HELP NO BLOOD

[IdahoBeav]

Precisely! When the pump shuts down, the flow stops.

They can bleed internally, too. Think of a milk jug with a slightly smaller water balloon inside. If you shoot the top of the balloon, little or no water will hit the ground, but the balloon is still popped.

 

[Dakota Dude]

The last two bulls I've shot didn't bleed externally at all. It was all internal. Last year I didn't find a spec of blood and just happened to find him grid searching. I heard him tip over and kick, so I knew he was dead. It was just so thick that I couldn't find him. I searched for 2 hours and only found one pin drop. I searched another hour and found about 8 inches of my arrow.

The one I shot last Saturday only had a few drops by where he crashed, but I saw his antlers tip over through the thick brush about 60 yards away. I didn't look hard, but I couldn't find any blood where I shot him or the first 20 yards or so. It was thick cover again, but I knew he was dead. After 2 people searching for about 20 minutes I did a quick fan search and found him. Once I butchered him it was obvious all the blood stayed internal. Gallons of blood were pooled in the cavity.

I switched to fixed blades last year (QAD Exodus). They obviously do the job, but the blood trails are nothing like my old rages. I'll probably switch back next fall.

Don't give up and good luck.

 

[sickles107]

Search 1000 yards in ALL directions.

I have unfortunately been in your shoes in years past. You owe it to the animal and yourself to put in a few solid days of searching. Stay at it and keep your spirits up. Wounding an animal is a terrible feeling.

While everyone likes to say they go down hill or to water or away from pressure or x y z it simply is not ultimately true. A few years ago a bull turned and I was unbelievably surprised at what I thought was a broadside shot at 20yd, arrow entered behind the shoulder but passed through guts as if it was quartered to hard. Hit a main blood line in rear leg on the way out and bled like crazy for 100yds then nothing. Found next day when I bumped a coyote in open timber about to drop down into a hell hole and starting gridding. 1000 yards up hill, 90 degrees off from original blood trail, opposite direction of water, towards a main trail.

 

[Customweld]

If he's quartering away facing left you may have barely clipped a lung judging by where the blood spot is on that pic. I wouldn't stop looking, but I also wouldn't be holding my breath on that one.

I would agree. That bull may not be dead....yet. Looks to be a shoulder hit, quartering through the neck on the opposite side.