I’m kind of a young hunter, 22 years old been hunting since I was about 12 so I do have decent amount of experience. Every deer that I have shot were clean lungs, heart shots, even a windpipe once but was enough for the kill. Today I was hunting and the biggest buck I’ve been able to shoot at eluded me very well. I took about a 35-40 yard shot with my cross bow, this buck was quartered to me so I didn’t have a good heart shot I was aiming for lungs. I had a tree blocking the ass end which this is the part that confuses me. After being hit, the buck ran straight towards me, right under my stand, and then stopped about 10-15 yards to my right. At that spot, I noticed the left side of his ass/tail was really bloody. Thinking maybe he jumped and that affected where my arrow hit, plus I was a little nervous so might not have been the greatest shot. When the buck stopped for 30 seconds to my right, there was a significant amount of blood. I tracked his exact trail and there was a steady amount of half dollar drops, plenty of them, and then a few spots where I assume this deer stopped to lick the wound where there was 3 or 4 big pools of blood. (Bright red blood) which I assume was a muscle hit. I found a small amount of white hair where I shot at the deer as well. After about 50 yards of that steady blood trail, I found maybe 3-4 pin size spots of blood for about 20 yards. After that the trail went completely cold. This bucks tail was down tucked in his back legs, couldn’t find the arrow it’s either still in him or maybe I should look some more around the initial spot. All water sources are easily over 300 yards away and I know there are a few bedding areas within 150 yards. I’m going out to track tomorrow some more am just looking for advice from experienced hunters, maybe some opinions on my situation to help me. Appreciate anything you guys can say!
Sounds like your doing the right thing backing out. I would say that its never a good idea to shoot behind the shoulder on a deer quartering to you. Thats a shot I don't take personally. Although from the way you explained it sounds like you may have hit a artery and if that's the case he probably bled out and won't be too far. Good luck. May want to enlist a blood trail dog if legal Sent from my SM-G981V using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
it sounds like you may have hit back on the entry and gotten a pass through in the hind end. That would account for the muscle-type blood on the early part of the track with the petering out. B4B is correct in saying to never shoot behind the shoulder on a quarter-to shot (done it myself with bad results) but also doing the right thing in backing out. If the bolt did what I think it did, you have a dead deer just give it overnight. Gutshot deer often take a day to die.
Find/call for a tracking dog. One other observation, you didn't mention if you have some time between the shot and when you started to track. Always, wait. I like to give 30-45 minutes for that 'perfect shot' and longer if not so perfect (depends on placement and organs hit). The exception, if the animal drops in sight.
