Bad shot

[TrophyHunter33]

I had a 6 point buck come in tonight and I took a tough shot through some trees. The lane looked clear but that doesn't mean it was anyways after the shot the deer ran about 10 yards then stopped and started licking his front leg. The deer then laid down for about a half hour before getting up and walking off.

This is the blood from where he laid down.

This is the blood trail leaving that spot. I lost the blood trail after the deer went up the hill.

I believe I hit the deer in the front leg which is obviously nothing fatal.

Do you guys agree?

[Sogaard]

Did you recover the arrow?  Was there hair or anything else on it?

[TrophyHunter33]

The arrow had very little on it. small streak of blood on the one fletching but that was it.

[Terry]

I would continue looking for him until you are 100% sure you have done everything you can do.

[TrophyHunter33]

I plan on going out in the morning to try and find him.

[Sogaard]

When it walked off, was it limping or favoring the leg you think you hit?

[TrophyHunter33]

Sort of. At first he seemed to be favoring it but only slightly then he walked off ok. I'm pretty sure he is ok like I said he bedded down for a half hour about 60 yards from me then got up and walked up a hill. which is where I lost the blood trail.

[Sogaard]

I would definitely run some circles tomorrow morning, but if you can't find any blood in the area, grazing the leg and slicing it open should be non-fatal.  Too bad you didn't get a hair sample from the shot, that could have helped narrow down the impact point.

[Sudzy8]

Bedding so quickly makes me think its a gutshot deer. Was the hit definitely forward?

[TrophyHunter33]

I was pretty sure it was, my arrow took a hard left after hitting the branch. He definitely walked off slow.

[Taylormike]

I tend to agree with Sudzy8, usually deer only immediately bed after a got shot.  Very common for them to bed then get up for 75 or 100 yards and bed again.  If you did gut shoot him one thing is sure.  It's absolutely a fatal hit.  Deer will succumb to septicemia or blood poisoning.  It can take as long as 4-6 hrs.

 

Almost forgot to add, that would also explain the streak of blood on fletching.  You should however have a foul odor on arrow.  You'll know it, there is no chance of mistaking an arrow that has passed digestive system.

 

Good luck with recovery.

Edited October 20, 2014 by Taylormike

[SteveB]

I wasn't there - can't tell you where you hit.

Neither can anyone here.

[Sogaard]

I tend to agree with Sudzy8, usually deer only immediately bed after a got shot.  Very common for them to bed then get up for 75 or 100 yards and bed again.  If you did gut shoot him one thing is sure.  It's absolutely a fatal hit.  Deer will succumb to septicemia or blood poisoning.  It can take as long as 4-6 hrs.

 

Almost forgot to add, that would also explain the streak of blood on fletching.  You should however have a foul odor on arrow.  You'll know it, there is no chance of mistaking an arrow that has passed digestive system.

 

Good luck with recovery.

 

I agree with your last sentence...if the arrow went through the gut, you should be able to tell.  There is usually more than just a little blood on the fletching if it was gut-shot.  Also, there should have been more than just bright red blood at the sight of the first bed-down.

 

I've put a .50 MZ round through a lung and liver of a deer and had him walk 20 yards, bed down, wait 5 minutes, get up and walk another 20 yards and finally bed down a second (and last time).

[chiefbkt]

Judging from the blood I don't think he was gut shot.  It looks to bright in the pictures.  More like a meat shot type of blood. 

[mlammerhirt]

Maybe a brisket shot with a pass thru into the opposite from leg??? Deff hit some meat with that bright red blood.

[Terry]

Any news?

[TrophyHunter33]

I got up around 7 and started tracking the deer. He left pretty good blood and i found where he bedded down for the night. Which was about 300 yards from where i hit shot him. Then i tracked him into some thick brush and kicked him up. The deer ran off like nothing was wrong but was still leaving a little blood. Given the way he ran off im saying he is ok and i just hit some meet and what ever blood he is leaving look to be like clots.

[njg0621]

You probably just hit him in the front leg....it will either heal or he will die slowly from infection.

[TrophyHunter33]

Well im letting that spot cool down for a little bit and hopefully when the rut kicks off i can lure him in with some north country scent and get a better whack at him. I also cut all those little sapling trees down so there will be no more branches to hit this time.