Things like this happen in bow hunting. I lost one once after following blood for about a mile. But it lived, the landowner shot it during shotgun season. Come to find out I hit him in the shoulder blade and mearly gave him a flesh wound that healed.
BUT, my arrow did not pass through..
Not sure what you did but after you shoot a deer like you did it's a good idea to leave it alone for at least an hour if you didn't see her fall, providing it was a lung or double lung hit. If you guys tracked it right away you probably just kept jumping it up and making it run further. If it was a gut shot you will not find nice dark red blood, in this case don't track for several hours or even overnight.. I would go back out and try to find the blood trail where you left off and keep tracking. If for nothing else just to find it.
good luck

 

How long did you wait before trying to track it? I have seen deer jump up and run with a lethal hit because they weren't given enough time to bleed out.

 

The biggest mistake people make it trying to find the deer way to early. Now some guys can't do this because they are on public land, but if you are on private land, wait!!! A deer will bed down no matter where it is wounded. I saw a guy gut shoot a deer with a bow just before it got dark. They went out the next day around 2 PM and the buck was 75 yards from where it was shot. Even if I make a perfect shot but do not see the deer go down, I am going to wait atleast 2 hours if not more. The only reason that doe would have keep going is because you were chasing her. If it was a good shot, she would have bed down not that far away and then died. I am not saying it was your fault, just trying to prevent something like this happening again to someone who is new to the sport. Good luck.

 

I shot a doe several years ago with what looked like a perfect hit with the arrow passing all the way through. I ALWAYS sit for another 1 1/2 hours after the shot. On this one I had four foxes come through within 15 minutes of the shot, noses down following the blood trail. I followed the trail for about a 1/2 mile until the blood disappeared. Heavy blood for the first quarter mile, little to no blood for the last 1/4 mile and no deer to be found.

 

I only waited a half hour before traking it. I guess we just didn't give her time to bleed out. We would have went back the next day but it thunderstormed all night so we never would of found any sign of blood. Thanks for the help, next time I'll wait at least an hour if I think I made a good shot and longer if I'm not sure.

Thanks again for your stories.

 

Get as much help as possible. Wait as long as possible. Mark each blood spot with flagging, even if there's a ton of it.

Put someone on the last blood spot, and that person should not move until blood is found again. When blood is lost look back at the flagging, usually a direction is evident.

Fan out(far if needed) until next blood spot is found. If looking at night use coleman lanterns with foil, inside the glass on one side, to act like a reflector. Amazing how much better the latterns work compared to flashlites.

Follow up wounded deer, even if wounds seem minor. Buddy found a deer he hit in the lower leg with a deflected arrow. Only one of three blades hit the lower front leg. He tracked for over a mile and found the deer dead.

Don't give up, come back the next morning and look again. Rain or shine the animal deserves that. Look how much time is spent on planning a hunt, if need be spend more on finding the animal.

I have also lost animals, happens to everyone that hunts. Maybe find an old timer that has hunted alot and ask him for a tracking lesson. When I ever needed help on a questionable hit, I go to the local bar and have a beer. I buy a few for the locals and ask for tracking help. Amazing all the knowledgeable guys that would help out

Rob

 

Bang, dont kick yourself too hard, stuff happens,you may have had a hit over the lungs a lot of times the deers chest cavity fills and not much is found or they bleed while lieing down and you loose the trail while they are up.Some times even what looks fatal isnt.Best thing is to wait at least an hour before checking unless you see or hear the amimal go down and start thrashing.Some folks I know wait several hours, last year I arrowed a buck and waited 2 hours after I heard him go down about 75 yards from the ambush site. He was hit in the heart, blood trail was almost nothing ,(no blood pressure) ,found him where I last heard him thrashing.It was hard waiting but its usually best. I also use a dog to help when I have trouble finding a wounded animal,we have a German Shepard that is a wonderful tracker,breed doesnt matter,only the amimals ability to blood trail. Hope Ive helped some.Hammer

 

It really sucks when you loose a deer like that. Makes you feel bad. I have lost 1 or 2 in my days of hunting as I am sure others will tell you the same thing.

