BobCo19-65

There are other factors as well such as weather, etc.

However, it is extremely important to remember that none of these factors will necessarily make the deer die any faster. You will be only hoping that the deer is down if you go after it before the minimum hours required to let it be for the hit encountered.

For example, if I knew there was rain in the forcast and I knew I was dealing with a stomach hit deer. I would still wait the minimum number of hours required. Even though there will not be any blood trail, the deer should not have went any further then if it would have been dry. But if I push the deer, it will travel. Then I will have no-blood trail and no idea where the deer ends up, I'll only know thatit will be much further then if I let it be in the first place.

I disagree to a certain degree. Yes, sometimes it is tough. But do not try to see te arrow in flight. Concentrate on the target. Do not try to see the arrow at all in flight. If you do this you can even see where a bullet hits an animal.

huntingdiva1

It is good to be educated about how long to wait if you have improper shot placement. But, personally, I don't feel anyone belongs out there hunting unless they are postive that they know how and where to shoot an animal. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. I understand that even with practice nerves can take over especially if you get the shakes. If you have an accident and get bad shot placement on an animal then give that animal some time. 4 to 5 hours seems to be the time limit most think works.Good luck out there, happy hunting!

ABarOfSoap

will a deer always live with 1 lung hit only?

BobCo19-65

As long as nothing else was hit. It is possible. Their lungs are more like a humans. When one collapses the other is still workable. Not every mammel has this type.

davidmil

If you shoot him in the afternoon I'd say wait until AM. If you shoot him in the morning, I'd say wait until mid afternoon. Of course there are forces which would make me change that, but that has to be decided at the time. If you gut shoot one he's going to need at least 8 hours. Otherwise you're going to get him up when he would have stayed put, probably no more than 200-300 yards from your stand. It's going to be a tough enough track as it is with minimal to no blood a lot of the time. The further out you push him, the more likely he'll be lost. Let him be and let mother nature take her toll for your bad hit. I'd say it is almost luck to find most gut shot deer as it is without adding a few hundred more acres to the search grid. Chances are the blood will stop real quick unless you get extremely lucky and hit an artery. The object is to keep the search grid as small as you can. That means waiting and getting out of there and keeping others out if you can. If you're unsure of what you hit you must wait. The evidence on the arrow will tell you a lot, but it's not a definite for a lot of people. Sometimes we see what we want to and not what really is. Most deer I shoot I have a pretty good idea of what I got. When I do I just take a few moments to calm down. I then usually gather my gear up and sneak out quietly to deposit excess gear in the truck and then go track. That usually gives more than enough time for well hit deer. But, most well hit deer go down within site or hearing range don't they. After I hit the ground I look at the arrow. That tells me a lot. My last deer was drilled dead center, in and out. I was shocked he made it 100 yards.

MOmightymite

My last deer i shot I only hit one lung. When i stopped him i thought he was completely broadside but he wasnt. I hit him perfectly for a broadside shot, but since he was slighlty quartering i only got one lung and clipped the stomach. He ran 50 yards and piled up. It all depends on the situation. I would say i got lucky with mine, or maybe i hit more vitals that i didnt see when i gutted him. I waited an hour with mine even though i saw him go down, and i still knocked an arrow just in case.