Gotta find one in the AM

[Rather_B_Fishing]

So today I am out hunting for the last day of rifle season in the area I hunt. I am in a ladder stand off to the side of an ATV trail. About 4 PM I am looking out in front of me, then I turn my head to my left. I see movement! A deer is crossing the trail, and due to the winds, I didn't hear it coming. It was about 55 yards down the trail. When I first saw it, all I saw was its hind end. I thought "dang I just missed a chance". I raised my gun and pointed toward the brush it went into hoping it may turn around and come back out. Well that did not happen, but just a second or two after pointing the gun, another deer came out onto the trail following the same path as deer # 1. I said to myself, "Here we go". This deer was broadside at 55 yards and standing still. I put the cross hairs just behind the shoulder half way up the body and squeezed the trigger. As best as I can recall, the deer's front legs came up and its left leg flailed, almost like doing the doggie paddle swim. It then moved across the trail and into the woods the same way deer # 1 went. About 10-15 minutes later, I got down and marked with paper towels tied to a branches the zone where the deer stood when shot. At 5:40 PM (100 minutes after shot), my father in law and I started looking for the deer. We found blood on the trail (spot where deer was shot). We also found about 4 other places in the woods where the deer dropped blood. We marked the trail. In at least one spot, the blood had some bone fragments in it. The last blood we found had blood on both sides of the trail, indicating the deer was bleeding from both entry and exit wounds. It was dark and we didn't make progress after about 30 minutes from the last blood so we called off the search until morning. I have been down this road before on searching for a deer the next day and have never found it. But there has gotta be a first time. Hopefully tomorrow will be that first time. I would appreciate any thoughts or advice you may have. Thanks.

[sportfish]

Sounds like a lower leg shot , they don't bleed very much . When u trail it make sure some one watches out in front with a gun cus most likely it will still be alive in the morning . Good luck

[paceman]

Good Luck! Things usually go better in the daylight. Hope you fine your deer.

[Summett]

Sounds like a lower leg shot , they don't bleed very much . When u trail it make sure some one watches out in front with a gun cus most likely it will still be alive in the morning . Good luck

Since he said the last day of rifle was yesterday, are they allowed to do this? I've never really thought about his scenario before, but I'm assuming...no???

[Deet]

Our party had two deer this year that we couldn't find [lost the blood trail] at night. Went back the next day for each, and found each one.

One had bed down and died about 50 yards from where we stopped searching the night before. The ONLY reason we didn't find it that night was because it started snowing hard and totally covered the deer's trail.

The next one was found almost a 1/2 mile from where the blood trail was lost the night before. But searching during daylight the next day, it was easier to tell which way the deer traveled, and after a hundred yards or more of no blood, finally it started bleeding again. We really lucked out on both of these deer in that the coyotes and wolves didn't find them before we did.

Both deer were gut shots, FYI. One had very slow, steady blood loss. The other bled a lot right away and then TOTALLY stopped for a while, then bled again and bed down four times before dying on a bed.

Anyway, when you lose them at night, it is way, WAY easier to search during daylight the next day, as long as it doesn't rain or snow at night. It also makes a huge difference to have one or two other guys with you.

[Bear55]

Mule kicks are usually a good sign, sometimes a high hit won't leave a lot of blood until the chest cavity kills up. I think you will find a deer today, don't give up.

[Rather_B_Fishing]

Found some light colored balls of hair where the deer was shot. Also found more blood and bone chips. Lost trail at last notes last blood. Still looking. Thoughts?

[TRZ II]

Keep looking! I have tracked deer for over a mile and across rivers and still found them. This animal will die, you just have to find it. If you loose blood, check every possible trail! Good luck.

[paceman]

That could be a lower brisket hit with the light hairs. If so that deer will be just fine...

[LABS4ME]

That could be a lower brisket hit with the light hairs. If so that deer will be just fine...

With Bone chips? no way. dead animal. Or soon to be dead animal.

[Bear55]

That could be a lower brisket hit with the light hairs. If so that deer will be just fine...

Yep doesn't sound good, might have to make bone chip soup. Sorry not trying to rub it in but we've found bone chips tracking before and never got the deer so naturally the shooter got bone chip soup for dinner that night.

[DonBo]

Bone chips? Leg, almost certainly. Dead or not depends on wheather it's one leg or two. Seen many one legged deer in my day and most get along just fine.

