Keep looking. I had a buddy go through the same thing a week or so ago. After looking for hours and hours we found her.
First off, you have looked for only a few hours, get back out there and look again. Find the last spot of blood and if you have to get on your hands and knees to see any further drops. I have searched for 4 days for a particular deer. The blood looks promising, and that means don't give up. The reason everyone says look towards water is simple, when an animal is hit, and losing blood they go to a water source to try to replenish their system with fluids. I think you have a real good chance of finding this deer, you just have to put the time in. Sitting at the house on the forum isn't getting the deer found.
I'm going to go back out there. It'll only be myself since everyone I know is at work or unwilling to help. I need to eat some food and get my energy back up. Thanks for the encouragement. My Grandpa thinks I'm crazy for having a stand so far in the woods and making a 20 yard shot at a deer. He'll prolly think me looking this amount of time is crazy too.
Hate to say it but I agree with the crew above. Keep looking brother. Find friends if possible. Its worth taking some extra time to look. Worse case, you dont find him after a day or so, and its still way early in the season so your property will settle and deer will not be that messed up by all the searching. You have nothing to lose at this point man, only option I see is wear out some rubber on them boots.
Take a roll of toilet paper with you to help mark the blood! The wet marsh will be hard to track in, go to the other side in the general direction the buck was traveling. Walk up and down the edge of the marsh. you might be able to pick the trail back up again. Also, go slow. take you time and enjoy the woods. You might just find it a bit less stressful. Good luck.
Keep at it Tim! Hard to tell in the photos but the blood looks liverish to me. Did the arrow have a smell to it? What about hair at the POI? How about the end of the trail, did it peter out or just end? Any sudden change in direction? Wish I was closer so I could come help you out! Keep us posted
That looks like good blood to me. Keep searching. That deer is laying somewhere waiting for you to drag it home. I agree with Cablebob. Go slow, enjoy the woods, don't stress yourself too much or you will miss sign. Letting yourself get discouraged and negative is never a good thing. Good luck man
Always smell your arrow on iffy hits. If it stinks its a gut hit. Gut shot deer go to water. I see fat on that arrow leads me to think gut shot. When going through tall grass in the marsh look on the grass about hip high. Check the not so obvious also like less thick terrian. If there is a fence follow down the fence. A gut shot deer will not jump a fence. If your in hilly country and that deer is going uphill...not a good sign. Regardless that deer is dead. Deer will not survive gut hits or lung compartment hits. Good luck partner in finding him. If you you dont find it that is the way the cookie crumbles.
No one here knows where this deer is hit. Lots of assuming going on from a few pictures. lol. I've seen flesh wound hits look like lung/heart shot hits and then they quit bleeding as flesh wound hits always do. With that being said I don't think you've put enough VALUABLE time in yet looking for this deer. Hoping for good results for you though. Best of luck. Like Doublelung said above me, ALWAYS smell your arrow If It's a pass through. Regardless of where you think It hit the animal smell that arrow. It can be worth a thousand words.
Everyone I am back and I didn't find him. I circled and circled and was on my hands and knees at the last blood and I found absolutely nothing new. It's a huge letdown and I feel horrible.
Got your PM buddy. That blows. You did the right thing spending all this time looking. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for ravens, crows, buzzards over the next few days. Having said that, I think there's a good chance he's still running around. You best bet is to shake it off, do some shooting to make sure everything is still dialed in, and then get back out there. Losing one sucks, no way around that... but redemption is in your future my friend!
Thanks Guys, I will definitely be doing some shooting! I'm also considering going to a different broadhead. I know that it wasn't my muzzy's fault but I just keep thinking about the lack of blood I had. My buddy had the same problem and switched to Rage. He told me that his Muzzy's didn't fly like practice tips. Seems like those Killzones are looking pretty good about now.
Its good you gave it your all man. You wont have to worry about second guessing yourself later and thats a very good thing. As said already, keep an eye on the birds. They might find it for you. Get trailcams out if possible and see if you can find him. And most importantly, get out there and regain your confidence!! Good luck brother!
Sorry to hear that you haven't found him yet. Are you sure about the law on tracking dogs? I thought I had read somewhere that if they are on a leash you can use them? Good luck!
Glad you gave it your all. Get a couple trail cams set up in the area and if you are thinking of switching gives the swhackers a look at too.
I looked for 3 days once. Keep tabs on the sky.... buzzards will be your friends. Also like others have said look for water sources, but when you do draw a big (500 yard) circle from point of shot, to last blood and then look for water and start circling back towards place of shot. Most bucks were in the area of kill bc they felt comfortable and will likely go to water and "try" to make it back to their bedding area.
My opinion after looking at your arrow is a high shot through muscle. Perhaps through a backstrap but above the spine. There is a decent layer of fat over the backstraps. My brother shot a nice buck high like that last year (with a Muzzy too) and we had the same fat/blood and then it disappeared. My brother after seeing my blood trails last year with Rage broadheads switched this year too. Give it a few days and walk around your property and you will probably smell him if he's dead. I shot a buck one year (with Muzzy's -not to beat up on them) and lost the blood trail and a few days later while walking to a stand I smelled him and lets just say that was an easy tracking job ;-)
I agree...that arrow looks fatty. lost my doe last year with a similar looking arrow...sharp angled shot, complete pass through. I didn't even track her that night, but on the way in in the AM I jumped her as she had laid next to my main trail (unknown to me at the time.) Got to my stand, found the arrow right away. The arrow was covered in fat, and the blood started good. Thought for sure I lunged her, but apparently I hit just back and maybe got liver as the blood got much darker after about 50 yards, and then slowly began to peter out. Just specks after the first 150yds or so. Eventually all that fat and/or gut plugged the hole and she just stopped bleeding. Tracked her for 3-400 yards until I found that bed with a small pool (maybe 2") of frozen blood in it. That was the last spot of blood. I'd like to think she made it, since she lived overnight.
