From: OnEdge
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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This site has been helpful to me in the past. so... shot a pretty nice buck tonight, and as usual, it ain't easy. I am 16 ft up, #53 r/d, woody, Zwickey 4-blade very sharp. he was downhill, quartering away. I hit him behind the shoulder ( from what I could tell), maybe a little high, maybe a little further front than I would want ( It all happens pretty fast and I don't totally trust my impressions). A little thwack upon impact ( not a loud resounding thwack that usually says shoulder), and off he went out of the field diving into a deep , nasty ravine. No crash, no blood for the 15 yards I could see without getting into the brush, a few minutes later a short series of what I could best describe as a muted cough, and then a short series of what sounded a pretty pathetic version of a deer blowing. I left after looking for sign in the field, think maybe I heard him moving down in the ravine, and sounded a little like the arrow might have been slapping. All of this represents my impressions, and maybe not indisputable fact. What do you think of this situation? Thanks in advance.
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From: George D. Stout
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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Get a good light and go looking. If you can't find blood right away, get in that 'nasty' ravine and keep looking.
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From: fdp
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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Sounds like he's moving, so you need to as well. Go to the last spot you saw him, and start looking for sign. Blood, trampled flora, foam that may have come from the mouth etc.
When you find the last sign, mark it. A piece of toilet tissue tied on a limb works well. Start hunting in a grid about 50-75 feet across. Think of a square. If you find more sign, mark it and continue.
If you don't find anything, mark all four corners of the square and start another square.
It's slow, it's time consuming, and it's the best method I have found if you don't gave a tracking dog.
I wouldn't make any kind of predictions on the shot, or what damage it may or may not gave inflicted.
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From: OnEdge
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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One more thing, a fair amount of the arrow was visible as he ran away. More than I would have hoped.
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From: Jinkster
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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I think I'd back on out of there real quiet like and come back at first light giving him the evening to lay down and bleed out.
The last thing you want to do now is push him.
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From: George D. Stout
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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We were not there, so there is no way to know what happened. At this point, it's up to you to do your darndest to find him. If he isn't fatally hit, he will survive, but you can't count on anything without knowing for yourself. If you have a buddy who will help, then double team it.
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From: Wayne Hess
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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Yes this puts you on Edge, just do your best to find him or figure out what happen, You think you pushed him deeper in the ravine, so give him some time or look in the morning, do grid work if you can’t follow blood, Good Luck .
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From: Tatonka17
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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I've had shots where I've hit the offside shoulder and initially thought I didnt get great penetration because I saw a lot of arrow hanging out of a critter when it ran off. After closer inspection of the dead deer, I had hit the offside shoulder and the arrow had sort of bounced back towards the entrance wound leading me to initially believe I didnt get good penetration, when that wasn't really the case. Just a thought.
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From: George D. Stout
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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Pa. has a lot of coyotes and bears, so by morning there may only be bones.
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From: Chas
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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Shoulder/lungs I'd look tonight, guts tomorrow a.m. Good luck finding him!!
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From: Toby
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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If you heard coughing, that a good sign. If the hit was back, instead of forward as you say, I would wait till morning. But, you judged the hit to be forward, so I would give him a couple hours, then go back and hopefully find blood. Not finding blood in the first 15 yards or so makes sense on high hits. Finding that first blood is a huge advantage. Expect to see blood high on the brush, a lot may not hit the ground, but he will be bleeding internally. I like your chances. Good luck. Toby
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From: jmdavis
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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I'd give it at least an hour or two. Then check for blood, including checking the Ravine.
I once shot a doe on a hunt and tracked her into a swamp and lost the trail. 30 minutes later we came to a field edge with 20 Buzzards on a deer and it was nasty. The next day I shot another doe, made a very good pass through and gave her 15 minutes. When I got to her there were two buzzards, they had eaten the eye that was on top and one had its complete head in the arrow exit wound.
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From: Will tell
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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What the blood look like, any bubbles or bright red.. if it's a muscle hit it should be dark blood. When you hit them high sometimes you will get very little blood till they lay down or the arrow pulls out. If he's hit hard he won't go far.
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From: 4nolz@work
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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If it's cool temperatures I'd wait until morning
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From: Tom McCool
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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I am excited for you. looking forward to the picture!
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From: Kevin Dill
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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Simplify: If he’s dead he’s dead now and dead in the morning. If he’s alive, you’ll have a much better chance of finding him in the morning.