[TruthWalleyes]

Did the deer ever lay down?

[96trigger]

The blood on both sides has me puzzled, how much blood are we talking? How far away on each side. Could be a brisket shot, could be a let shot. If its shot in the legs, there should be some pretty obvious sign on the leaves and it probably would have laid down somewhere close.

[Rather_B_Fishing]

Still looking. No new sign since 11 AM but I did take a lunch break. The blood spots have been as big as a dime and about one third that size as the smallest. Where the blood was on both sides of the trail it was about 18 inches apart. No pools of blood or sign of laying down. The gray hair balls I found has what appears to be tallow stuck to it. Man this school of hard knocks sure does suck....A buddy of mine may join the search in about an hour. Any other ideas? Thanks for all the input so far.

[DaveT]

Still looking. No new sign since 11 AM but I did take a lunch break. The blood spots have been as big as a dime and about one third that size as the smallest. Where the blood was on both sides of the trail it was about 18 inches apart. No pools of blood or sign of laying down. The gray hair balls I found has what appears to be tallow stuck to it. Man this school of hard knocks sure does suck....A buddy of mine may join the search in about an hour. Any other ideas? Thanks for all the input so far.

If you only had blood on both sides of the trail in one spot, that tells me your deer turned around and backtracked for awhile, start looking the other direction.

[certified jumbo]

Tallow, bone, white hair could mean low front leg or brisket.

Keep looking. You have two hours left of good light. You may want to start the grid search when your buddy arrives if you cant find more blood. Just look for the body or clues as you go....

[Musky Buck]

You should have him by the time I type this, any thoughts well you better practice free hand shooting your rifle because at 55 yards in the clear standing still and broadside at 4PM with more than enough daylight, that should be a dead deer if you have a few years of experience under your belt. Things can develop quickly like this deer did, take a deep breath and ease the trigger pull, don't pull it or this may be the outcome. I know I'm a father figure type, anyway best of luck and I'm hoping you find that deer for sure, good luck, live and learn deal ya know.

[WALLEYENUTZ]

Brisket shot

[Archerysniper]

Tallow, bone, white hair could mean low front leg or brisket

+1 my guess is brisket

[Rather_B_Fishing]

Gentlemen,

Thanks for all the suggestions. It really helped keep me looking until 6 PM tonight.

Unfortunately I could not find it. My buddy came out this afternoon and we did more grid searching. We did find some more blood (some drag marks) and a big bone chunk (about 2 inches long) along the same blood trail already established.

Long story short, based on all we found, we theorize the shot was low with the bullet entering the deer through the light colored hairs on its underside and upon exiting the deer body it passed through the right front leg.

I don't know how I messed up the shot. Prior to this shot, I fired this rifle at 8 deer and put 7 in the freezer. I thought it was an easy shot when I took it. What I do know is I will be spending a whole bunch more time at the range prior to next years firearms season.

[TRZ II]

That is hunting. It happens. I have 3 inch bone in my collection from a deer i shot and never found. Not everyone is Wyatt Earp, a guy who shoots once a year is not going to make every shot. Too bad but atleast you tried hard!

[PurpleFloyd]

About 25 years ago I took a shot at a very nice doe that came by me. I hit it in the front and saw blood immediately. it kept running and it went over a hill and out of sight. I waited about a half hour and then got dad and a few other guys to help track it. There was a clear, heavy blood trail from the point of impact and we followed it for 1/4 mile to a gravel road and into the next field for another 1/4 mile to the woods that follow the creek. We then followed it for another 1/2 mile to where it crossed the creek. This whole time the blood trail was so clear and consistent that you could follow it as you walked without having to look hard. It got too dark and the creek was too high to cross so we waited until the morning and came in from the back side and there we found the gut pile about 200 yards from where it crossed the creek. Pretty sure I heard the shots that got it right before I started trailing it the day before.

Anyway, deer can go a heck of a long way even when they are well hit and not pushed along. If the blood trail wasn't very heavy it may still be running around with a noticeable limp. Or the deer my be much farther away from where you shot it than you think it could be. that kind of thing happens when you hunt and there are good lessons in there. Good thing you kept at it as long as practical and didn't give up.

[walleyeking19]

It sounds like you tried your best to find it! I know the feeling, my first deer I ever shot ran off and I never found it so I know how frustrating it can be. Deer are tough creatures!