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I lust lost my first deer. Good shot placement, MAYBE a hair high, but a big leg kick and a great blood trail. The blood trail eventually ended, which I don't quite understand. It went from pouring blood to nothing. I'm not sure I've felt this demoralized. Someone tell me this happens to everyone. This is my 2nd year bow hunting. Last year was a success. I feel like never touching my bow again. How do you folks deal with this? Get right back in the saddle? Thanks for listening...
Look really good in the area you lost blood. A lot of the time they will do a final death bound/lunge and be laying tucked away somewhere near. The other possibility is someone took your deer.
I lost a dandy this year. You'll get over it. But.. You look hard. It's not over yet. I would like to ask. Did you have blood at first hit? If not how far until it started? How far did the blood go until it stopped? Did it take off on full run? Or did he run and stop so far away to see what happened? What color is the blood? Bright red or dark?
If you exhaust every effort in trying to recover the deer, you have begun the effort to "forgive" yourself. Hopefully, your efforts will produce the deer. None the less, only time heals that feeling...most of us whom have hunted for some time have had the same experience. Yes, it stinks, but stuff happens...good luck with the search and keep marching on.
Very little blood at first hit. I found the arrow 200 yards away. Then the blood started gushing. Tracked another few hundred yards of good blood, and then it was gone. I doubled back to see if the deer turned around, but couldn't find another blood trail leading off the main one. Going back again with my 2 young boy. Hopefully they have better eyes than I do!
Very little blood at first hit. I found the arrow 200 yards away. Then the blood started gushing. Tracked another few hundred yards of good blood, and then it was gone. I doubled back to see if the deer turned around, but couldn't find another blood trail leading off the main one. Going back again with my 2 young boy. Hopefully they have better eyes than I do!
Sorry to hear about your misfortune. I would look into finding someone with a tracking dog.
It will hurt for some time. Time will help you recover. It does happen to everyone. My son went through it last year. I made him get back on the saddle with his buck tag, but he was still reluctant to shoot again. This is a new year with renewed enthusiasm.
Sounds like a high back hit. I've seen that before...looks like a good hit...slow trail at first, then good. Then...nothing.
You said good blood where you found your arrow, some distance from the shot. If the deer pulled it out, that too can generate more bleeding. 200 yards is a long way...so...iffy hit.
How long was the shot? What can look good to the eye can end up bad due to the deer dropping before the arrow gets there.
In our bowhunting ed field exercises we lay out a blood trail using one cup of blood and an eye dropper...it's amazing how "good" that trail can look for a considerable distance.
Not trying to bum you out brother, but my experiences have had few happy endings with a 200 yard+ track job.
I do agree with the search past your last blood...he may well have expired shortly past that.
Good luck...at worst, a learning experience.
Sounds like a high back hit. I've seen that before...looks like a good hit...slow trail at first, then good. Then...nothing.
You said good blood where you found your arrow, some distance from the shot. If the deer pulled it out, that too can generate more bleeding. 200 yards is a long way...so...iffy hit.
How long was the shot? What can look good to the eye can end up bad due to the deer dropping before the arrow gets there.
In our bowhunting ed field exercises we lay out a blood trail using one cup of blood and an eye dropper...it's amazing how "good" that trail can look for a considerable distance.
Not trying to bum you out brother, but my experiences have had few happy endings with a 200 yard+ track job.
I do agree with the search past your last blood...he may well have expired shortly past that.
Good luck...at worst, a learning experience.
Look under every bush, fallen tree, ditch, or anything else the deer might have dove into/under in a last ditch effort to hide. I twice walked within 10 yards of a buck I shot looking for blood and never saw him. I finally went up hill and was waking back toward where I shot him and spotted something white under a large broken off branch at the bottom of the hill, it was him almost totally hidden. My helper was about 15 yards from him at the time, he wouldn't believe me when I told him the deer was under that branch. The ground was pretty bare in that area, that branch was about the only thing for him to hide under. So, while looking for blood at least every 10 yards, stop, pick your head up and look around from your feet to as far as you can see, full circle all the way around you.
