Im going to be sick

[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.

[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!