OK so here's the deal... I'm very new to Bowhunting. Saturday was opening day here in my area, I saw a 6 pointer, spike, and two does. I missed the 6 and a doe trying to shoot further than I should have apparently. I am a d*** good shot on a target, have even spilt an arrow...had to put that out there. But here's my dilemma... Monday that 6 strutted right down my way and stopped dead still, picture perfectly broadside, in my shooting lane at 20yds. I had already drawn when he went behind a large tree so I put my pin just above his elbow and released the arrow. He commenced to run, tail down, like a scaulded dog. I sat and tried to watch where he went because I thought I hit him but he disappeared into some very thick cover. I waited about 15 minutes and had not heard anything so I crept down to where he was standing... I was baffled that there was no blood... Or hair... Or arrow. I've looked for that arrow for hours and cannot find it. I've walked almost every square inch of the mountain side looking for the deer but still nothing... I've not seen him since. Do you guys think I hit this buck or possibly over shot? He was downhill but I know I didn't undershoot because from just below his elbow down was hidden by a small ridge and the arrow wasn't there either... I've replayed the scenario in my head and I honestly think I hit him but now I'm praying I didn't. I've still not given up looking I've not trekked out into an overgrown field about 3/4 mile downhill and will do that in the morning... Any advice guys? I'm lost
as of now the only thing i can think is that maybe you shoulder hit him? and the arrow didnt get deep enough OR you did get the arrow in and it just didnt hit anything major right off the bat, ive hit deer that have gone 200 yards before spilling a drop of blood wih a muzzle loader!! so it could be that. i would say check trees around where he was standing who knows the arrow couldve deflected? i would suggest down deer trcking dogs if they are legal in your state. and dont give up until youve exhasted all means. if youre that sure you got him hes probably in plain sight take a step back and recircle the whole area with friends and family to cover every little spot good luck!!!
It does sound like a hit to me from the reaction(not positive though), and good possibility that if slight quartering away shot, then the arrow could stick in opposite shoulder and not exit. With the arrow plugging a good part of the hole there would be little blood to trail and hard to see(try at night with coleman lantern or one of the various tracking lights - good coleman white gas lantern can make small drops show up pretty good though once dried not so much). Hope you find him!
Stop... get help at a local archery shop if you don't have a friend you can call to help. Call the Game Warden... sometimes they know people who can help look or someone with a dog. I shot one once and had the same type issue, no blood, no arrow, head down run. It turned out that from the ground everything just looked different and I was looking in the wrong place. Getting starting blood is sometimes the hardest part with a high lung hit and no pass through because basically the cavity has to fill up with blood before you get much external bleeding. I finally climbed back into my stand... replayed the shot from there and realized my mistake. My deer had only gone 40 yards... of course that was in a palmetto swamp.
I would make sure to check the nearest water as well as what others have suggested. I have had several head to water when hit and I have found them either in the water or very near it. It is worth a look.
There are a couple of things you mentioned that are going to be really hard to over come. If he went into some really thick stuff and you did not hear any crash, that deer could have had a lot of life left in him. When you got down after 15 minutes if that deer heard you there is a good chance he flat out just got up and walked away. All situations are different but if you have a shot on a deer you are not sure how good a shot it was and you did not hear or see the deer crash you need to wait as long as possible before you go tracking. Usually (I say that very lightly) a deer that has been shot in a not so good place will not go to far before it beds down. If the deer is not jumped they can just bleed out right there but that can take all night. If for any reason it gets spooked it can run to the next county with out more than a couple drops of blood on the ground. I always try to wait 45 minutes to an hour if I have a good shot. The very first deer I shot with a bow was a gut shot. The doe ran 20 yards behind my treestand and layed down. I was in a climer stand and I thought if I could come down the tree about 5 feet I could have another shot at her. I could see her real well but when I started to move my stand down she just disapeared. I called in some friends and we looked for that deer all day. The only blood we ever found was where she had layed down. Dogs are the only thing that could have helped us find that deer but unfortunetly we could not find any. Welcome to bowhunting, there is no sport that can bring more excitment and more frustration with in a matter of seconds. Good luck finding that deer.
Good rule of thumb for me... Lots of blood and I heard him or saw him crash... go get the deer. Lots of blood... no crash... wait at least 2 hours Little blood... no crash... wait at least 8 hours.(If temps and coyotes permit wait til the next day)
I too think you hit the deer. There's some good advice here. Get out there, prferably with someone that has some tracking experience or a tracking dog. Go back to the POI and start looking again. Hitse like this are a part of bowhunting. It's our job to do what we can do to prevent them and when they happen, do what we can to recover the animal. Keep your chin up. I've seen good archers come unraveled shooting at deer.
The biggest issue I see is that this is 5 days later ... you have only one option and that is to grid search with as many people as you can get ... there is no sign left, including odor that will assist you ...
Were you in a treestand or hunting from the ground? Were the blades on the broadhead new and unused? Did you hear any crack or other noise when you shot? Bone hits sound like cracks, soft tissue hits usually sound like hollow thumps. Hitting trees or rocks will crack as well.
Buck fever aint just for the giants! In the heat of the moment it hard to keep your mind square when your talking about your 1st deer. Hell i still black out sometimes when i start thinking back after a shot. Get some lighted nocks they help alot. I think you hit the sholder blade what kind of pondage are you shooting? oh and if your hunting by yourself it might not hurt to think about gettin one of those shot camers that go on your bow. There like 200bucks but with a lighted nock there money well spent for after shot reviews. good luck and if you dont find him keep your head up if you hunt long enought you will lose deer and miss seam to come pretty regular too.
