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Do fresh dead whitetails Sink or float

Waylon mark

Waylon mark

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Joined
Dec 7, 2018
Messages
210
Shot one at dark right in shoulder watched her run around with my 40$ arrow ,went in the backwater broke it off then I seen her take to big lunges then all went still. I went looking with my light but the water is about 5' deep and cold i couldn't see anything floating ,maybe that tip didnt penetrate and cut her heart to pieces and she swam off ,i had just made a post earlier about passthroughs lol go figure
 
Got a shore fishing rig? Cast and drag the bottom.

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From my experience. If it died on land and fell in the water, or died with its head above water, it floats. If it goes into the water injured and then drowns in the water, they usually sink. The reason the lungs fill with water.

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Once the stomach and other digestive organs start getting gassy, would it be too late to save the meat? Think water temp plays a big role in the answer?
 
I shot one on the edge of a pond several years ago and it decided to take a short swim off the bank. I could see the chest area above water so I decided the water couldn't be very deep and proceeded to retrieve the deer. After being chest deep myself in cold pond water (in October) I can attest that in this particular case the deer was floating but barely visible.
 
Ive seen em sink like a rock if the lungs have been hit. Like someone else mentioned, it depends where they are shot.
 
They normally float. But I’ve seen a big mature buck sink after being lung/stomach shot and chased down until he could barely run, finally going back in the creek and drowning. He started to sink right as I grabbed the antlers. Luckily me and my buddy who shot the deer were in the canoe and stayed with him and got him before he sank. Mature bucks have more muscle than does so they will probably sink quicker than a doe. The lungs and stomach both have gases and will make the deer float unless they’re filled with water from the shot or the deer drowning.


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A buddy of mine shot one on a pass through but only one lung on Nov. 14th one year. During the track job the deer jumped up out of some tall marsh grass and ran into the lake he was hunting near. It swam about 30 yards before dying. It floated long enough for my buddy to strip down and swim out to retrieve him in the 25 degree temps. A definite situation where the water was warmer than the air. That was 35yrs ago and we still tease him about his penchant for November swimming. :tearsofjoy:
 
The two bucks I have seen recovered in beaver ponds were both underwater. One went in to throw us off the track. He was dug into the bottom with just his head above water and died right there. Very lucky to find that one. The other splashed in with his last gasp and he was on the bottom. A good day to have your rappel rope with you.
 
On a fresh kill it all depends on whether there is some air remaining in lungs or the rumen (biggest of 4-part stomach in deer). Some time after death and depending on water temps abdominal bloating will cause a deer to float up too. In short, depends on several factors.
 
Waylon mark said:
Shot one at dark right in shoulder watched her run around with my 40$ arrow ,went in the backwater broke it off then I seen her take to big lunges then all went still. I went looking with my light but the water is about 5' deep and cold i couldn't see anything floating ,maybe that tip didnt penetrate and cut her heart to pieces and she swam off ,i had just made a post earlier about passthroughs lol go figure
Click to expand...
sink fer shore
 
I don’t think they float right away.

I shot one many years ago that died trying to cross the river. Id have lost him if i wasn’t so determined to find him as i eventually noticed just his rear hoof sticking up a bit as he hung up on a submerged deadfall.

The rest of him was completely sunken until i drug him out. I didn’t notice any bouyancy as he was pretty much heavy dead weight.
 
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