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From: GF
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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It doesn’t sound like you will have gotten an exit. So any blood you find will likely have been coughed up. Though I can’t imagine what a deer cough would sound like. I’ll take your word for it ;)
Kinda sounds like he stopped close by. If it has been a few hours, I would go looking, with a friend, if you can. You need one guy studying the ground and one sweeping the woods up ahead with a spotlight... looking for eyeballs.
Most of what you noticed points to a forward hit, so that’s in your favor.
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From: B arthur
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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If in doubt wait. Ive never lost a deer that I waited overnight on. But I have lost deer that I went after too soon. Sounds like 1 lung to me. Wait.
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From: BigHorn
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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2x ^^^
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From: Andy Man
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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The cough would be bloood filling the lungs
look for clumps of coltted blood coughed out
at last found blood and no deer ,found they will often turn into the wind as it was blowing at the time
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From: Jim
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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If there is no threat of rain or predators, mark last blood and back out. Go back at first light and find him.
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From: Popester1
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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Here, in Minnesota, and I have to believe most places, any bowhunter will help another in cases like this. If it was me, I'd get all the help I could if you're going out tonight. Not saying I'm right, but I lost a big doe to coyotes a few years ago because I waited till morning. I doubted my penetration, and she only went 150 yards.
I'm not dissing anybody here because I do some evening hunting, but this is why I prefer morning hunts.
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From: fishone
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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On a high fatal hit that did not have an exit hole, there will not be any blood on the ground/brush for a long time (maybe 50- 100 yards. I would wait until daylight so you can see any sign. It is extremely difficult to track in the dark, even with a good light. Good luck!!!
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From: 1/2miledrag
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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Quartering away and a forward hit...I agree it could be one lung, and a deer can survive a long time on one lung hits. Personally, I would go out now and look for some blood and mark it. If it's frothy I would keep tracking. If not, I would back out until first light, even though that makes for a long night for ya. Also, if rain is in the forecast that changes it...I would get on it tonight with help.
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From: 9/10 Broke
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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A lot of good info and it's a tough decision. Because you said you thought you heard him cough minutes later I would do at least some slow quiet investigation tonight. If I didn't find some kind of sign 25 - 30 yards inside the thick stuff I might would pull off till morning. A little envy here. I love tracking at night. Good luck to you.
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From: Missouribreaks
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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The morning is a good time to look. May work out tonight, why play the odds? Good luck.
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From: Wild Bill
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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The arrow may have him spooked and caused him to startle and snort. Go real slow until you see the blood, and don't step in it. Rain coming tomorrow so get out early.
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From: Nemophilist
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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I don't know where your hunting in Pennsylvania but tomorrow it is suppose to rain in the morning so you may want to look for him tonight before the rain washes away the blood. Just a suggestion.
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From: 01ARCHER86
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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Primos Bloodhound Light for tracking at night. It is THE best blood tracking light you will ever find. It makes life a lot easier when you can wait just a few hours and go track like it’s light out instead of actually waiting for day light. Sounds like you got only one lung. Don’t push him or he can live on one lung.
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From: blind squirrel
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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Wait till morning n as tatonka17 said I have also had the arrow hit solid on hard bone and bounce back some giving you a false impression on how far the arrow really did penetrate . Good luck >>~> leave no stone unturned
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From: Iwander
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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If it's legal where you're at there's nothing like a good dog for cases like this.
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From: Ranman
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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If you have access to a tracking dog, that would be helpful. If no rain was I. The forecast, I would go first thing in the morning.
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From: Iwander
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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I don't figure you're going to get much sleep tonight, at least I never do in cases like this.
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From: fdp
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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Here you couldn't leave him overnight. If the coyotes didn't get him the best would.
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From: LBshooter
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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I'll bet he's laid down in the thickest stuff available and went into shock and is now passed. Get out early, look for crows and start tracking. I bet you punched the lung and hit opposite side bone, and cough you heard was him spitting blood. I will wait to hear your report when you find him, pics would be great. Good luck, I know what's it like to leave a big buck overnight, don't give up the search.
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From: deerhunt51
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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WAIT till morning.
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From: pdk25
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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Here it is a 50/50 chance of the coyotes finding it before morning. If you bump thenwounded deer, I think your odds are alot worse. I personally would wait until morning, and use my time to arrange a tracking dog.
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From: babysaph
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Date: 15-Oct-19 |
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Get a good dog
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From: RymanCat
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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He left with the arrow in him as I gather and you have not recovered the arrow is that correct?
Did you look for hairs at the impact site best you could tell. He went down hill if I herd right. That says a little.
Walk out your runs tomorrow and go the direction he went and see if you can find the arrow.
