Crimson n' Camo
5 year old buck +
I'm gonna say there's a good chance its a low brisket hit by the information you've given
Need Advice, shot placement confusion.
- Thread starter trampledbyturtles
- Start date
trampledbyturtles
5 year old buck +
Update:
Think I'm screwed.
Waited a total of 3hrs 45 min
With small flakes coming down.
Went about 100 yards, blood trail was starting to thin. Was contemplating backing out. Went another 5 yards to figure out which fork in the trail he took just in case.
Deer jumps out of a bed and blows, more of a wheezy one lung sound. Shut the light off and didnt move for a few minutes then backed out.
Could of been a different deer but doubt it.
He ran into 5ft tall native grass.
Dont have high hopes.
Heartbroken to say the least.
Should of just body searched in the am.
Never lost one before, this stings.
Think I'm screwed.
Waited a total of 3hrs 45 min
With small flakes coming down.
Went about 100 yards, blood trail was starting to thin. Was contemplating backing out. Went another 5 yards to figure out which fork in the trail he took just in case.
Deer jumps out of a bed and blows, more of a wheezy one lung sound. Shut the light off and didnt move for a few minutes then backed out.
Could of been a different deer but doubt it.
He ran into 5ft tall native grass.
Dont have high hopes.
Heartbroken to say the least.
Should of just body searched in the am.
Never lost one before, this stings.
bueller
Moderator
This is very similar to my experience tracking a big one I hit two years ago. Horrible horrible feeling. I searched for a body the next day and even hired a tracking dog with no recovery. A few weeks later I get some pics of what I believe to be the same buck with a wound high and a bit far back, back strap hit as someone called it earlier in this thread. He appeared healthy and that made me feel a bit better about the whole situation.
35-acre
5 year old buck +
Not trying to be a "know it all" but white hair is only in a few places on a deer (throat patch, under the chest and stomach, feet, and of course the tail). For all of this, I'm thinking one of 2 things happen and it's a brisket shot (low hit).
He was further than you thought so you missed low.
You let your arm down early to "watch the shot" due to the excitement and hit low.
Both of these would still be in line with the kill zone but low enough to get into the white hairs.
As for what you find after the shot when it comes to hair:
A body shot produces the brown hair with dark ends and varying colors (pink, red and dark red) of blood and material if you get further back to the stomach area (but rarely do body shots show fat).
A brisket shot produces the white hairs, fat and just red blood.
Blood trails vary but:
You said drops of blood, not a spray. So I wouldn't think lung hit.
You said he really didn't run like a hard hit deer but trotted away and looked back and then walked away. For every rule of thumb there are exceptions but a hard hit deer will almost always run away. A flesh wound from a sharp broad head isn't as painful (I would imagine) - think paper cut vs stab wound and so they are looking back to avoid whatever it was that "stung them".
If I were to guess, he's fine and he'll show up again on cameras or on the hoof.
Chin up! Get back out there.
I know you're going to look again and the nice thing is, if the snow you mentioned sticks on the ground at all, it could help track him better if you kick him up.
He was further than you thought so you missed low.
You let your arm down early to "watch the shot" due to the excitement and hit low.
Both of these would still be in line with the kill zone but low enough to get into the white hairs.
As for what you find after the shot when it comes to hair:
A body shot produces the brown hair with dark ends and varying colors (pink, red and dark red) of blood and material if you get further back to the stomach area (but rarely do body shots show fat).
A brisket shot produces the white hairs, fat and just red blood.
Blood trails vary but:
You said drops of blood, not a spray. So I wouldn't think lung hit.
You said he really didn't run like a hard hit deer but trotted away and looked back and then walked away. For every rule of thumb there are exceptions but a hard hit deer will almost always run away. A flesh wound from a sharp broad head isn't as painful (I would imagine) - think paper cut vs stab wound and so they are looking back to avoid whatever it was that "stung them".
If I were to guess, he's fine and he'll show up again on cameras or on the hoof.
