Shot bull. Having a hard time finding him.

[Amincey34]

Shot a bull @12 yards. Hit him a little higher than I preferred. Left/right was perfect just a little high. I found zero blood at POI but about 25 yards down trail I found this small spot. After that there’s nothing I can find. I was on hands and knees crawling around looking for blood. There’s wayyy too many tracks to try to follow him. I zig zagged back and forth and then reset and circled the entire area for hours. Nothing. I’m shooting a sevr 1.75 inch and never found my arrow but saw the vanes disappear. I’m absolutely distraught. Thoughts? Ideas?

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[Fogalo]

How high is high? What’s “perfect” left right? I shot a bull last year a little high and forward. He went 750 yards and piled up. Took me all morning to find him.

If it’s high you won’t have much blood as most of the internal bleeding will pool in the chest cavity.

I would grid along the path of the direction he was headed.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I'd try to guess his direction and make stabs where I thought he went, sweeping to get lucky and find blood along the way. As stated above could be several hundred yards before you get any blood trail.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I know you mentioned there's tracks everywhere but a shot running bull track may appear slightly different, may be able to pickup direction of travel. I had to find my son's bull that way through a sea of tracks and over Rocky surfaces with no tracks, he went a long way. Good luck!

 

[Amincey34]

I did grid all morning with another guy. We went a 3/4 in last known direction. Doubling over each spot. I’d say 2.5 inches higher than a perfect double lung.


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[Amincey34]

After the 3/4 we reset and did it again in a different azimuth. I’m still out here now just catching my breath


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[Amincey34]

I did grid all morning with another guy. We went a 3/4 in last known direction. Doubling over each spot. I’d say 2.5 inches higher than a perfect double lung.


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3/4 mile


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[*zap*]

Good luck.

 

[Fogalo]

Is it thick? Can you try and glass him up?

 

[Amincey34]

Is it thick? Can you try and glass him up?

Thick as can be. Varies from tall grass to swamp and trees as thick as can get. Any thoughts on the blood? Experience with white tails the lung blood is pinkish bubbly and noticeable this is red as can be.


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[Hnthrdr]

If you got 1 lung that bull could be miles away, if you truly got both, really good chance he is dead somewhere around 800 yards. But there is a “no man’s land” spot about the Lungs, under the spine that will likely be a flesh would and the bull won’t die. Wounding an animal is maddening, it’s happened to me twice… makes you feel sick I really hope that you can find him!

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I did grid all morning with another guy. We went a 3/4 in last known direction. Doubling over each spot. I’d say 2.5 inches higher than a perfect double lung.


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Keep at it brother, 2.5" over perfect I'm guessing he's dead. If you can get up high and glass anywhere the direction he went might could help.

As for the red or pink blood yeah but the flesh around the lungs will bleed red so sometimes can be mixed. I believe there's also an artery under the spine that'll obviously bleed red. Gotta fill up the chest before it pours out though.

 

[Amincey34]

If you got 1 lung that bull could be miles away, if you truly got both, really good chance he is dead somewhere around 800 yards. But there is a “no man’s land” spot about the Lungs, under the spine that will likely be a flesh would and the bull won’t die. Wounding an animal is maddening, it’s happened to me twice… makes you feel sick I really hope that you can find him!

That’s all I can think about is that little space above the lungs. I could puke right now.


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[TxxAgg]

That’s all I can think about is that little space above the lungs. I could puke right now.


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There is no such thing as a No Man's Land. You either catch lungs or you hit spine/above the spine. That's a scientific fact. Keep a positive attitude and go find your bull.

 

[JCS271]

Well, since you obviously have cell/internet service, at this point I would get somebody with a good dog out there asap.

 

[Fowl Play]

How long did you wait after the shot? If that spot of blood is not from a bed you scared him out of, then there will be more blood to be found. Slow it way down, get some flagging tape/toilet paper whatever you need to mark spots and start blood trailing him. Hit up the local Facebook groups, etc normally a blood trailing network with dogs in every area.

 

[Read1t48]

Hard to say without being there, but if it was only a couple inches high, and you watched your arrow disappear, I have no doubt that is probably a dead bull. It sounds like a high double lung shot and it takes a very long time for the body cavity to fill up with blood, especially if there is only one entrance and it didn’t exit out the other side. If that was what happened, I bet he didn’t go 300 yards.
Pull out your Maps system and start gridding off the area in a very systematic way. If you can find additional blood and tracks and get a direction of travel, I would look for the nearest timber or thick stuff if the area is open. They will try to make it to the timber before they drop.
If that doesn’t work, you can go back later this week and at least get your horns after you locate the birds.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Did I miss the part about penetration? That’s all the blood you found? Definitely not a double lung.

 

[TaperPin]

Well, if the most obvious route didn’t find him, you might try covering the country from a different angle - if you have been zig zagging, you might try walking straight lines straight out and back from last blood. It’s technically not the most efficient, but it does force you to see everything from two different angles than anything you’ve tried so far. I’m a compass guy so I’d follow even headings - 100 degrees, 120 degrees, 140 degrees, and if that didn’t turn him up go back and cover the odd numbers. If that doesn’t turn him up start expanding the search to the far left and far right. Don’t forget to stop when there’s a chance to glass for him piled up through breaks in the trees. A good idea to stop regularly any way and don’t just look side to side, but also look back over your shoulders.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Also I would look/ listen for birds, they will find him quick if he is dead and will be all over him in a day or so, how long has it been since the shot?