Made a bad shot...

[JohnDoeHunter]

I arrowed a nice 9 point this morning with the Excalibur. He either jumped the string or some how saw the limbs move out of the corner of his eye. Looks like I hit him on a hard quarter and entered in the guts. Could not find the arrow and the blood trail is poor. It had water in it and was not bright red. I am going to go back before dark and try to recover him. I am sick over this, please wish me luck.

[Louvp]

be sure to take your bow to finish him off he may still be alive. My nephew gut shot one years ago & we did the same we went back later in the day & he was still alive,he couldn't hardly move,but he had to finish him off. They usually won't go far when gut shot if you dont push them,I've notice they try to find heavy cover to lay down in.Good Luck hope you find it.

[agingcrossbower]

Wishing you the best of luck on finding him. Christmas Eve has always been magical for me and I hope it rubs off on you. GO get him.

[DanO]

Good Luck John. Someone on the Board suggested they stay close to water.
Dan O.

[sneak]

Good luck. I hope you find him. Yes, look good around any water, creeks, ponds, etc.

[Adrian J Hare]

Its hard to understand what shot you had as Quartering , was it away or too you ?

Quartering to you , Do Not go in until a couple hours before dark as this shot will take time to stiffen him up and as the guys say take your bow because your going to have to finish what you started.

If it was a Quartering away from you and the heigth is right you could have put the arrow in into the far side lung and it could also take a few hours to expire.

Either way Good Luck !

[Cyclonic]

I know this makes you sick, but, you can find him if you take your time. Use binoculars to scan in front of you, and move very slowly. If it is legal to use a tracking dog, by all means try to find one. If you cannot follow his trail, find water and or thickets close by. If he goes uphill very far, you should probably wait till morning. Good luck, gather a few friends to search the area if you can.

[Ont_Excal]

If the arrow made it all the way to the front of the rib cage, I doubt he went very far.
Do you mean the blood trail was in standing water or had water in it???
The water in the blood could have been urine as you may have cut the bladder.
Blood from the gut area will be dark.
I hit a deer once in the liver, but was a complete pass through.

When you go back, climb into your stand and play it back in your mind.
Do a better search and you might find your arrow.
I still think the arrow passed through. If so then the arrow may be some distance away or completely buried in the ground.
In 97 I shot a buck while standing on the ground at 18 yards. The shot was a perect pass through at ground level. I found the arrow well above eye level stuck in a tree.
The arrow will not be right where the deer was standing or where you "think" it is!

In any case, the best of luck to you!
I know what not knowing feels like.

[papa bear1]

I agree with cyclonic if you can use a tracking dog by all means do it I have a welsh corgie and she loves to go and help dad find deer and she is really good at it. Good luck finding your buck !!

Dave

[bucknbill]

hope you find him..a tracking dog is what you need..let us know how it goes

[JohnDoeHunter]

Sorry I was not more clear, my mind is going a million miles a minute. It was a quartering away shot. I did not search for my arrow, but I did not see the firenock glowing in the woods either. It was about a 30 yard shot and how the terrain is in the area and the height I was up the arrow very well could have went under leaves. I didn't look a lot for blood either, just confirmed I did hit him. The water in the blood looked to me to be bile so I eased out of the woods. I did not hear him crash nor did I spook anything on the way out. I should have got one of his lungs but the blood did not show that. Granted I didn't beat around the woods looking either as I didn't want to push him out. I doubt the arrow stayed in him, if it did it would be the 1st time that has ever happened to me. I shot him right at daybreak so it has been about 4 hours now, my brother in law and my dad are going to come eat lunch with me and we are going to go look in a few hours. I don't want to rush it but it is either that or wait until tomorrow afternoon, then all I would probably get would be the rack. I like eating the bears, not feeding them.

[Ont_Excal]

Just me but I always look for the arrow after a shot.
The arrow tells a pretty good story, maybe not all of it but certainly a lot.
An arrow will most times carry hair, fat and definitley smell from a gut shot.
Bile will also smell.
Water could also be just that. They sometimes carry a little water in the chest cavity. This water will smell pretty clean.
The hair left on the ground will tell you where you hit the animal based on colour and length.
Approach the scene like a CSI and you will find many valuable clues.

Again, best of luck!

[one shot scott]

Most of us have been down this road, good luck John Doe. I hope you find him.

[Louvp]

well angled away is better than angled towards you,you may have hit the liver if not a lung. just take it slow & be looking out in front of you.if he's still alive he'll probably have a hard time getting up,so you may get another shot at him if needed. Good Luck

[Adrian J Hare]

Sorry I was not more clear, my mind is going a million miles a minute. It was a quartering away shot. I did not search for my arrow, but I did not see the firenock glowing in the woods either. It was about a 30 yard shot and how the terrain is in the area and the height I was up the arrow very well could have went under leaves. I didn't look a lot for blood either, just confirmed I did hit him. The water in the blood looked to me to be bile so I eased out of the woods. I did not hear him crash nor did I spook anything on the way out. I should have got one of his lungs but the blood did not show that. Granted I didn't beat around the woods looking either as I didn't want to push him out. I doubt the arrow stayed in him, if it did it would be the 1st time that has ever happened to me. I shot him right at daybreak so it has been about 4 hours now, my brother in law and my dad are going to come eat lunch with me and we are going to go look in a few hours. I don't want to rush it but it is either that or wait until tomorrow afternoon, then all I would probably get would be the rack. I like eating the bears, not feeding them.

Don't panic,, thats sounds alot better. Lots of times I've seen quartering away shots go in and not come out in both Deer and Bears. If the arrow hits the shoulder blade or leg and stays in the body. The only exit hole would be the entance which could produce a watery look from gut content. Sounds like your going to find him.

All the best