second shot Report post Posted January 10, 2009 I didn't want my first shot at a deer with a bow to turn out like this. I was out this morning and at about 7:15 a smal 3pt came over the ridge across from me. He rubbed a tree and was just standing at 100 yards away. I decided to grunt because there was no way to close the distance. Two grunts and the buck made a b-line to me. He went behind some rocks and I thought he was going to come out below me. I heard a noise behind me and when I looked he was standing 6-8 yards away. I went to slowly turn and he spooked but only went about 30 yards and stopped. I grunted again and he came right back. I got a 15-18 yard quartering away shot and hit a little far back. The buck jumped and I could see the arrow sticking out but couldn't tell if it hit the front of his back leg or a gut shot. He ran about 50 yards and stopped behind a tree for 10 or 15 minutes and left this blood pool. After that he just walked off like nothing ever happened. I gave him 30 minutes and then started to follow the blood trail. It wasn't heavy, a drop here and there, but it was easy to follow. After about 200 yards I figured out he was in a cut about 40 yards below me because there was a doe that kept looking in that direction. I tried to close the distance but slipped and fell. When I did the buck jumped up and ran up the hill to the doe. I just sat and watched the buck from there. He was favoring his back leg but I could not tell if it was just a leg shot or if he was gut shot too. He walked into a very small cut so I decided to leave him be and back out. I went to try and locate the arrow but was unsuccessful. I'm going to give him a few hours before I go back out. I've read that you can tell alot about a shot from the color of the blood. If anyone can tell if this is just leg wound blood or gut shot blood I'd really appreciate the help. This is a sick feeling just waiting but I don't want to go out and push him too early if he's mortally wounded. I'll be headed back out in a few hours, hopefully I'll return with some better pics. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GameHauler Report post Posted January 10, 2009 Kinda hard to tell from the pictures and shading but looks to me to be Vascular blood. = shot in the leg. Dout you hit the femoral Artery or there would have been more blood. How much of the arrow was sticking out? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COUESAZ Report post Posted January 10, 2009 I would say that by the way that splatter is that, that is blood with force behind it. Are you sure the second time you saw the buck it was the same buck you shot. That is a good amount of blood for a deer to act like nothing was wrong with it. Hard to tell by the photos but it looks like dark blood. ANyways that buck should be done for now with that much blood trail. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GameHauler Report post Posted January 10, 2009 I would say that by the way that splatter is that, that is blood with force behind it. Are you sure the second time you saw the buck it was the same buck you shot. That is a good amount of blood for a deer to act like nothing was wrong with it. Hard to tell by the photos but it looks like dark blood. ANyways that buck should be done for now with that much blood trail. COUESAZ, the Deer stood in that spot for 10-15 minutes and then just a spotted blood trail. I agree there is a lot of splatter but once the ground got a small puddle formed it would splatter quite a bit. My $.02 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
second shot Report post Posted January 10, 2009 I'm not positive but I think the arrow went in 3-6". It happened so fast when he was hit he jumped and the next time I saw him the arrow had fallen out. I'm sure I saw him a second time because I could see the blood on his leg and underbelly. The blood under the belly made me think it may have been a gut shot but he had bedded so blood could have run from his leg down his stomach. He was favoring the leg and he stopped to lick it but otherwise his posture was just like an unspooked buck walking away. I'm leaving in about 2 hours to go back out to where I'm pretty sure he bedded down the second time. Thanks for the input. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GameHauler Report post Posted January 10, 2009 Personally I would give him more than a couple hours. If he was gut shot he should have been showing signs of being sick or humping over. Either way I do not think I would go back out till tomorrow. What is the temperature like where you were? I may be all wrong here, hopefully some others will express their thoughts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
second shot Report post Posted January 10, 2009 My plan for this afternoon is just to glass the area I last saw him. With the wind and terrain I can get in unnoticed. I'll be just outside of Tucson and it'll be in the 50's where he's at. If he dies today the meat shouldn't spoil. If I don't glass him up this afternoon I'll be back out there in the morning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GameHauler Report post Posted January 10, 2009 My plan for this afternoon is just to glass the area I last saw him. With the wind and terrain I can get in unnoticed. I'll be just outside of Tucson and it'll be in the 50's where he's at. If he dies today the meat shouldn't spoil. If I don't glass him up this afternoon I'll be back out there in the morning. I really do not think he is hurt enough to die today or even tonight if ever. If you push him you may never find him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
second shot Report post Posted January 10, 2009 I hope he's down for the count then. The only way I'll move into the area is if I see him lying dead. If I don't see him I will start tomorrow morning where I saw him last and check out where he bedded. I hear what you're saying about spooking him anymore but I've got to at least glass the area. Otherwise I'll have to use all this energy on my honey-do list and I'm not sure I want to open that can of worms. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SO I HUNT Report post Posted January 10, 2009 Good luck and I'm sure you'll find him. Keep a positive mind and you'll find him! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
second shot Report post Posted January 11, 2009 I saw him again this afternoon but was not able to get in for a shot where he was. I'll be out again in the morning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GameHauler Report post Posted January 11, 2009 I saw him again this afternoon but was not able to get in for a shot where he was. I'll be out again in the morning. DUUUUUUUUDE Details Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GameHauler Report post Posted January 11, 2009 Hope you can live up to your user name Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
second shot Report post Posted January 11, 2009 He was not far from where I last saw him this morning. He was bedded initially but up and left. There were a lot of doe moving around the area so maybe he forgot about his injury and went on the prowl. I didn't try a stalk because there would have been too much ground to cover and too many does in the area. He was limping but I still could not tell exactly where the shot was. It's too close to tell. As for my user name Second Shot, maybe I should have stuck with a rifle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwoGuns Report post Posted January 11, 2009 have to agree with what others have said, looks like muscle blood to me. ifd you only got 3-6 inches of penetration with the arrow you most likely did not hit the guts. was he humped-up in the middle with an arched back? if not, again might mean muscle hit. hope you find him again, but my bet is that you will find him on the hoof still. good luck. twoguns Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
