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The First “Is He Dead?” Of 2021

Hunter260

Hunter260

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2019
Messages
1,585
Location
Ash Flat, AR
Buddy shot a buck tonight and hit him just in front of the point of the shoulder broadside from the ground. The arrow had absolutely no blood on it anywhere. Looked totally clean. We waited 2 hours then followed great blood for 300+ yards until we found a big bed full of blood. We backed out at that point. I think this was a non fatal hit. I didn’t discourage him from following the trail or from going back to look tomorrow because this is his 2nd bow deer and first that hasn’t died in sight and I think it’ll be a good learning experience. What are your thoughts? Is he dead or dying?
 
if you hit lungs or heart, you'll have blood on the arrow

if you hit liver, you'll have dark blood with liver slime

stomach and guts cover the arrow with smelly stuff

what you're describing is a muscle hit, he'll survive

where we think we hit the deer is often inaccurate
 
IMO, no matter if you think you hit it in the ear, as long as you have a blood trail you follow it, and when the blood trail runs out you follow the tracks and when that runs out, maybe you at least do a little grid search. To do anything else IMO is unethical and teaches the wrong lesson. Unless you have it on film, you really never know 100% where you hit it, and sometimes even film hits turn out out differently than were thought initially. Just my .02.
 
2Sloe said:
IMO, no matter if you think you hit it in the ear, as long as you have a blood trail you follow it, and when the blood trail runs out you follow the tracks and when that runs out, maybe you at least do a little grid search. To do anything else IMO is unethical and teaches the wrong lesson. Unless you have it on film, you really never know 100% where you hit it, and sometimes even film hits turn out out differently than were thought initially. Just my .02.
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I agree wholeheartedly. Do your best to find him, especially if you found a blood trail that long with a pool of blood at the end. Getting a dog tracker will help determine if this deer is still alive if you don't find him yourself.
 
I have 3-4 dog trackers saved in my phone for this reason. Here in Pennsylvania it is on a donation based service. I haven't used this service but a buddy of mine did last year when the buck ran into a clear cut and was hard to follow. Brought dogs out and the deer was recovered within an hour. Deer wasn't much further than where he backed out. If you have that ability I would do it for peace of mind. I don't mind grid searching but I trust a dogs nose over my grid search/eyes any day. Seems to be a lot of blood from your explanation
 
I hit one between b1 and b2 last year. No blood on the arrow and I thought I hit forward. No blood at impact but some hair. I followed the track and started to find blood. I thought it was a muscle hit. Blood got good for a stretch as well,then became more faint. I gave it a couple of hours and went back,just to make sure I followed until the blood and track ran out.
I did not expect to find a dead buck at all, but I did after the blood ran out. The arrow just nicked his artery in the neck.
I was happy I made sure the trail didn't run out.
So I second exhausting all options.
 
Bowmanmike said:
I hit one between b1 and b2 last year. No blood on the arrow and I thought I hit forward. No blood at impact but some hair. I followed the track and started to find blood. I thought it was a muscle hit. Blood got good for a stretch as well,then became more faint. I gave it a couple of hours and went back,just to make sure I followed until the blood and track ran out.
I did not expect to find a dead buck at all, but I did after the blood ran out. The arrow just nicked his artery in the neck.
I was happy I made sure the trail didn't run out.
So I second exhausting all options.
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Forget a dog. I'm calling you the next time a blood trail runs out!
 
I think there’s a chance he’ll bleed out from that hit. There is an artery that runs through just a little above c3 on the grid, and lots of blood vessels and such in front of all the “good stuff”.
 
50/50 there's some lethal arteries in that area but that's probably a little forward of chest cavity. If the deer already made it 300 yards I'd say not looking good, but report back.
 
Hunter260 said:
Buddy shot a buck tonight and hit him just in front of the point of the shoulder broadside from the ground. The arrow had absolutely no blood on it anywhere. Looked totally clean. We waited 2 hours then followed great blood for 300+ yards until we found a big bed full of blood. We backed out at that point. I think this was a non fatal hit. I didn’t discourage him from following the trail or from going back to look tomorrow because this is his 2nd bow deer and first that hasn’t died in sight and I think it’ll be a good learning experience. What are your thoughts? Is he dead or dying?
Click to expand...
You didn't say - did the arrow pass through? Penetrate and stop, then fall out? Something else? For sure "great blood" and "big bed full of blood" can mean different things to different folks, but if there's that much blood there's a decent chance that a big enough vessel to cause him to bleed out was hit, and in any case never stop trailing (other than giving the deer time) while there's still blood to follow. The dog suggestion is a good one.
 
Great blood trails that get worse are bad news. Bad blood trails that get better are good news. A deer that bedded and got up from that bed is usually very bad news.

Don't know if I missed it. Was the blood thin? As in watery?

I agree with what people are saying about looking and dogs. Although I'll be honest and say I would have a hard time paying a dog (most guys down here want 100+) to pick up a blood trail like what you're describing
 
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