If you herd sounds he might not have gone that far. The wack sounds to me like vertebrate possibly.
When he left did he run like a bat out of hell? If so you shocked him and if it was under probably clipped the top of 1 lung possibly.
The sounds he made if it was him is him trying to clear he is filling up with blood internally. Sounds to me like dead animal eventually.
If he gets in with other animals he might try to keep up but probably won't and will lay down and stiffen up. The fact he went down hill says a little also. Look for birds tomorrow to if he's laid up.
Keep us posted but I'd first look for my arrow and see if there's any hair at the impact site.
Did he kick his legs out and what position was his tail.
Find arrow. Walk out your runs and then do a grid search.
And this is also important what is your gut telling you tonight?
Dead or alive? Its amazing if you really think he's dead then you can search it out. Better take your bow with you also in case he needs another arrow.
If arrow still in him its cutting and you just don't know.
Good luck searching.
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From: Kevin Dill
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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In my younger years my 'gut' told me I wanted to follow every deer within an hour of the shot. It was hard to override that desire and play the better odds of waiting. In most cases, any uncertainty about the exact shot placement and possibility of slower death is a valid argument to wait for daylight. The factors which make that tougher are things like coyotes, weather systems and so on. I've had coyotes get on a deer within a few hours and basically ruin it. Still, and strictly from a logic point, I don't like night trailing deer that I'm not 90%+ certain are dead in under 200 yards. My eyes are important and no artificial light beats daylight for me. I've walked within 20 or 30 yards of a downed deer in the darkness and could not see it....until the next morning.
However, there is little in life that's better than grabbing a lantern on a brisk October night and finding those first drops of blood...especially when you 100% believe there's a fine treasure at the other end of the trail.
I hope the OP gives us an update today.
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From: fdp
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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I guess it's all about how you were taught. I wouldn't wait 4 hours to start tracking a deer for money. Not unless I knew for certain I had made a bad hit.
I want to know what the status of the shot, and the condition of the deer is in minutes. But, I hunt from the ground so I dint have to deal with those troublesome high hit shot angles.
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From: Pa Steve
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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Kevin Dill ×2. Good luck. Hope you find him.
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From: RymanCat
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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Hopefully he recovers.
The importance of the arrow is what's on it. That's your key to the door to open it.
Hunt your arrow first and if you find it do not wipe it off.
There's no glory in shooting a deer unless its recovered.
I never talked about hits only the recoverys. I been though most of it sleepless nights going over the shot over and over.
Some of the shots had I gone just on the other side of the field then Stevie Wonder could have followed only to find the animal eaten. Varmints have to eat also though.
Hunt the arrow it might be laying right there. I wish I had the book on the hairs where they are on the deer and the anatomy overlaid on a deer. I gave it to someone and never got it back. I could take the arrow and look at he hairs on it and know where the shot was to figure out.
Things really look different from above and when you get on the ground it's altogether different too.
I don't wait any time unless I know its a marginal hit. I get down out of the tree and look for the hair and the arrow to see what's on it then access the trail accordingly. Out to 200 yards bad sign usually.
The wounds and marginal hits teach you woodsmanship. Never pass up a chance to even help someone else to trail.
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From: Live2hunt
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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It sounds like the arrow hit the offside shoulder if in fact the hit was exactly as it was described. There will not be much blood, but it should be track able blood. The arrow sounds like it pushed back out as the deer ran which is normal. The damage should have been done and the deer will not go too far, maybe 100 yards. Again if the hit is where stated, he will have both lungs, no way around it. It will expire in 4 seconds. If only one lung is hit, well that's another story. I hope he finds it, he should.
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From: Bassman
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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The last 3 deer that I killed did as you described as a cough, and the deer blowing.They were all laying dead within 50 yds.Sounds to me like he is dead.
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From: BigOzzie
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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All is good, attack the situation as you have been trained, approach it with 100% confidence and go get you buck.
congrats oz
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From: Wayne Hess
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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UP Date needed, what’s the out come ?
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From: 4nolz@work
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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Update us when concluded please
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From: Will tell
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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Worse conditions possible if he is near me in Pa. Hard steady rain.
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From: Franklin
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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X2 Bassman....when you find the area the "coughing and blowing" took place it looks like a crime scene. Blood is sprayed everywhere. Sounds like you got lung....how much is the question.
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From: GLF
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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He didn't say how far the shot was but shooting downhill from 16ft in a tree and high hit ,unless it wa 20+ yards ,but with no exit hole ur not going to get any blood till he lays down and you more than likely got one lung. Get help and grid search.