Chin up! Get back out there.
I know you're going to look again and the nice thing is, if the snow you mentioned sticks on the ground at all, it could help track him better if you kick him up.
Last edited:
Crimson n' Camo
5 year old buck +
I'm sticking with the brisket hit but the fact that it bedded up so close is often and indication that its hits pretty hard........If so it will likely bed back up again within about 300 yards if not pushed though they can go farther.....We recovered this one at 800 yards after the hunter had bumped it out of a bed about 150 yards from the hit site. I'm thinking you hit about like this guy or a little lower
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
Deer occasionally have little or no reaction when a good double lung shot is made and the arrow does not hit a rib. A razor sharp broadhead can cut through with little to no pain if no rib is hit.
This is a distinct possibility. If the treestand was high the downward angle could be quite acute. With a compound bow with traditional peep/pin type site, the sight path is significantly above the arrow path. This causes a parallax issue at and acute downward angle. You typically start to see this at shots under 5 yards, but it the stand was high you might see it at 7 yards. It is counter intuitive, but you have to use long distance pins and very short ranges to compensate for the parallax. The only way to deal with this is practice at short yardage. With compound, shooting form is always a factor. Short downward angle shots are difficult. You have to bend at the waist to maintain form. Most guys have their draw length set too long for these shots. Most want the longest draw length possible for speed. The problem is that, while you can maintain good form on a range, it is tough to maintain good form when shooting at odd angles in a hunting situation with a maximum draw length. I reduce my draw length by a full inch for hunting.
TBT,
I hope you find the deer or that the wound was not mortal!
Thanks,
Jack
Natty Bumppo
5 year old buck +
The OP was on the ground, so no angle.
I am going with the brisket, front leg, rear leg, etc. Red muscle blood, white hair, little reaction, didn't bleed a lot...some fat (makes me think more brisket). The deer you bumped is probably not the same one you shot.
I'd love to be wrong and I hope you report back that you found him. If not though, I wouldn't doubt if he shows up on your trail cameras within a few days perfectly fine.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
I missed that in his original post. Ground level shots can be problematic even with a good shot because you often don't get a low exit wound and blood pools in the chest. With the blood trail described, this would further the idea of a non-fatal brisket hit.
trampledbyturtles
5 year old buck +
Well figured I'd update.
Got a guy to stop over with a certified tracking dog before I resumed the trail this morning.
Followed it for about 700 yards. With little to no blood.
Never found a bed from where I think I jumped him so it must of been a different deer. Never found a single bed for that matter.
Only found one patch about as big as a baseball where it looks like he stopped before taking a stroll towards a drainage to the North. Never found another speck after that.
Tracker believed the deer was well alive and just kept on trucking.
Just feel drained.
Still dont understand the shot and how it went down.
Dont know whether I feel like packing up shop and calling it quits and head the 5hrs home, or stick it out for the final day of the hunt and try for any sort of mental redemption.
Got a guy to stop over with a certified tracking dog before I resumed the trail this morning.
Followed it for about 700 yards. With little to no blood.
Never found a bed from where I think I jumped him so it must of been a different deer. Never found a single bed for that matter.
Only found one patch about as big as a baseball where it looks like he stopped before taking a stroll towards a drainage to the North. Never found another speck after that.
Tracker believed the deer was well alive and just kept on trucking.
Just feel drained.
Still dont understand the shot and how it went down.
Dont know whether I feel like packing up shop and calling it quits and head the 5hrs home, or stick it out for the final day of the hunt and try for any sort of mental redemption.
trampledbyturtles
5 year old buck +
Im getting around to the fact the deer is probably fine and I just botched a gimmie.
It's just the toll knowing the grind it took to get on a good one on public. Running out of time and spots especially with a S wind blowing in.
