comndr45

Saturday at 6:30, a small fork-horned buck trotted up a trail to my left. He sas moving pretty fast. I waited until he was behind a large tree and drew. He took a few more steps and stopped. He looked up at me then back down to feed. I hit the release and he hunched up and kicked. He took off. We waited 3 hours to start trailing. The arrow stayed in him for 50 yards, and that was the first blood. There was fibrous stomach matter on the arrow-gut shot. The blood was very sparse. A very experienced trailer and I trailed him 100 yards to a big logging road and lost the blood trail. We followed every set of tracks from the last spot of blood and never found another drop. We never kicked up a deer either. I guess the guts plugged up the holes when he jumped out onto the logging road. We trailed most of the day, but nothing. I'm sick. I don't know what I did. It was a comfortable shot to my left at 14 yards. This is my first deer to hit-what a nightmare. I guess I jerked the release or torqued the grip. I'm going out to check my sights this afternoon. Last week, my last three broadheaded arrows gouped into a half-dollar. I had my bow in my padded case in the bed of the truck. Normally it stays in the cab, but I had passengers so it was in back. Maybe it got knocked out.

Let me have it. Poor shot placement, poor form, buck fever, poor trailing. I'm sick about it.

The most important bloodtrail leads right to the foot of the cross

HuntingBry

Comndr, if we hunt long enough these things happen to us all. Those who say they don't just won't admit it. Try to get out again to find the buck and shoot to make sure your sights are still on. That's really all you can do. It sounds like you're an ethical hunter that had an unlucky mishap. Unfortunately, it happens.

cyclone

one should wait at least 6 hrs for a paunch hit...it happens..

~Will Hunt For Food~

comndr45

I really thought it was a good hit. 14 yds-I thought it was a slam dunk. That's why we started looking after only 3 hours. It took 1-1 1/2 hours just to find the arrow and the first blood.

The most important bloodtrail leads right to the foot of the cross

Budbowhunter

I'm in the same boat as you my friend. I shot 2 deer, wounded both and didn't recover either of them. I spent hours looking for both of them. Fortunately for me, I've seen both deer since, still up and running around so they survived. It happens. For me, it was a matter of bad equipment. But I didn't know it until I had an expert look at my bow. Good luck finding him.

rockytop

IT's called bowhunting, and it's the most frustrating, humiliating, and challenging hunting there is. Learn from it and go after another one.

cyclone

Once you find that arrow, smell it, it smells of paunch you gotta back off and give it time....You see that fibrous matter on your arrow again, back off...mark the trail up to that point and come back later...If not pushed they'll lay down and expire within a relatively short distance...

~Will Hunt For Food~

comndr45

Cyclone, I guess it's possible that we kicked him up during the hour and a half it took to find the arrow-although I doubt it-from all indications, he hit the logging road 100-150 yds away on his first run, because we didn't find any pooled blood or places that he lay down before the logging road. Thanks for not ripping me a new one guys. I feel horrible enough as it is.

The most important bloodtrail leads right to the foot of the cross

cyclone

Actually it's not too late to learn a lesson here. If you go back and try to locate the buck you may find him...too late to recover any meat, but finding it and determining the direction of flight would be a major lesson in trailing those "less than perfect" hits...

They don't always "jump" when being trailed...sometimes they simply and quietly stand up and walk away...

~Will Hunt For Food~

wimp

I had a gutshot deer that never bedded for 300 yds. rare I know, but does happen. Some times they will just stand there rather than acutally lay down.