I got a spike last week with my bow. About a 30 yard shot right through the shoulders. Arrow passed all the way through and stuck in the ground. The deer ran off like nothing happend but 5 seconds later I heard it crash then kick around like crazy then dead silence. I knew right away that it had expired. So I got down out of my ladder stand and found my arrow and noticed the blood was very frothy which indicates a lung shot. The really weird thing was I couldnt find any blood any where. No bloode trail at all. I walked in the direction where the deer ran off and stumbled right on it less than 10 minutes after the shot and it was dead. It ran about 50 yards and dropped like a rock even thought it didnt bleed a single drop.

 

It really sucks when you loose a deer like that. Makes you feel bad. I have lost 1 or 2 in my days of hunting as I am sure others will tell you the same thing.

I got a spike last week with my bow. About a 30 yard shot right through the shoulders. Arrow passed all the way through and stuck in the ground. The deer ran off like nothing happend but 5 seconds later I heard it crash then kick around like crazy then dead silence. I knew right away that it had expired. So I got down out of my ladder stand and found my arrow and noticed the blood was very frothy which indicates a lung shot. The really weird thing was I couldnt find any blood any where. No bloode trail at all. I walked in the direction where the deer ran off and stumbled right on it less than 10 minutes after the shot and it was dead. It ran about 50 yards and dropped like a rock even thought it didnt bleed a single drop.

Well I spoke too soon. Lost a big doe the other night. Blood trail and pool's of blood every where. It just kept going and going till it got to dark for me to track any further. Woke up the next morning in hopes of going back to look for it again and it was pouring down rain and I didnt bother to go back because the blood trail was gone

 

I shot a doe last night. Hit her perfect. Dropped dead after a 60 yard sprint not 30 seconds after I stuck her. Double lung. Chalk up another for the Muzzy.

The blood on the arrow and the sign where the deer was standing, as well as how the deer acts after you stick it, and any noise the arrow might make on impact can tell you a lot. If you stuck a deer behind the shoulder, and know you did, then that deer will die within 200 yards. You will have pink frothy blood, spraying up to 5-6 feet on either side of the trail the deer took, and it will be full of bubbles. The spraying is why people often think that lung shot deer don't leave much of a blood trail. They do, just not where you might expect it. If you take out a deer's lungs, its done within a minute and a half. Conversely, I have been on the blood trail of many a friend's deer who claim to have double lunged it, only to find it a day later with an entrence and exit wound just in front of the hind quarters.

Only deer I have ever lost bow hunting I lost last year. Deer was damn near right under me, 7 yards from the tree. I put the pin right on its armpit and hit the release. Felt solid, sounded fine. Deer ran hard for about 100 yards, then stopped and blew and trotted off. Turns out I smacked her in the back of the front leg. No bone, just a muscle cut. Plenty of hair, and plenty of blood, that slowly dissapated into nothing but a drop here or there. The arrow looked like a pass through on the top and a miss on the bottom. Deer lived and was killed a week later out of the same tree (ironically by me). Big scar on the back of the left front leg.

A little tip from someone who tracks a hit deer about every week or so: If the deer crosses a log, road, field or path, these are all excellent places to pick up a lost trail, or better analyze what kind of shot you made. A deer hit quartering away behind the shoulder might only drop blood every other step or so because the shoulder blade will temporarily cover up the wound. And of course, when it doubt, get out. Always leave plenty of time for the animal to expire, especially on an iffy hit. Liver hits usually take between 15-30 minutes to kill a deer. Hearts are usually 45 seconds. Lungs about the same, but only if you get 'em both. If you hit the deer in only one lung, it can make it as long as 5-6 minutes, or longer. All depends.

 

I shot a doe last night. Hit her perfect. Dropped dead after a 60 yard sprint not 30 seconds after I stuck her. Double lung. Chalk up another for the Muzzy.

