitely worth looking for.

[Rather_B_Fishing]

Thanks for all the input guys. I incorporated everything I read into the search. After spending 2 hours each looking last night, me and another guy spent 4 hours each looking today. Unfortunetely we did not find the deer or any other blood. I am obviously disappointed but I gave it all I could to find it.

On a more positive note, I got a shot opportuinity on another deer. I double lunged it. It charged hard for about 50 yards then I heard it crash. It was a quick track/recovery, and this deer is now at the butcher. So I'm back on the horse.

[Jack Stasney]

Congrats on your success! I'd say not to worry about the one you lost cause it happens to everybody, but those are the ones you never forget.

[vitalshot5]

I may be a little off, but to me I don't think 2 hours one day and 4 another is doing all that you can do, If you hit her where you say you hit her she couldn't have gone too far, sometimes tracking especially without a heavy blood trail takes alot more effort than 6 hours, sometimes I think its easier for people to say oh well theres more deer I'll just go shoot another, I've only lost 1 deer in 37 years and that one we had 3 full days of light and about 15miles of tracking. The wolves beat me to that one.

[ChrisT]

I thought the whole idea of this site is to be a positive reference for other hunters. There should not be a post shot clock where you have to atleast spend 12 hours looking for a shot deer. If you feel you have exausted your resourses and have done all you can then that's it. It is not easy to get over it, but you will congrats on sticking the other one. One thing I can say for sure is that everyone at some point will lose an animal.

[LightningBG]

I may be a little off, but to me I don't think 2 hours one day and 4 another is doing all that you can do, If you hit her where you say you hit her she couldn't have gone too far, sometimes tracking especially without a heavy blood trail takes alot more effort than 6 hours, sometimes I think its easier for people to say oh well theres more deer I'll just go shoot another, I've only lost 1 deer in 37 years and that one we had 3 full days of light and about 15miles of tracking. The wolves beat me to that one.

I think if you track for 4 hours and its a slow trail, but goes dry towards the end of the 4hrs, keep looking. But if you're stuck in one spot for 4 hours, I'm not sure how much more can be done. You can only circle the area so many times before you conclude there just isn't anything there.

15 miles.... I applaud your dedication, but that is a long ways. I couldn't do that. That's like from going from St. Paul all the way to Blaine.

[Jack Stasney]

[hockeybc69]

15 miles???

I had a friend tell me they trailed a deer for a mile this weekend and I thought that was extreme. Funny part was its all private land so either he trailed it in circles on the 40 acres they own, or they crossed onto about 4 other properties during primetime with permission.

Guessing it was more like a few hundred yards the trailing lasted.

[Rather_B_Fishing]

I was hunting on a 26 acre piece of private property. In our 12 hours of searching, we looked everywhere on the property. If that deer was laying dead on the 26 acres, my father in law or I would have come very close to stepping on it. We didn't track nor seek permission to track onto neighbors properties because they were hunting and we had no evidence of where the deer went after the 75 yard blood trail. Seeing as I took a vacation day from work to search and probably ran all the other deer off the property for a while, I'd humbly say we put in a good effort, and just didn't say "Oh well". That being said, I will do all that I can to never lose another.

[eyeguy 54]

Good job I say. You gave it your best. I've been at it over 40 years and have lost 3 after tracking all I could. We do what we each think is right and then on with the hunt.