It's just the toll knowing the grind it took to get on a good one on public. Running out of time and spots especially with a S wind blowing in.
if I’m worried about shot placement I always quietly sneak out of the area and wait 8-10 hours or overnight if in the evening no matter if rain or snow is in the forecast. Artery hit deer usually are within 100-200 yards dead. Muscle hit deer are long gone anyway. If snow you can still blood track in the morning by kicking up snow and looking for pink.
Peplin Creek
5 year old buck +
Feel for ya. Get back on the horse though. Good luck.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
I'd call your experience a great success! Any close encounter with a fine animal that ends with him alive or dead in your hands is a success. It was a good learning experience and I'm sure based on your post they guy will be available for another hunt. When bowhunting, 1,000 little things need to go right to make a harvest and only one needs to go wrong to botch it. You were amazingly responsible after the hunt. I've seen far too many guys look for 30 minutes and give up. Keep your chin up and get back on the saddle!
Thanks,
Jack
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
This thread brings to mind just how difficult bloodtrailing can be. I never really had a bowhunting mentor. I was self-taught. When I was young, I'm sure killed many deer that I never recovered. I got a little better at it over time, but once I lost a blood trail, I would just seemingly walk around in circles looking without success and then give up. I made a huge jump in recovery success after starting a suburban archery group with a small group of like-minded guys. We were focused on population reduction in the burbs and hunting very small properties. We set up some very strict goals to recover every arrow released and every deer shot. We were the face of bowhunting to the non-hunting public, so we set very high standards. Every arrow fletching had the member's id number on it. If you lost an arrow, you could contact a coordinator who would send someone out with a metal detector. If you couldn't find a deer, you were not allowed to "give up". You had to call the coordinator. He would send a team out to help blood trail. The worst thing that could happen was for little Johnny's play group to find a razor sharp broadhead or a neighbor to find a deer with an arrow in it lying by the pool. That is why we were so strict with the policies.
I ended up participating in a large number of bloodtrails with some experts. I was amazed at their ability to find blood. One thing I was lacking was the ability to switch between macro and micro mode. As soon as they would loose the trail, they would switch into micro mode and would find amazingly tiny spots of blood on their hands and knees. It was great learning skills from these guys, but that was not my biggest takeaway. The key is to always take a partner on a tough blood trail and don't give up until you both agree. We eventually learned as a group that a single guy will give up on his blood trail much quicker when alone that when working with a partner. Eventually we no longer had to send out these expert teams, we just sent out any member who was available to help trail. In both cases, there were many deer recovered after the shooter gave up and called in help.
Even today with the experience I've acquired, it takes a lot of mental effort not to give up until I've exhausted all efforts.
Technology has come a long way since I started. A Coleman type lantern is still a great choice for new bloodtrailers as it seems to make blood glow. Today, I use a 2,000 lumen flashlight. Years ago, 100 lumen was considered bright. FLIR and others are now selling personal forward looking infrared devices that are great for recovering deer. There is another thread on here discussing Luminal. I did buy some but have not yet had to use it. Of course, the old tried and true tracking dog is still probably the best if you have one at your disposal.
Kudos to the OP for his stick-to-itiveness!!
Thanks,
Jack!
I ended up participating in a large number of bloodtrails with some experts. I was amazed at their ability to find blood. One thing I was lacking was the ability to switch between macro and micro mode. As soon as they would loose the trail, they would switch into micro mode and would find amazingly tiny spots of blood on their hands and knees. It was great learning skills from these guys, but that was not my biggest takeaway. The key is to always take a partner on a tough blood trail and don't give up until you both agree. We eventually learned as a group that a single guy will give up on his blood trail much quicker when alone that when working with a partner. Eventually we no longer had to send out these expert teams, we just sent out any member who was available to help trail. In both cases, there were many deer recovered after the shooter gave up and called in help.
Even today with the experience I've acquired, it takes a lot of mental effort not to give up until I've exhausted all efforts.
