Hate to make this my first post, but I’ve just recently gotten into bow hunting (with a crossbow, due to my lefthandedness/budget) Bow is zeroed in at 25 yds. Freehand shot the doe out of a ladder stand @approx 15yds, aiming just behind shoulder at center mass(aim big miss small). Have an abundance of watery blood/matter at the site where she was standing, broadside to me at a 45 degree angle. Not sure what the matter is, any help appreciated because I am yet to have a blood trail to follow (waited an hr before looking, ambient temp is high do not want the deer to rot).
Really tough to tell from that photo. Based on what little I can see from that one white fletching, it doesn't look great. Can you get some better arrow pics for us? What does the arrow look, and more importantly, smell like? If it smells foul, then it's likely guts.
Arrow is still in the ground, smell is slightly sweet, maybe a little foul? But the blood had been airing out on it for an hr by then. The blood wasn’t a deep red more of a pink, again it appeared very watery but not”bubbly”(maybe it is a gut shot? Running creek within 50yds she could’ve been full of water) I could go back out in the woods and snap some photos but I don’t want to spook the rest of my deer population for the 3rd time this evening. Check the leaves out, have you ever seen that grayish matter?
So the deer was standing at a 45 degree angle. Was she angled towards you, or facing away from you. If she was indeed quartering that hard, and you center punched her. Most likely that is guts, liver and 1 lung. Any time you hit guts, its a dead deer. Timing is always the problem. Usually a good rule of thumb is 12 hours. Ive found them still alive after 24 hours on rare occasions. But it will die. If temps are warm, most likely the meat will spoil. But you still owe it to give your best efforts to find it. For multiple reasons. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk
My guess would be gut. Especially if she was quartered towards you at 45 degree angle. Are those corn kernels in the bottom right corner? Those could have come from her gut. As mentioned above need to give plenty of time to expire.
Deer was NOT quartered (see original post) the 45 degree is the angle of my stand to the ground, the doe was broadside. Thanks for the input guys I’m going to give it another attempt in the daylight if I did indeed hit gut I may be able to smell her trail.
If you hit the deer center mass.....your best hope is maybe liver...but lungs and heart not in the game back there.
Wasn’t aiming center mass, I’d rephrase and say center height, between heart and spine, front mass (just behind shoulder). That is where I was aiming but cannot guarantee that’s where I connected. Thanks for the input
I was a little confused about the broad side 45 degree angle, lol. Didn't realize it was reference to stand height etc. May have hit a little further back and low which would explain the gut matter. Hoping you find her. If she is dead there is a good chance she lived 8-12 hours after the shot.
Here from experience, even at close quarters a bolt shot can end up going through at wild angles. I lost my first doe on what should have been a perfect shot 17 yrds. The bolt was found way off from where it should have been and I believe was just a one lung nick and on and off trail that just disapeared. Now the second doe and hit pic is in thread, was 10 yards broad side, very calm. Well exit was way behind rib cage low and tore the gut sack. She was dead within 50 yrds. The sound hits them before the bolt even at close range and they react. Both ground shot. Pink and light in color water I believe to be A high lung hit. But if the bolt smells, guts. With corn, likely if it was a forward watery and corn...could be esophagus pass through. Food travels their esophagus to stomache.
Good luck. Your description definitely threw me off. Stand angle doesn't matter. You have two feet and can turn any degree angle you want. Broadside does matter. If your getting a sweet smell, definitely some type of gut. Water type blood can just be muscle blood from the exit. Since no other evidence of large amounts of blood, then i would say no liver or paunch. I would wait 12 hours and start the track. Head down hill if possible in direction she ran, and also if water near by? Head to it. She will be burning up and want to get to water if around. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk
Looking at nearby water sources is great advice, they often head to these spots when wounded. I'd think especially true if it's a gut wound.
Thanks guys, about to walk the creek bank in daylight and look for signs. Will update if I find her although the meat is definitely no good (85f outside)
If she is in the water, you might be able to salvage. Skin back the hide on the rear legs and sniff the meat. If smells like red meat , then might be good. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk
No luck. Traversed the whole woods for what I’d estimate to be 15 acres following game trails big and small. Walked the whole creek, nothing. I hate not being able to find an animal but with this one I might have to wait until the stank hits me, or I may have wounded her. Lesson learned here, thanks for all the input from everyone.
