Bow hunt deer blood trail
Contributors to this thread:Mule Deer
From: Robertmcc
19-Sep-21
I shot a black tail this morning at a little after 7am. I waited about 20 minutes to go and check for sign. I found the arrows in the base of an old maple after passing though some blackberry bushes that are free of any berries. I found some blood on the arrow but looked to be mostly just on the fletching. Blood was mostly red or almost brown with a few drops of bright red, no bubbles. I have a general idea of the direction it ran but being it took off behind a bush I’m not sure what trails in might have taken. It didn’t jump when hit and looked like it ducked back and down on release. I can’t find an immediate blood trail and I didn’t like the way the arrow looked to be flying but I clearly hit it somewhere. Any ideas on where you think it might have been hit?
From: bentstick54
19-Sep-21
No way of even guessing off of that information.
From: Oryx35
19-Sep-21
Does the arrow smell? That would give you an idea whether you hit guts.
From: Robertmcc
19-Sep-21
Just smells like blood. I was about 35-40 yards dead level with it and felt good with my pin holding, but it looked like the arrow did something funky so I though I’d ask. I’ll go out canvassing for blood in about another hour or so and check my cams to see if it ran by but was just wondering if anyone had some input.
From: Bou'bound
19-Sep-21
Liver
From: Huntcell
19-Sep-21
No blood trail? Continue grid search. After a few days the crows, ravens, magpies, and buzzard may show the way or follow the smell .
Tracking dogs allowed and or available?
From: Grey Ghost
19-Sep-21
Just based on the blood color description, I’d guess liver, too. Here’s what liver blood looks like. It’s from my bull elk last year. Unfortunately, it took me 2 days to find him, and the heat and scavengers had spoiled the meat.
Good luck,
Matt
From: Robertmcc
19-Sep-21
I checked the arrow with peroxide and there is blood tip to fletching but only in very small amounts.
From: molsonarcher
19-Sep-21
I hit a deer several years ago and my arrow looked exactly as you described. The shot was above the spine thru the back straps. Definitely not fatal, and I killed him the next year. You could see the scarring on the hide when I butchered him.
From: Buffalo1
19-Sep-21
What the sound of the arrow when it hit the deer?
From: Fields
19-Sep-21
No idea on what you might have hit.... Personally, I don't take what the arrow looks like to determine much.. Ive seen good hits and the arrow hardly showed signs of a hit and I've seen poor shots and the arrow looked good.... Follow the blood or start the grid search
From: JL
19-Sep-21
Is there a deer dog nearby??
From: TGbow
19-Sep-21
Hope you find it..good luck
From: Paul@thefort
20-Sep-21
blood only on the fletching you state. You might have only grazed the deer with the broad head and as the arrow went forward, the fletching contacted the grazed area placing some blood on the fletching. If the hit had been solid, there would have been some blood on the shaft also. My guess you did not hit the deer with a sold hit, just a grazing hit.
From: Robertmcc
20-Sep-21
There’s no way it hit liver. She ducked the string down and to the left, arrow looked like it flew down and to the right. Found good blood about 60 yards away but lost it when she crossed some gravel. Found some good beds on the other side but not good sign because of a heavy rain.
From: Robertmcc
20-Sep-21
No dogs allowed in my state.
From: Robertmcc
21-Sep-21
No dogs allowed in my state.
