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
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.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.
First deer I ever shot with a bow as a young guy made no reaction whatsoever to the shot. I swore that I 10 ringed her, but nobody believed me. It fed around the corner of standing corn field out of sight. I got down waited a while and when I went and looked, it was dead right around the corner of the corn. It never even raised it's head from eating when I hit her. Kind of meaningless, but I always remember that when I try to judge how the deer "acted" when shot.
I'm gonna say there's a good chance its a low brisket hit by the information you've given
This is a distinct possibility. If the treestand was high the downward angle could be quite acute.
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.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.
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.
Well did you learn from your mistakes?