Looking for a deer today

[jdime]

5:30 last night I took my first shot with an arrow at a deer. I got her in the armpit broadside at 20 yards and I saw her run off about 30 yards then disappear. It was an amazing event.

The placement seemed perfect. I could see a small mark in her armpit where I was aiming. I heard what I thought was bone when it hit. The arrow passed through and had no fat or digestive material on it, just dark, red blood. Several drops of blood on the ground and on a tree in the vicinity of impact. Brown hair on the broadhead (rage 2-inch)

BUT no blood trail in the direction I saw her leave. I just don't get it.

I'd waited a while to come down as my buddy was in a stand not too far away and I didn't want to ruin his hunt so it was very dark by the time I was looking for her. After a while we decided to come back in the morning. I woke up at 3:30 and now I have to just drink coffee and wait til the sun's up.

I've new to hunting and have not had the experience of having to wait til morning to find a deer. Some may think it's "just a doe" but I am going to search hard.

Maybe I didn't make the perfect shot I thought I did or maybe she turned in a different direction than I thought...

[Cheetah]

Just go slow on the tracking, bring some bright marking tape to mark the blood trail as you go.

[jdime]

Will do. Sunlight will help. Just one more hour...

[Scoot]

Good job backing out. Follow Cheetah's advice and good luck! Get us some pics when you find her!

Gotta love those sleepless nights waiting to track a deer...

[jdime]

Well I found it. It turned out to be a young buck. Little knobs for antlers. It only traveled 20 or 30 yards but it was hunkered down in some thick stuff and at one point I was on my hands an knees ten feet away but I didn't see it. I had my head down looking for blood.

I hit it in the armpit but the exit wound was in the middle. it bled out with damage to lung and liver but I nicked the gut and had a mess on my hands. Really feel like carp about that.

All the meat, tenderloins included, smells like manure. I am freezing it all in the hope that slow cooking or stewing down the road will make it taste good.

I have a sense of accomplishment as this is my first archery deer, but I am angry about the meat. I didn't want to waste an animal.

[mabr]

Overnight regardless of being Gut shot should not have hurt the meat. It was plenty cool last night for it to be ok. Unless maybe you didnt find it until late this afternoon.

Wash it all real good with a garden hose, cut any blood shot meat out and it should have been fine.

[leech~~]

Like mabr said hose it down really good on the inside and cut out the bad spots by the holes and it should be ok after a few hours of sitting over night. Not sure where you were hunintg but it was down to 39 degrees up north where I was last night. When ever I have second thoughts about meat going bad after sitting in the woods over night. I just watch Andrew Zimmer on the food channel eating some kind of meat that had been hanging in an open food market stand for a week and it makes me feel better about it!

[1johntimm]

Congrats on the deer! The Rage did it's job, but didn't do like their supposed to "throwing an axe through 'em"?

[HNTNBUX]

I don't know, 20 yard recovery and with a less than perfect shot I would say it worked pretty good. Not a bad shot but how many broadheads would lead to that short of trail with a liver hit? I know they are not perfect heads but it do its job.

Congrats on the recovery and the deer.

[jdime]

The broadheads worked great. The entry and exit holes were two inches across. The only problem was my nicking the stomach.

[Scoot]

Congrats on the deer!

[certified jumbo]

good work

[Wanderer]

The only problem was my nicking the stomach.

That'll happen when you throw an axe through em.

Congrats on your deer! And the recovery! Treat the meat right and you'll be fine. Clean it before freezing it if you haven't already done so.

[propster]

You sound surprised that it exited where it did based on where you saw it enter. Was he quartering into you or did the arrow deflect to get the exit where it was?

[mnguy152]

Congrats on your first deer. Now you have the monkey off your back. Work hard now and make a better shot next time if you were not happy with this one. I did the same thing too last year on my first one. Got mine little far back hit low liver I should have waited a few more steps. Then taken the shot would have been more of a quartering away shot instead of a quartering to shot. But we all have to live and learn.

[sticknstring]

Happy to hear you found your deer - I'm sure he'll taste delicious!

[bigbucks]

Great job, congrats. The deer went 20-30 yards, it was a pretty good shot.

[jdime]

You sound surprised that it exited where it did based on where you saw it enter. Was he quartering into you or did the arrow deflect to get the exit where it was?

I was indeed surprised. I thought it was perfect broadside so I was expecting two lungs and lots of blood. I hit a couple inches towards the rear, but still in the vitals. The exit wound farther back meant I didn't see the quartering or it deflected. I assume that it was quartering and I didn't take it into account. I was so focused on the gap in the trees that when the deer entered, roughly broadside, I just aimed at the armpit and pulled. The exit would was quickly plugged and there was very little blood.

I am done beating myself up about it. It was an awesome experience. I worked very hard to find a very small deer. I cleaned the meat as much as possible and we'll be making stew this weekend.

All by the grace of God.

[jdime]

And thanks all for kind words. I can't believe I got one with a bow.

[goblueM]

would was quickly plugged and there was very little blood.

i had that experience with rage 2 blade as well... i think since it is a slit more than a hole, the skin/fascia/fat easily plugs the hole

[gurkster]

Congrats on the deer!!! Great job backing out and tracking her in the morning. Like others have said the meat should be fine, just wash it good, and cut out the bad spots.

[Powerstroke]

Great job and congratulations on your first bow deer!!! It is an accomplishment all by itself.

You did all the right things by backing out coming back in the morning. Greta job for keeping up the search and finding your deer. Thats the right thing to do and you got rewarded for it.