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From: Wudstix
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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Update?
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From: Smokedinpa
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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Based on the blowing noise you heard you hit at least one lung. Like Kevin said I’d still wait till morning. While coyotes are everywhere in PA their not thick everywhere in PA. Rain would be the only thing that might force you to look before morning most time. Update please.
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From: Jarhead
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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look for him like he's dead... your persistence will likely win the day here. Good luck. Please keep us posted. Jar
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From: OnEdge
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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Thank you for your comments. Went back after four hrs. Found the arrow immediately after he hit the brush. A little blood but not much else. Just didn't get enough in him. I think I must have hit bone upon entry. As to the coughing and carry on, must have simply been other deer in the ravine too. Disappointed but not done yet. Good luck ,
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From: Live2hunt
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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How much blood up on the arrow? Hopefully the broadhead came out also. If so, the deer will survive.
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From: deerhunt51
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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You need to go back today, there is a much better chance of finding your deer in the day light. Blood trails do not always tell the whole story. That deer could be recoverable.
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From: fdp
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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Yaeh....you need to a grid search. A deer is only 8" thick. If you got 4" of penetration there is likely a dead deer out there.
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From: pdk25
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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What little deer are you shooting fdp, lol. In all seriousness 4" isn't much at the angle and location when described.
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From: GF
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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So assume it’s a bigger deer, maybe 10” side-to-side. 4” is still a nasty wound, if a single-lung hit.
But the OP didn’t indicate how much blood was on the arrow, or how far it was found from the impact site, or if it was bent, broken or otherwise.
This could be really interesting if the OP were able to post shots of what he finds as he tracks this down.
FWIW, I’ve never heard a deer “cough”, so that alone suggests damage to at least one lung and blood to be found.
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From: Pa Steve
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Date: 16-Oct-19 |
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OP didn't elaborate on how much penetration....if the broadhead was still attached to arrow etc. My gut feeling is lack of penetration stopped by the scapula especially on a quatering away shot, superficial wound and that deer is not dead. If he really did hear the deer coughing or gurgling on lung blood there would be plenty of blood evidence with air bubbles and most likely a dead deer within 50 or 60 yards. He also stated he just didn't get enough in him so I think the OP knows he didn't penetrate the chest cavity. Sometimes it's really hard to see what exactly happens after the arrow is released. JMO
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From: crowfoot
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Date: 17-Oct-19 |
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No news = bad news ?
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From: 4nolz@work
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Date: 17-Oct-19 |
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I suspect what was heard was something else.Btw animals make almost no noise "chewing their cud" lol
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From: RymanCat
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Date: 18-Oct-19 |
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WELP WHAT'S THE VERDICT? ALL I WANT TO KNOW IS DID YOU EVER FIND YOUR ARROW?
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From: hunterbob
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Date: 18-Oct-19 |
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He said he found the arrow.
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From: RymanCat
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Date: 18-Oct-19 |
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WHAT WAS ON IT?
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From: deerfly
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Date: 18-Oct-19 |
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I'm going with 53lbs is not enough to kill a deer...
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From: deerfly
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Date: 19-Oct-19 |
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bowguy, we're on day 4. If the deer expired the buzzards would have shown him where it is 2 days ago. In that case scavengers should be long done by now. I agree that finding the arrow and whats left of the carcass is good advice, its how we deduce what happened vs what we thought happened. I also agree its possible the deer survived a poorly placed shot. Actually I hope that is the case...
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From: RymanCat
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Date: 19-Oct-19 |
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Should have smell too by now. You should still look for the deer if you really think in your heart.
This goes for everyone because what a dead deer can teach us is invaluable at times.
If above vertebra smear of blood and some meat or fat combined lighter hair with dark tips if I recall. Think I got it right.
Below vertebrae 1 lung dead deer eventually depends if he hemerigages enough to coke him which it sounds like possibly. They can go aways with other deer but won't be able to keep up. Eventually other animals predators will attack the animal.
The lung you nick it and it's not going to completely repair itself. Infection sets in and disease and now that it's getting cold he better look up the Doctor dolittle and get on antibiotics.
What's the name of that wild grass that secretes milk that's supposed to be like morphine? He can find some of that and miraculously patch himself up.
I know this anytime I nicked an animal I prayed for that animal to live and when I saw some walking around but not all I praised God.
Thank you for letting him live. I have animals skeletons in rooms still locked up and every now and then if I have a down time one of them knocks on my door. Yo remember me in the prime of my life you cut me down.LOL
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