Lost one today.

[Huntnfish89]

I finally got a shot at a little fork horned buck this morning around 8:30. He was just about broadside quartering towards slightly. I made what I thought was a good shot, but he ran about 10 yards after the shot then ran back the way he came from. He ended up cutting down and across the draw. I could see him limping ever so slightly, but moving ok. He presented me with another shot and I would have put money down that he dropped right in the small patch of fir he was walking through. I didn't see him pop out on the other side nor heard anything crashing through the brush.

Expecting to find a dead deer I walked right up there except there was nothing there, no blood and no discernable trail. (I messed up the trail by walking a small grid looking for blood initially, and the trail I would have expected him to take was pretty heavily used with tracks going back and forth making it difficult to read). I spent the rest of the day expanding my grid/circle search looking for any sign. I'm planning on going back out tomorrow morning before work and maybe I'll get lucky and find him. I might have completely missed the second shot, but I am concerned that I may have gut shot him the second time and this prevented a blood trail and then bumped him when searching. I know things happen, but its a pretty s@&$&y feeling when it happens to you. Thus is the first game animal that I have not been able to find and

Is there anything I should be looking for in particular this late after the fact. Temps were in the low 30's all day and supposed to be in the teens tonight so I may be able to salvage the meat as well as hopefully pick up a trail if there is one.

Attached are pics of the blood trail from the first hit. It was sparse to begin with and petered out within about 20-30 yards.

 

[go_deep]

My guess is you were low and back a little, likely non lethal, unless you got him in the guys with the second shot. They meat will likely be just fine.

 

[NYSKIER]

Any tracking dogs around? I would say if you aren’t going to cross into another property just pick one of the well used trails and go with it. Maybe you’ll pick up some blood in that snow assuming it’s still there

 

[Rich M]

Did you try going step by step in the snow? You had a blood trail and it dried up?

It didnt dry up cause you gut shot it. I think you missed the 2nd shot. If you hit it in the guts youd have blood.

Im guessing a muscle hit. Did you check your zero?

 

[Drenalin]

That white hair and bright blood makes me think it’s a non lethal hit, like you clipped a leg or shaved his belly. Assuming it wasn’t a steep shot angle anyway.

Even if you got guts with the second shot, I’d expect to find some evidence of the hit. If it isn’t there, I’d wager a miss.

Did you walk around the outside of the patch of fir? You might pick up the track or blood somewhere along that edge.

Good luck in the morning, hopefully you’ll recover him.

 

[Huntnfish89]

Did you try going step by step in the snow? You had a blood trail and it dried up?

It didnt dry up cause you gut shot it. I think you missed the 2nd shot. If you hit it in the guts youd have blood.

Im guessing a muscle hit. Did you check your zero?

The trail in the picture was left after the first shot. It was no longer bleeding/ leaving any sort of blood trail by the time I shot a second time.

The reason that I mention a gut shot and no blood trail is that a few seasons ago I shot a doe that the bullet exited just behind the diaphragm, the intestines' plugged the hole and she ran 50 yards before falling. There in this case there was no blood anywhere except where she fell.

I was also thinking a muscle hit from the first shot, perhaps nicked the back of the leg/ belly. Judged by the way he was walking/acting I would assume that it would be a non-lethal hit. It's the second one that has me at a loss. I'm not the greatest shooter, but the second shot was what I would consider a fairly easy one hence my surprise when I didn't come up to a dead deer. I did fire a couple of shots on the way home and it looks like I am hitting about 2-4in low at 100. It very well might be that my scope got bumped sometime in the past few months. I am planning on going out with a box of ammo and checking from a solid rest when I get some free time this week.

 

[Huntnfish89]

That white hair and bright blood makes me think it’s a non lethal hit, like you clipped a leg or shaved his belly. Assuming it wasn’t a steep shot angle anyway.

Even if you got guts with the second shot, I’d expect to find some evidence of the hit. If it isn’t there, I’d wager a miss.

Did you walk around the outside of the patch of fir? You might pick up the track or blood somewhere along that edge.

Good luck in the morning, hopefully you’ll recover him.

It was at an angle with him above me, but not especially steep considering the range from me to him.

I did circle around the patch, walked through it, and then some more than a few times. At this point, I'd be happy if I missed lol. It's the not knowing that's the worst. I do have a cam up in the area that has had this buck on it a number of times. I'm hoping that if I don't find him, that he'll show up on my cam at least.

 

[Huntnfish89]

Any tracking dogs around? I would say if you aren’t going to cross into another property just pick one of the well used trails and go with it. Maybe you’ll pick up some blood in that snow assuming it’s still there

No dogs that I know of. There's a few people of FB that have offered in the past. I might give that a try as well if it works out.

 

[Rich M]

Might have just solved the puzzle. If gun is shooting low, id say a leg hit and then a miss. Sucks but happens.

Nerves dont help when trying a second shot like that.

Hate losing critters of any type.

 

[go_deep]

If you were shooting up and got white hair you're defiantly low.

 

[Yoder]

I'm thinking front leg on the first shot. I've shot the front leg off of probably 4 deer. If you just flinch a little it's easy to to pull that shot straight down a few inches. It would explain the limping. Second shot I don't know. Look for an odd track from the limp. I hit one this year in the spine with my bow. Never found it. It wasn't paralyzed but you could see where one leg was not working quite right leaving a scuff mark. I was able to follow that a couple hundred yards with almost no blood. It sucks but it will either survive or most likely die an easier death than nature would have offered.

 

[Huntnfish89]

Well I just got back and couldn't find any sign of him. I went to check my zero and it was hitting about 3.5" low and 2" to the right at 100 yards. I must have bumped it on something tripping over deadfalls or against the console in the truck. In hindsight I should recheck my zero periodically, but given that there was no notable incident, I didn't give it another thought after dialing it in before the season. Given the way he was standing when I took the first shot it I think it might have been a combination both me and my scope. I'm guessing the second shot was a clear miss, but I guess I'll never know for sure. I walked trails, re circled the area where he was standing when I shot a second time, and rechecked areas where I think he may have bedded and couldn't find any sign that would indicate a hit. I guess I'll keep an eye out for him on my cam and crows in the area when I am there next, but I am hoping that he only ended up with a flesh wound and makes it through.

Thank you everyone for your input and advice. It is truly appreciated and I suppose that I'll chalk it up to a learning experience and do better next time.

 

[Rowdy99]

Happens to the best of us. Stay after it

 

[mtnbiker208]

keep after it, i had one where it was 3 days later before i found him alive, but not doing well. you owe it to the deer to keep looking.

 

[Huntnfish89]

That's the plan. Unfortunately I have to work until Monday, but I'll be dedicating the rest of the season finding him either dead or alive.

 

[Huntnfish89]

keep after it, i had one where it was 3 days later before i found him alive, but not doing well. you owe it to the deer to keep looking.

Was there anything in particular that you did or found helpful in getting back on him such as targeting specific locations, looking near water sources, looking for particular sign, etc?

 

[mtnbiker208]

I kept loosing the blood trail in the same spot. eventually i went into the thickest nastiest set of blowdowns I could see from that spot, and he was bedded down in there.