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Bad shot... How long do you think?

MattMan81

MattMan81

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So I shot at a doe with the 450 bushmaster.I hit her. Tracked sparse blood for probably 100 yards. Then she really started to open up. I started thinking, she's dead. I'm gonna get her. But after a zig zag, and crossed the creek, blood started to slow, and spotted her. Alive about 10 yards in front of me looking at me. She didn't run. She was in the brush. I assume she was pretty badly wounded that she didn't run. So I backed out. It was dark. I shot her in the last .5 hour, so it had been an 1hr and half. I was finding high blood smears, and found some chunks at one point she stopped. I thinking I hit her forward. Maybe neck area explaining the chunks coming out? I didn't see a wound on her side. She was facing me so couldn't see her neck.
Thinking just come back tomorrow and hope she stayed there??
Found a few of these spots. Some brown hair with pink meat in it..Screenshot_20231210-194136-790.png
 
4 hours. i left one overnight last year and meat was spoiling even tho it was cold

edit: i know its very unpopular, but i would finish her asap
 
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You should be fine waiting with it that cold. I've left several like that and they have been ok. Good luck!
 
Do yall think mass has an affect? Mine was a good sized buck and probably died at dark. Buried in offside shoulder and very little blood so i backed out. Went in early next morning and gutted quickly. Inside hams and backstrap was green and very smelly.

Thoughts?
 
Will Harris said:
Do yall think mass has an affect? Mine was a good sized buck and probably died at dark. Buried in offside shoulder and very little blood so i backed out. Went in early next morning and gutted quickly. Inside hams and backstrap was green and very smelly.

Thoughts?
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What were the temps/wind condition? Mine was massive and had no issues.

Temp for me was low 20s during the day, dropping at night. 10-15mph wind with about 4” of snow on the ground.
 
cibor said:
What were the temps/wind condition? Mine was massive and had no issues.

Temp for me was low 20s during the day, dropping at night. 10-15mph wind with about 4” of snow on the ground.
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nothing like that. high 20s that night. deep woods so no wind to speak of. no snow. maybe there is some line where the meat is ok. i think OP is in better shape. better weather, maybe smaller deer, later kill, etc. hoping for the best.
 
Is there a rule up there about shooting to finish them off past shooting hours?
 
Will Harris said:
nothing like that. high 20s that night. deep woods so no wind to speak of. no snow. maybe there is some line where the meat is ok. i think OP is in better shape. better weather, maybe smaller deer, later kill, etc. hoping for the best.
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Yeah. Hope so......
 
Will Harris said:
4 hours. i left one overnight last year and meat was spoiling even tho it was cold

edit: i know its very unpopular, but i would finish her asap
Click to expand...

did you base this off smell and look?

my buck this year, i shot at 8 am and was so keen to get to taxidermist before he closed (i don't know why) that i drove the quarters there with me. I probably didn't get him in the fridge until around 3 or 4 pm. It was below 40 F though and the meat after 4 days in the fridge smelled and looked good to me.

you just got me worries is all...
 
raisins said:
did you base this off smell and look?

my buck this year, i shot at 8 am and was so keen to get to taxidermist before he closed (i don't know why) that i drove the quarters there with me. I probably didn't get him in the fridge until around 3 or 4 pm. It was below 40 F though and the meat after 4 days in the fridge smelled and looked good to me.

you just got me worries is all...
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smell and look. meat was turning green and the smell was obvious. esp in closed quarters like the garage. but mine was dead at dusk and left all night whole. guts in tact. good sized body deer.

imo, if you quarter and get them apart from each other and away from guts, yer most likely ok.

for those of you who have left big deer whole overnight, i'd love to hear the conditions. would be great to know under what weather conditions and for how long they can be left wo spoilage. nobody wants to bump a deer off death bed cause we know the chances of recovery after that.
 
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