With that much blood on the arrow good chance he is dead. Even an untrained dog (on leash) might lead you to him. Otherwise keep an eye open for any meat eating critter in the area that might have found him. It should be cool enough tonight for the meat to be good through Sunday. If it was a buck and you find him after the meat is spoiled it is illegal to take the antlers unless you tag him.
Just helped a buddy track a doe last week. Good blood came to a creek lost blood at creek figured she crossed looked for blood on the other side found none....We were very confused for about 20 minutes then started checking everywhere around last blood she crawled under some high grass you couldn't see her at all until you moved the grass. We must have walk less the 5 feet away from her 10 or 15 times. Rut nut is right if you lose blood you get on the ground and search that spot the death lung/crawl is very real.
Listen for the crows in your area, they will lead you to a dead deer almost everytime.
Thanks for all the encouragement. 7 hours of searching and me and the little guys found him. In the thickest brush imaginable. I spotted the tail. First buck with a bow. It was a borderline guy entry, but came out under other leg. Liver shot I think. Amazing how I thought the shot was perfect. Adrenaline got the best of me! Thanks again, time for a doe now. Safe hunting guys and gals.
Way to stick with it. Congratulations!!
Congrats to ya!!, Wish we could've seen the kids faces when ya found it.Again,congrats to ya
DAVIS NICE STORY WITH A GOOD ENDING!!!!!
Congrats on the recovery and the buck!
There you go, a good lesson on sticking with it.
Perfect example of one of the differences between gun and bow hunting.
Most gun hunters hurry the recovery. If the deer isn't found quick they move on, more deer out there and they figure they will get the next one.
Bow hunters are stubborn and they have time on their side without many other people around to mess up the 'crime scene'.
Excellent. Congratulations.
It's better than finding your wallet after a long search. You almost want to kiss it as you try to convince yourself it ain't so! Well done on a fine buck.
Congratulations. Way to stick with it.
Great job. Great lesson learned and passed on to the kids.
Good for you for not giving up. Nice deer, your kids look like their enjoying themselves.
Big time congrats. So glad you found it!
AWESOME!!!!!!!!! Great job at sticking with it, congrats.
Great memory with the boys! Congrats! Knew when you said you found the arrow in 200 yards, then went a few hundred more, that no way was it a good lung hit. They rarely go more than 100 (in my experience) with a double-lung pass-through, and often a lot less. We've all thought the hit was great before, only to find out otherwise. My first (and probably last) experience with expandables produced a one-lunged buck that went 200+ yards and bedded, and needed to be finished off.
CONGRATS on getting your deer! Looks like Superman had a hand in helping you.
Make sure to file all of the details from the hunt and recovery into your memory bank. Blood trailing even perfectly shot deer can be difficult sometimes, you gained valuable experience this fall already, and best yet, your determination helped you make it a success in the end. Many beginning hunters would have given up, heck too many veteran hunters would have given up. You did great, and set a good example for your future hunting buddies. Love those smiles in the picture!!!
nice ending, way to keep after him
Dampland, +5, I am guilty of giving up on the first doe I ever shot. I know she died and I gave up too quickly on looking for her. It is something I regret to this day. It is definitely the reason I did not pull the trigger on another doe that season.
Thanks again for all the words of encouragement. It was a friend and a veteran hunter who got me to track this deer properly. I was walking in circles looking for gallons of blood. It wasn't until he found a SINGLE drop of blood that we were able to get back on the trail. I was on my hands and knees, connecting single drops here and there. I had no idea tracking needed to be THAT tedious of a process. It was exciting, and a great thing to experience with all involved. Thanks again and keep it safe out there!
Toilet paper marking the last spot helps a lot.
This story needs to be saved for some of us who will have this issue very soon. Persistence pays off for Mr Davis ! And with his boys too !
+1 on using TP, no need to pick it up like you would have to do with surveyor ribbon. Critical to be able to see direction of travel as you go.
Yes, many tracking jobs require single drops, even small specs of blood. Takes a good eye, and at night a good flashlight.
