Giving up on tracking this deer...

[Redneck]

Saturday, my dad shot a nice 8 point and I was really excited when he told me on the radio. It was right as the sun was coming up and he couldnt see his shot very well, but he knows it was an 8 and what he did was look at the white on its belly and come up a little and shot with his .50 cal muzzleloader. I got out of my stand 30 mins later to help track the deer but was disapointed to find just a little blood. We had a hard time picking up his trail, but we finally found it and at times we would lose it and keep circling till we would find a speck or two. I believe we had tracked him for about 500 yards and heard him crashing and when we looked up he was running through the woods the other direction, down a road bed. he circled around back to where his oringinal trail was and he had many different directions he could have gone. We looked at where he bedded down and there was some blood but not as much as there should have been. After he jumped there was no blood that was dropped. At the beggining we would find white pieces that was bone or cartilige or something and there was one piece of tissue or a clot or something. We tracked from about 8:30 to dark. No deer. We really want to find my dads first buck and dont know what to do. I know he is gonna be hard because we jumped him after he had already ran 500 yards. Any suggestions?

Chase Powell

[shogan]

Reload and wait for him to come back tomorrow.

[rlb165]

My .02. Go to the last point you saw the deer. Start walking in a small circle around that last point. Then walk in a bigger circle. Then a bigger circle. Keep walking in bigger circles until you find something or come to the edge of the property you have permission to be on.

Sometimes a wounded deer will go to water, maybe keep that in mind.

Sometimes mortally wounded deer will make a 90 degree turn in the last few yards they run, before they collapse. If he did that, look really hard in that area. Look in any kind of ditch or tree lap or clump of weeds that you think a rabbit MAY be able to hide in.

Finally, I'm gonna get flamed for this, sorry. If you have a dog, I would suggest putting it on a leash, leaving your gun at home, and taking your dog for a walk from where the deer was shot, to the last place you saw it. BE ADVISED, THIS IS ILLEGAL!!

Good Luck to you and your Dad, and I hope you tell us what happens.

Richard

[shogan]

RLB this is not aimed at you but the fact that some might thinks it's illegal.

How is walking your dog illegal. Is there a time period before you can walk your dog on property again. Does the deer have to be found dead before dogs are allowed on property.

Now if you had your gun and a 4 wheeler ok I'd say it's illegal but if your done hunting and you think your dog needs a walk and it's private property just how in the heck can it be illegal.

I'm sorry this is were the law has to step back and say well we can't arrest him for walking his dog on a leash.

Just to avoid any possible bad blood even if you have your conceal and carry permit leave the pistol at home too. And if your dog happens upon somthing during your walk take the dog home have some lunch and then go for a walk yourself.

[Xtreme]

Redneck, I think your dad got a marginal hit. If I had to guess it sounds like really low[brisket]. Although I concur with rlb totally. Go to the last blood and walk a grid or circle. DO NOT walk over or around anything. Deer will crawl into brushpiles ditchs etc. Good luck.

[johnboy]

"It was right as the sun was coming up and he couldnt see his shot very well"

Redneck - plz dont take it personal.
but he shouldnt have taken the shot.. i'm a firm believer in 100% target verification.. we are here to kill, not wound.. if you cant ethically kill then dont shoot.. if you are even in the slightest doubt that your shot will wound instead of kill.. then dont shoot.. there will be other deer on other days.

Please encourage this behavior, in all new (and old) hunters..
a wounded animal does you no good.

i had this happen last year.. i had a gorgeous 12 pointer show him self and i made a bad shot with my bow.. never found him.. it's something i think about today before i pull that trigger or hit that release.

[shogan]

Maybe he meant he could not see his shot as in where it hit (on the deer) because of the angle of sunlight or not enough sun light. Thats not the same as not having 100% target identification.

Heck by the time I open my eyes and the smoke clears I have no clue where my shot goes until I get to the deer.

I realize this will go against the sterile laboratory shooting some of you folks like to dream about and maybe some of you have the time to create such shooting in some cases. But some of us hunters only get a day or two and may only get 1 or 2 shots.

[mossyhorns]

I'm with johnboy on this one, given the info we have.

[Boss Gobbler]

Here's something to think about. Last week while caping out a buck at the shop I ran across some scar tissue. As I skinned further I found a broadhead and four inches of arrow stuck in the deers neck. I have no idea how it lived, much less healed over. Sometimes they can take a lot.

