So my girlfriend shot a buck last night at about 20 yards. She shoots the bear apprentice 2. 45#. She said it looked like a good shot maybe just alittle back. When going to track the deer carried the arrow for about 40yards until it broke off. There was about 3-4 inches broke off in the deer and then 3-4 inches after the break on the arrow was bloody. We searched about a 60 yard square of where the arrow was found and the buck was last seen and never found a drip of blood. I couldn't figure out why. Any ideas?
Gut shot? Sometimes small drops of blood are hard to spot. Head back in and grid search the entire area, as long as you didn't jump the deer, he should have bedded down within a couple hundred yards or so. Checked any beds you find very closely for blood, should be a dead deer by now.
There are several reasons why you didn't find any blood. You don't have an exit wound, so blood will pool internally. Also, fat and tissue can often plug the entrance hole. Another thing I've seen, even with a double lung hit, is that sometimes the deer doesn't bleed much for the first thirty or more yards. Depends on so many factors. What kind of broadhead, and how high was the wound? What kind of blood on the arrow? Any bits of food? Bubbles? Dark blood? Did it mule kick? Did it run away, or walk slowly? The deer could easily be dead two hundred yards away. Happens all the time. You need to get back out and look. I hope you guys didn't go right after it soon after the shot. A marginally hit or unknown hit deer should be given many hours (overnight) before being pushed. If dead, it will still be there. If alive and pushed, it will likely run as far as it can. Often paunch and liver hit deer will bed down very soon, and if not pushed, will die right there, but it can take a while. I wish you luck, and hope you find it. Keep us posted.
I shot a small buck last evening with my rifle (yes, I know this is a bowhunting site) and was positive I made a good shot, and thought I heard it pile up just out of sight and could hear it choking on some blood. I didn't see it go down, so I stayed in my stand another hour to make sure he was done. When I finally got down, I went to where I shot it with my 270 and there was no blood and this is with 6" of snow on the ground. I walked his track and after 20 yards found the smallest drop of blood, then at 25 yards found another really small drop of blood. I couldn't believe it because I knew I made a good shot on him at 50 yards. Then I scanned a little bit and he was piled up right where I thought he was, but I couldn't believe how little blood there was, and even when I got to him and rolled him over there wasn't more than a silver dollar's worth of blood under him. I inspected him and found the hole right where I shot, went through the lung and down through the liver. I still can't believe how little blood there was considering the deer only made it 30-35 yards. Keep looking! Don't give up
Tyler's first deer had no exit hole. We found no blood which I figured would happen for the first 50 or so yards. We just headed for the spot I figured his buck would go and found him 90 yards from where he was shot. Other then blood on his mouth... there wasn't any on the ground. It pooled up inside the deer and the arrow shaft plug the entry hole. There was not much left of the lungs as far as big chunks as the broadhead was slicing and dicing as the buck ran since it was still in him. I would get back out there. Grid and search in the direction the deer ran. He is more than likely dead. Tim
muzzy 4 blade. dark blood on arrow but not really dark. ran completely out of sight. if the deer was shot yesterday and found the next day is the meat still good? how long does it take for it to go bad with the guts and all still inside?
Put her back up the stand and walk out and have her direct you to the path she watched the deer run off, as far as you she can see. Look for easiest travel route at that point. Deer can be found without blood, good luck
