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How would you track this deer?

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member

This is some amazing footage! 😳

My brain was spinning thinking about this happening out of sight. No doubt it was a dead deer before the follow up shot, but after how long? That deer just didn't want to die or bed down. If you had to track blood...
 
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giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
I thought he missed it initially, the way it acted and couldn’t see any blood loss….. And the whole, smoked him? Yeah not so much….
I watched it on the TV and could see the blood dumping from the first shot. Liver, dark blood.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
58,785
288
North Carolina
Yeah I watched on the phone the first time, iPad the second and could see the blood streaming out. The veterinarian in the comments explained it pretty good.
 
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Jamie

Senior Member
5,955
177
Ohio
I did not go back for a second look, but the first shot looked a little bit back to me. Looked like liver/diaphragm, perhaps one lung. That deer did what I have seen every deer do in that condition. Lay down, get up, lay down, get up lay down. Without an explanation of the wound channel it is only speculation, but that deer likely would not have gone more than a couple hundred yards no matter what unless pushed, and might have taken several hours to expire without a follow up shot. Pushing wounded deer is likely the biggest and dumbest reason people lose deer that they should be able to recover.

How would I track this deer? Start by paying very close attention to where the arrow hit, exactly where the deer runs off to and exactly the last place I saw it. Replay all of it over and over in my head for the next hour while I keep looking and listening. If I was certain that I hit that deer where he did, I wait many hours before taking up the trail. Depending on how far I think the deer was when I last saw it, I might look for blood, my arrow, hair, etc. where he was standing when hit if all was quiet for an hour or so. Then sneak the fuck out and come back with help 6-8 hours later. Maybe wait overnight if weather permits. Patience and discipline required.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
I did not go back for a second look, but the first shot looked a little bit back to me. Looked like liver/diaphragm, perhaps one lung. That deer did what I have seen every deer do in that condition. Lay down, get up, lay down, get up lay down. Without an explanation of the wound channel it is only speculation, but that deer likely would not have gone more than a couple hundred yards no matter what unless pushed, and might have taken several hours to expire without a follow up shot. Pushing wounded deer is likely the biggest and dumbest reason people lose deer that they should be able to recover.

How would I track this deer? Start by paying very close attention to where the arrow hit, exactly where the deer runs off to and exactly the last place I saw it. Replay all of it over and over in my head for the next hour while I keep looking and listening. If I was certain that I hit that deer where he did, I wait many hours before taking up the trail. Depending on how far I think the deer was when I last saw it, I might look for blood, my arrow, hair, etc. where he was standing when hit if all was quiet for an hour or so. Then sneak the fuck out and come back with help 6-8 hours later. Maybe wait overnight if weather permits. Patience and discipline required.
Perfect answer, IMO. Only addition I would add is to do like this guy and get another arrow/shot in him if given the chance. Even if it is a low percentage shot, I would take it.
 
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Boarhead

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
I did not go back for a second look, but the first shot looked a little bit back to me. Looked like liver/diaphragm, perhaps one lung. That deer did what I have seen every deer do in that condition. Lay down, get up, lay down, get up lay down. Without an explanation of the wound channel it is only speculation, but that deer likely would not have gone more than a couple hundred yards no matter what unless pushed, and might have taken several hours to expire without a follow up shot. Pushing wounded deer is likely the biggest and dumbest reason people lose deer that they should be able to recover.

How would I track this deer? Start by paying very close attention to where the arrow hit, exactly where the deer runs off to and exactly the last place I saw it. Replay all of it over and over in my head for the next hour while I keep looking and listening. If I was certain that I hit that deer where he did, I wait many hours before taking up the trail. Depending on how far I think the deer was when I last saw it, I might look for blood, my arrow, hair, etc. where he was standing when hit if all was quiet for an hour or so. Then sneak the fuck out and come back with help 6-8 hours later. Maybe wait overnight if weather permits. Patience and discipline required.
Or call Brock and his trusty drone.
 
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Creamer

Active Member
1,639
87
Athens
Watching the route that deer ran/stumbled, I can't imagine trying to sort that one out in the dark. You'd be 15 yards from the deer and have a hard time following that crazy route.

And yes, definitely not a "smoked him" shot. Lethal yes, 10-ring no.
 

Isaacorps

Member
5,461
155
Columbus
Yeah looks liver/guts. Wait wait wait. He wouldn’t be far. If I remember right the liver doesn’t have nerve endings, which if it was straight liver the deer wouldn’t even know it was hurt bad. Prob why it reacted like that
This is exactly what happened with my buck. Shot straight through the liver. He walked away, bedded down, got up and walked a few paces and bedded a couple more times and bedded one final time. Took him about 6 hrs to die but he was within eyesight the whole time. Never really acted like he was hurt.