[johnboy]

well i've only been hunting for a few years, so i dont have as much experience as most of you, but it was burned in my head early that you cant take it back once you pull the trigger, so be damn sure of your shot.. else you dont take it.. and under any situation, i think that is the right way to be.
to many times have i read, were ppl have lost deer or other game, due to bad shot.. and they get tore up over it.. i have been there myself.. an unpleasant feeling..
part of what makes us not the "bloody murder's" that PETA and the anti's say we are, is that we claim we have ethic's.. and part of our "code" is that we make quick ethical kills.. we dont make gut shots, or wound any animals in such a way as they suffer and we dont recover them.. yes that happens.. all the time i'm sure.. but i think it's just a good habit to get into, and a good lesson to teach the younger hunters.. besides if you dont have that kind of thought process going on, then whats to stop you from shooting at moving bushes.. i use that example, because a friend of mine was shot at by a bow hunter.. luckily he missed.. but it did happen.. (yeah that bow hunter got the crap beat out of him) but he almost lost his life, because of a careless thoughtless idiot.. so i'm a huge proponent of 100% target verification and i strongly feel everyone else should be to.. after all.. if your dead you cant very well hunt can you?? my post wasnt ment specifically twords the inital poster, i just thought it was a good time to bring it up.. and i'll continue to spread that logic as i see oppertunity to do so.. i want everyone to be safe and fruitfull hunters.. part of making that happen is learning when to shoot and when not to shoot..

[shogan]

Can't argue with that a bit!

[Basswipe]

Take the fat old dog for a walk, it needs the excercise, right? I'm with RLB on this one. You have a moral obligation to find the animal if it is indeed dead. Taking the dog for a walk without your gun is the best way to try to accomplish this.

With that being said, I think there is very little chance of you finding this deer because it's probably not dead. If it went over 500 yards and there was very little blood where the deer had bedded down then it's probably not mortally wounded. I'd still take the dog for a walk just to say that you had done everything that you could, but chances are you won't find anything.

[rlb165]

Shogan, I'm down with ya' on this, and I think it's crazy too, but it is illegal in most states to trail a wounded deer with a dog. I think its mostly a matter of how the laws are written, to keep people from running deer with dogs, except for in the South where that is legal.

Here is a list of some states that have recently made it legal. It's the best I could find, spur of the moment.


http://deersearch.org/licensin.htm

Redneck, any luck?

[shogan]

RLB: I figured you were with me. I was hoping a dept person might chime in. If done properly I'm just wondering how the deptartment or any law enforcement can charge you.

Unless of course you were foolish enough to admit your intent.

[hillbilly1]

in my experience and yes i have had a few get away in the last twenty some years if that deer after giving it plenty of time and not pushing him he laid down and got back up he gobbed off the wound and will not be found until a fatal bullet finds him. i have hit deer real good with blood and hair everywhere and still not found them. they will roll in leaves and push leaves and moss in the wound and they clot off and that will be all she wrote because the blood trail is gone. well i hope you find him. it is a bad feeling to wound and not find game.

[Hammer]

"At the beggining we would find white pieces that was bone or cartilige or something and there was one piece of tissue or a clot or something. " I have a friend who shot a 3 legged deer this year. His friend had shot the same deer the previous year taking out his leg. They found blood, bone, tissue, etc. but could never catch up to the deer. This year he was still making it just fine hopping along on 3 legs. Messed up his rack a little, but goes to show u a deer can sure take some punishment and keep on going.

[shogan]

last year my freind shot an 8 pointer with no nose. What do you want to bet that left a blood trail that had a hunter upset.

[Multidigits]

Guys, I got to comment on this after following blood trails all weekend on three different deer. If you punch a 12 gauge size hole through their vitals, they aren't going to need tracking. Deer that are not very close to the palce that they were shot, weren't shot right, period. One shot through the lungs is dead on it's feet, but will often run as fas as it can, until the brain straves for O2 and that's it. 50 yards max, you walk to it and start to dress it. That said, following deer shot with rifles or shotguns is not a very productive activity. It's not the same as a broadhead that is designed to kill by blood loss. It's supposed to be death by trauma with bullets. If you don't find them shortly after the point of impact, most will not die that day. You just as well wait and watch for the buzzards or crows.

As far as the dogs--I don't think household dogs will do much good. I know of one used last year that didn't do any good. Dogs trained in following deer or a blood trail are a different story. I wish they were legal and think they should be. I'd buy one for sure.

[Basswipe]

Hey Multi, did you try those out? Big 58 sent me some pics of a doe he got Saturday with them. He showed up about 10 minutes after you left. Big ole nasty hole in her rib cage. He seemed pretty tickled with them.

[Multidigits]

Your mixed up Jeff, that was my doe. They are going to be a good slug. No tracking nessacary with those dudes.

[shogan]

Like I said reload and wait for him to come back.