I wish I could use muzzy broadheads. For some reason they will not fly strait out of my bow. Mine was chronoed at 310fps and our proshop did everything they could think of to get them to shoot correctly. They ended up saying that my bow is so fast that they are catching alot of air and throwing them off. This is why I use Hammerhead broadheads. 2" wide cutting path upon impact. They have always worked like a champ for me and the wounds are massive to say the least.

You are correct about tracking a deer. All my bow kills have dropped with in 100 yards or less. The deer I lost the other week was a clean shot for sure. Frothy blood every where and the arrow was covered in bubbling blood. It was just one of those rare moments where the darn deer had the will power and sheer luck to get away. As much blood as it lost I dont know how it didnt litteraly run dry.

 

Woke up the next morning in hopes of going back to look for it again and it was pouring down rain and I didnt bother to go back because the blood trail was gone

Pro,

Did you go back, regardless of the rain, for one last look? Every now and again, you'll find that deer by starting in circle from thr last known spot, visual or blood, and walk an ever increasing pattern. I've tracked deer that stopped the blood trail, and found them hard left or right from the direction they travelled. Rare, but seen it several times. THe animal deserves that second look! Or third, or fourth!

TAB

 

No flame intended, but that's why I shoot a rifle. You can loose one with a poorly placed shot, of course. But I can remember having to track one deer - and not very far.

 

Woke up the next morning in hopes of going back to look for it again and it was pouring down rain and I didnt bother to go back because the blood trail was gone

Pro,

Did you go back, regardless of the rain, for one last look? Every now and again, you'll find that deer by starting in circle from thr last known spot, visual or blood, and walk an ever increasing pattern. I've tracked deer that stopped the blood trail, and found them hard left or right from the direction they travelled. Rare, but seen it several times. THe animal deserves that second look! Or third, or fourth!

TAB

I couldnt go back the next morning. I had to work. I own my own business so no calling in sick for me even if I really am sick.

Not only that but the deer went wayyyyyyyy off the property I was suppose to be on. Plus it was in the high 70's that night and i would have been concerned that the meat was spoiled. These are all the reasons I didnt go back. Normaly I do go back the next morning in most cases.

 

No flame intended, but that's why I shoot a rifle. You can loose one with a poorly placed shot, of course. But I can remember having to track one deer - and not very far.

No rifles around here. Against the law because it is way to dangerous. We use slug guns here in maryland and that season is only 2 weeks long. Then 2 week long muzzleloader. Bow season in 4 months long. You do the math plus its much more of a challenge and I just enjoy being out in the woods even if I dont see anything other than some squirrels or what have you.

 

Using a rifle makes it so much easier, but not as fun. I shot a doe yesterday and 35 yards with my rifle and she fell and died. No tracking at all needed. :? The thing was I hit her back past the liver and just below the spine. I have no idea what I hit but it killed her in seconds. The reason for the bad shot :wink: was because I put the gun up and the scoped was so fogged I couldn't see the crosshairs, but I could see the deer. I just estimated where they would be and pulled the trigger. I haven't had a deer steak in 4 months. I want one so bad but I have to wait another 2 weeks or so until the butcher calls me up.

 

I'm sure I'd be a bow hunter and/or a slug hunter too, if I had to in order to hunt. I certainly don't blame you, nor do I have anything against people that enjoy bow hunting.

I'm just fortunate to have never hunted on public land or land close to a town. I shouldn't take that for granted.

Good luck on your next outing!

 

Lost game animals happen, and not just with bow hunters. I got a 3 point buck one year that a friend shot with a rifle behind the front shoulders the year before. There was scar tissue high on both sides of the rib cage just below the back bone (The bullet went above the lungs).
Game animals are amazingly tough. A human shot like that would curl up and die unless a paramedic or doctor treated them within minutes.
There is a lot of very good advice above. Why, because they have had similar experiances.
Best bet is to let them lay down and wait a couple hours or more. If they are able to get up and run off then, chances are they will survive.