I think the deer is alive now and if he doesn't develop sepsis, will survive. That being said, i would search as if I knew he was dead.
Shot looked high and back to me. Especially at that angle. If I would ever ( and I stress ever) take a shot like that I would have put the arrow on the inside of his front leg. I don't doubt it is a lethal hit. The question is when he will die. Possibly a few days to a week later..... At the same time I wish you best of luck finding him. It wouldn't be the first time I was wrong. We have all made bonehead mistakes. Live and learn....
I agree there I have shot deer poorly and wouldnt you know it I looked by a water source and there they were... they always tend to lay down in a stream to sooth the pain and usually die right there...
Get some buddies and start to grid again. I'd also start asking the neighbors for permission to look because I bet that buck has moved off, especially if you were looking around last night.
^^ Pretty much what he said, looks like shoulder blade not a great deal of penetration. He's bleeding internally, and the blood will just pool inside and not leak from the wound unless he lays down on his side or enough pools up.. I'd say it's probably a vital shot.. But recovering him is going to be tricky. Break out the microscope and try to play everything back in slow motion to track him to where you last saw him, look for tiny blood specs, anything.. I wish you luck that is a really nice deer.
https://www.facebook.com/unitedbloodtrackers https://www.unitedbloodtrackers.org/ tracking dogs. never used them but nice to know there around.
After watching semper's slow motion vids (great work) I believe even more in my first guess, I don't thinks he's dead. To high and no penetration. If I'm wrong I hope you find him though. IF you don't find him learn from this and move on.
Yeah sorry to say that deer if he is going to die it won't be for a couple of weeks from an infection. If he dies at all.
There's a winding creek through the whole property, walked that whole thing. I may head out tonight and try and find that nockturnal, that may tell me how much penetration I had.
Not a bad idea, don't beat yourself up about it. It happens to the best of us especially early in the season due to jitters, go out and see if you can find the nockturnal, if you can't get a cam up, throw some corn down and see if he comes back and go for round two. But track as if you know he is dead just poor blood trail
Really sucks I know u wanted it but we do learn from our mistakes an u will become a better hunter all together but I hope u find it if not all in all u made a gud lick on him just high an thats not ever good but best of luck to u on ur next hunt
Do you know what sucks is... you shoot a deer and you always wanna do everything possible to find it especially if it is a great buck... so it was a bad shot and even say the deer will die a few days or even weeks later you have it set in your mind each time you go out to look... and each time you go you putting so much pressure on the area with grid searches and all... or if you get over it and then while your up in your treestand again your always looking where you shot the deer what you did wrong how did you do this and your just hoping he steps back out in front of you for a second shot! Happened to me twice... still to this day ive wondered where those deer went... really hope you either find him or he steps back out for ya again...