[Redneck]

No deer to be found but I believe he is still out there.
Oh and Dad <i></i><b></b>definitly knew it was a deer, and knew he could make the shot. There was much light but some woods were behind the deer. If he can count the points, then I believe he can make the shot. However, we tracked for 2 days straight (leaving scent everywhere) and took our 2 labs out "for a walk", who knows, they might find something. They ran ahead and sniffed hard along the beginning of his blood trail but were lost after a while. I agree that by shooting a hole in a deer the size of a 12 gauge should drop any deer if hit well, so I believe this deer is living. And, yes, he still has 4 legs because he was running fine when fleeing, no hunch, slowing down, or gimping. We will look for the buzzards but I dont believe they will show up. I plan on getting this one down myself some day...[B)]

Chase Powell

[45 Caliber]

I know how it feels to loose a buck...I arrowed a decent buck last season and didn't find him. Seemed like the more and more I looked for the deer the more frustrated I got. It makes you feel sick, that's for sure - to shoot a buck or any deer and have it get away. Sounds like you may have hit this deer maybe in the shoulder? You would think that a 50 caliber would bust a deer up pretty good but do you think the bullet could of fragmented upon impact? I shot a doe this past Wed. that I couldn't find. The doe was quartering away from me and I held the crosshairs on her back ribs and squeezed the trigger. I knocked the deer down and it layed there kicking. When I went to work the bolt on my 243, the buger jumped up and ran over a mountain. It was late in the evening when I shot her so I went back at first light on thursday only to find a little blood where I shot her. I looked for her for about half a day and couldn't find it. It bothers me to injure an animal and know that it is suffering or suffered a great deal before it died. The grand finalle was when I shot at a nice 6 or 8 yesterday and missed the guy at 150 yards. I know my weapon is dead on at that range. I looked for this deer until about 10 last night making sure that I didn't hit it. Needless to say, I wasn'nt very productive at work today and people kept asking me what's up with all the scratches on your hands? [:I] That buck that I shot at last eve jumped directly into a thick thicket! Wanna talk about letting out some foul language ![B)] I guess I get the "shakes" to bad when I hear a deer coming in the leaves. I would like to think of myself as an ethical hunter but I have been know to take some shots that I shouldn't of. We can only look at experiences like this as learning experiences and try not to let it dwell on it. This is how I deal with it. I have a true respect for the animals which I hunt. I always TRY to make a clean ethical shot, but these things are going to happen to the best out there. Best of luck for the rest of the season!

[Redneck]

I use a .243 too, and haven't lost a deer yet (cross my fingers)[8] but my guess is that dad hit low and a rib or two is what we were finding. Even though its been cold, i didn't see buzzards and couldn't smell the deer today when I went to the stand. I know we left all kinds of scent thAt day we tracked, and today was the first day in a long time that I didnt see a deer[V]. Best of luck to you too this season...

Chase Powell

[45 Caliber]

I would say your scent is pretty much dissapated by this point with all the rain that we have been having. [:)] Who knows, that buck may live. My cousin killed a spike once that had a broadhead and about 4 inches of arrow in it's shoulder. He said the deer acted normal before he shot it. A friend of mine also killed a buck in late bow season that had a slug embedded just below it's spine. Deer are tough and that dude made still be kicking for some time to come. What color blood did you find? Was it real bright or dark?

[Redneck]

Yeah, I d say hes still living too because the blood amount was not very much and he was running perfect. Oh and if its pink blood, its a lung shot and dark blood is liver, right? I didnt really think the blood was overly dark or light, just plain red if you ask me[:)], but I guess if you put a big 'ol sabot in anything it will bleed a little...

Chase Powell

[45 Caliber]

Yes, that is pretty much the case...it's been my experience that if you hit a deer in the neck, (with the exception of the artery) the deer will bleed bright colored blood but it will very inconsistent. You will see a drop here and you will find a lot of blood there. I have found that if you hit deer in the liver or guts, they bleed dark colored blood. A lung shot is usually light colored with bubbles in the blood. The very first deer I tagged with a bow, I hit in the liver. The thing bedded about three times before it expired. I think the majority of deer that have been "gut shot" often bed if they aren't pressured. THe last deer I took with a bow, I hit in the lungs with the arrow exiting out the liver. I am here to tell you that if there wouldn't have been a trace of snow on the ground, chances are that I wouldn't of got that buck. The deer started out bleeding pretty good and them shut off, with a speck here and a speck there. I managed to track it through the snow and the thing went, I would say, 1/2 mile from where I shot it. The deer bled internal. When I went to field dress it, he had bled mostly internal. I was fortunate to find that deer, even though I made a almost perfect shot.

[Redneck]

Id like to see that buck come walking out tomorrow afternoon and take him down for good. If he's doin any suffering then Id just wish he would trot on out. I havent filled my tag yet anyway...[:p]

Chase Powell

[45 Caliber]

It's obvious that you and your dad have done what you can do to find that deer and to me, that's an ethical hunter. I have lost 3 deer altogether since I have been hunting (shortly after diapers [:0]) I shot a huge buck back in the 94' rifle season. The thing bled good then shut off. It was at least a 10 if not a 12. A huge buck. A true trophy. After this happened, I didn't hunt anymore for the rest of the season. I kept asking the what if's, and it about drove me batty. I felt guilty about not looking for the deer more than what I did - about a day and a half. It happens to everybody. Hope you or your dad finally get him. What county do you hunt? I hunt Rowan and Lewis counties.

[Pooge]

Tag??? Filled??? I am starting to think I will be able to paper the walls of my den with unfilled buck tags. :) I hope you get him.

[thunderstorm]

Use a good rest, even if you have to bring one with you!!!!!!!