Need evaluation of a blood trail
Whitetail Deer
Guys I need your feedback on this blood trail. I have no idea where I hit but my first impression was that I missed. If you didn’t know where you hit and couldn’t find your arrow what would you say? I shot the big bodied mature buck late Tuesday night right at dark. Using a VPA 3 blade broadhead. Last couple minutes of shooting light. In the video of the first 40 yards when I picked up the trail the next morning mind you he was walking very very slowly still confused after I snort weezed him in. The slow walk away would have me thinking a body cavity shot but before the shot he came in and then doubled back at the same very slow pace, I think he’s just an old and very careful buck. From the shot area there was no blood until he ran about 30 yards and then stopped. It was about 40 yards of this and then starting to peter out in the next 50 yards and then totally lost blood at about 150 yards. The more I think about it the more it is similar to a couple of known shoulder hits. The blood was all the same bright red color. No pink or dark blood and the bleeding tapering off in a methodical manner into nothing. I also never found my arrow which is annoying as that would tell me a lot. I searched all day yesterday and didn't find any bloody bed. Didn't see any random piles of blood either so I really think it's just a muscle hit, if I had to guess I would say forward of the shoulder and low without bone involved/ non lethal but what would you say?
Anyone's guess. Could be backstrap/spine. Could be briscuit. Could be guts on a quartered hit with the arrow inside. In my experience, shoulder hits usually give up the arrow one way or the other. Too much moving to hold on to it.
I'm pretty hard of hearing, but I hear the smack of a shoulder hit and I also have not seen the arrow not break off or get broken off with a shoulder hit. It could really be any muscle hit....this is one of the reasons I prefer to shoot lighted nocks.
It’s definitely not a shoulder hit, The only reason I brought up the shoulder hit is because it’s the only muscle hit I really have experience with that leads to similar trail ...no Bone involved from the sound I’m pretty sure my arrow went through but I can’t find it. I’ve had it happen a couple other times on pass-throughs where the arrow changes angle and gets under the leaves
How far was the shot?
Suggest searching thick cover, downhill, and the nearest water source. Liver hit, the deer should head toward water if nearby.
We tracked a doe 1/3 mile that I shot through the stomach, liver, and nicked a lung. Found her next morning in the CRP dead.
Suggest adding a couple thin (1/4") strips of reflective tape to your arrows. Helps in locating lost arrows shot from an elevated stand. Not much help (obviously) if the arrow is buried under leaves.
I shot a doe this morning with similar blood and trail, hit her through the gut and must of gotten lucky and hit an artery, but she ran like the devil was chasing her and bled good till a big hunk of fat clogged up the lower hole, then there was just a pin drop every time she hit the ground. Piece of fat about the size of a ladies hand hanging out the bottom of her! She piled up about 150 yards from the treestand. I would never of guessed she was wounded the way she was running then to die so quickly after the last I could see of her, she was totally keeping up with her friend that she was with. I got lucky and didn't cut any bowels some how! Surprising how lucky you can get with a misplaced shot and how unlucky you can get with a well placed one! I'd say if he didn't run off after being shot, you didn't hit a bone! Hope you find him?
“In the video of the first 40 yards when I picked up the trail the next morning mind you he was walking very very slowly still confused after I snort weezed him in. The slow walk away would have me thinking a body cavity shot but before the shot he came in and then doubled back at the same very slow pace, I think he’s just an old and very careful buck. From the shot area there was no blood until he ran about 30 yards and then stopped.”
I have no idea what you just said. Did he run off? Did he run? Did he run 30, then stop and then walked away?
I’m going to guess that you got a pass-through (or just grazed him), else I doubt he would have been just walking away.
Any chance you hit him through the neck? I screwed up a neck shot one time with a rifle when the buck jerked his head up at the last second; should have pushed him. Would’ve been easier on everybody concerned.
Honestly, I’m amazed that he could bleed that much and not keel over, but if he didn’t bed right close to where you lost blood, where do you think he was headed? Hot on a doe? Back to his favorite hidey-hole? Thick cover near a water source?
There’s a lot of details and questions I’d like to know, however with what I see and read I’d be willing to guess that it was a superficial wound resulting from a shot to the neck area.
Hopefully a lesson learned here as if it’s so late/early you can’t determine just where your arrow went it shouldn’t be released. There’s a lot of things to watch carefully pre and post shot and when the light is that marginal it just makes one variable with another... I’m sure you recognize this though and there’s no reason to beat you up over anymore as most have been there.
Keep us updated when you see him again. I bet he’s ok. Good luck
Walking off slowly is not a good sign, usually a sign of guts/liver....
If you have a video why not show that so we can help? If a picture is worth a thousand words a video is worth a million.
I shot a bigger buck once that slowly walked off after the hit...it was too thick for another shot but I swore I hit him perfectly. I had similar blood and never found him. The only explanation I had was from the shot angle in a tree the shot appeared to look good on entrance (heart area) but was probably too steep to catch anything, resulting in basically a brisket/low hit. I followed blood until it petered out then zig zagged the area for 2 days following.
I would say you hit low brisket type wound. Based on reaction and blood trail. IMO would be highly unlikely to recover but obviously do you due diligence trailing. I unfortunately have had several similar experiences with low hits and thus far no recoveries. Not really anything vital low down.
Craig
