lost Mule deer
Contributors to this thread:Mule Deer
From: goelk
29-Sep-13
I shot and hit a mule deer buck and could not find him. My arrow had blood but not much. All three feathers had blood but just on the edges and little blood on the shaft and broadhead. The blood trail was very weak. I only found 4 drops of blood and follow the tracks for over 3 miles and the deer never seem to stop and bleed. I quit after that. Maybe I should have look longer but no blood!I shot the deer with 10 minutes of light left. The weather was cool enough so I waited until the next morning. The drops were kinded dark so I am wondering if I hit a liver or muscles! the deer was slightly quartering to me uphill slightly. I remember the deer jump up before he ran off after the shot. This is the first animal I have ever lost and its driving me crazy.
From: Bou'bound
29-Sep-13
Three miles. He's fine
From: Nick Muche
29-Sep-13
You tracked him for THREE miles? Yep, he's fine!
From: fiddler
29-Sep-13
Could have been a brisket hit. Did the arrow have tiny bits of muscley tissue on it?
From: azdogman
29-Sep-13
He is alive and well
From: nijimasu
29-Sep-13
Still, if there were still dribbles of blood after 3 miles, the wound isn't closing up. I don't think a brisket hit would have continued dripping that long. As long as there's blood, I keep tracking. Dwight Schuh tells about a buddy who hit an elk IN THE HOOF that kept leaving drops of blood. The hunter followed it for several miles and finally found it dead- he'd cut a small artery behind the hoof and the bull eventually bled to death.
From: WV Mountaineer
29-Sep-13
Not saying your incorrect but if you followed the track for three miles without blood in anything but sand, you have missed your calling. God Bless
From: XMan
29-Sep-13
that deer is fine, you did your job searching and put in an extrodinary effort!
From: nijimasu
29-Sep-13
woops- i should have read more carefully. if no blood, that ole boy is most likely just fine after 3 miles.
From: DConcrete
29-Sep-13
I was thinking the exact same thing as WV. I'm not trying to start anything. But I've been in the woods a lot. Especially mule deer country. How exactly did you follow him on his path for 3 miles? Without following blood? I am sorry but that seems very far fetched to me.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
30-Sep-13
With the help of tracking ants and spiders, 3 miles is very possible.
From: DConcrete
30-Sep-13
Oh get real TBM.
From: Woods Walker
30-Sep-13
How far was the deer when you shot?
What was the shot angle? (broadside, quartering away, quartering to...etc..)
Were you above him? Below? Level?
Where do you think you hit him exactly?
What kind of broadhead?
From: kadbow
30-Sep-13
Where did you hit him?
From: kadbow
30-Sep-13
Where did you hit him?
From: goelk
30-Sep-13
I am using a Magnus 1 125gr. footed shaft. My arrows are around 600gr. I got complete pass thru. The deer was 31 yds. My recurve is 60 pounds. The shot was slightly up and slightly quartering. I though the arrow hit right above the front leg. I am thinking I might have hit lower now. My GPS read three miles when I finally gave up. The trail was really easy to follow. they were the only tracks. there was one time I had to re- track to make sure. No hair on my arrow neither. I appreciated all your comments
From: Thornton
30-Sep-13
I was on a hunt that was hosting a hunting show last year in northern CO. The other hunter shot a big mulie in the guts with a .308 and we trailed it for several miles following tiny drops of gut and blood. Lost the trail at ten at night. We found the buck the next morning a quarter mile from where we stopped the night before. So I wouldn't say for certain your deer made it.
From: Woods Walker
30-Sep-13
Magnus? Well at least you don't have to wonder if the head opened right or not!
You said slightly quartering....quartering which way? To or from? And the arrow hit in front of the front leg or behind the front leg? And was the front leg back or forward at the time of the shot?
From: goelk
02-Oct-13
Slightly Quartering away and middle of the leg. the front leg was back. Well I learn a few things from this and I appreciated your comments.
From: writer
06-Oct-13
Cheer up, you gave him a good search and he's probably fine from a glancing muscle hit.
Remember that where we think we hit an animal is often different from where we actually hit them.
Congrats on feeling bad...you have a conscience and care about the game you're hunting. That's a lot better than following the tracks for 100 yards, finding nothing, then looking for another deer...
From: goelk
07-Oct-13
thanks for all the comments and I will move on and learn from this! I had a great hunt.
From: goelk
07-Oct-13
thanks for all the comments and I will move on and learn from this! I had a great hunt.
From: goelk
07-Oct-13
thanks for all the comments and I will move on and learn from this! I had a great hunt.
From: goelk
07-Oct-13
thanks for all the comments and I will move on and learn from this! I had a great hunt.