Technology has come a long way since I started. A Coleman type lantern is still a great choice for new bloodtrailers as it seems to make blood glow. Today, I use a 2,000 lumen flashlight. Years ago, 100 lumen was considered bright. FLIR and others are now selling personal forward looking infrared devices that are great for recovering deer. There is another thread on here discussing Luminal. I did buy some but have not yet had to use it. Of course, the old tried and true tracking dog is still probably the best if you have one at your disposal.
Kudos to the OP for his stick-to-itiveness!!
Thanks,
Jack!
Crimson n' Camo
5 year old buck +
From what I’ve observed tracking them with dogs…..most bucks are gonna go back to where they like to bed and anywhere that has water in between there and where you shot him…..For example, the deer I tracked this morning went 450 yards and bedded…..got back up and turned back kinda at a 45 degree angle to how he had been traveling….as if you drew a "V"......he went 400 yards to a duck swamp where he bedded again…..Then got up from there and again completed his circle headed right back into the same bedding area he’s been using…..it ended up being about a ¾ mile loop. This same concept repeats itself time and time again…..they go to water and back to their normal bedding spot
trampledbyturtles
5 year old buck +
You bet I did Tele,
Although I've been bowhunting for going on 16 years. Still feel I am green in the whole process.
If I'm not learning something what's the point?
Mistakes
1- while still hunting during the rut (not something I'm accustomed to) in size 12 rubber boots in half crunchy snow. Dont think for a second you dont sound like an elephant trying to sneak past.
2- to piggy back of #1 experience.
While still hunting, do not hesitate for a split second. Made a move from the glassing point to the general spot of the hot doe as pheasant hunters were creeping closer. Crept along at a pace what I thought was slow, see ^1, deer blows and bounds away. Release is cliped and ready to go, 3min go by and I start to question what the heck I'm doing. Hear a crack and look to my right nothing, look left deer at 15ft moving past a cedar, I freeze he moves 10ft and freezes, try to draw and out blows my target. If I would have just drawed and not hesitated I might have had at crack.
3. And might be the most important, when you have a small window of opportunity in a small amount of time to figure out. Due your best to find a second window. Even if it means sacrificing 3 more feet of scent cone.
To parley off this. Pick your spot and settle the pin and wait for the deer to enter the window and then drop the hammer. I tried to lead the deer like a pheasant into the window and let's just say it did not work in my best interest.
Other Lessons learned
1. cotton mittens dont cut the mustard on sub degree days. I dont like anything on my hands when trying to spot and stalk so gunna have to figure something better out.
2. When you call to a buck on the magic flute, maybe, just maybe not the point the thing right at him in the heat of the moment. Otherwise he will probably pin point ya and is gunna try to sneak downwind after not seeing the culprit.
3. Kayaks although fun in sept and oct. Mean freezing your wet ass off in sub 30 degree Nov weather.
4. Pressure is not always the main thing but at the same time is everything.
5. Hang and hunt on unfamiliar ground in the pitch black of a 15 degree morning in sub 5mph winds and 2in of crust. Let's just say. Every dang deer in the county knows some ooof is the only one hunting. Although to give myself a shred a credit, I did pick the only spot on the 80 I found any fresh sign.
5. Finding out your personal style of hunting may be best for each individual.
Although the "rut" is packed with crazy times. It does not suit well with my hunting approach. i.e. used to be fine freezing my ass off in sub 30 degree weather for 6 hrs plus on stand. Now I'd rather just chase em down when its 50 and they r going back to bed and not running all over God's green earth
Hunting is so personal
Honestly was sick on the drive home.
Almost turned around twice. 2 different interstate pull offs making the case to go back.
But at the same point have more important things I need to tend to going on back at home. This trip used to be the one I looked forward to the most. Just my father and me for a week of needed getaway (him more the spotter and watchful eye). But when he couldn't make it this year due to new info. Really set the mind back to reality.
Just hope anyone reading can take a few nuggets of info and use it in there own hunting pursuits.
Glad I have like minded individuals I can share my hunts with.
Realized on the drive home. Its not the rack in the box of the truck but the endless pursuit.
Last edited:
