Scott Radish

Whether man or animal, when gutshot, bile is released into the body cavity which causes infection when in contact with other organs. This is considered one of the most agony filled ways for any animal to die because the process has no set time in which how long it will take. That's why it freaks me out sometimes when I see some people take their kids out for the first time but don't explain to them where to shoot on the deer. So they just put crosshairs in the middle and pull the trigger. It's just not humane

burniegoeasily

Id assume 99.9% do. Some might take a day or two, but will succumb to peritonitis if not blood loss.

waiting_for_a_gift

Nope. Deer are amazing creatures, and I wouldn't rule anything out, or take anything for granted. It is possible for a deer to survive a gut shot. I've read reliable accounts of deer with healed over arrows through their heart and lungs. (Article titled "The Sharpness Factor" by Russel Thornberry, I believe) Here is a quote, the entire article is available on the buckmasters web site, I found it through google.

"Hunters are often mystified by the distance their game travels after being hit with a lethally placed arrow. The sharpness factor plays a big role here. I have seen white-tailed deer survive center lung shots, and in one case, even a center heart shot, because the broadheads used weren’t shaving sharp. You may think that I’m assuming that those heart- and lung-shot deer survived, but I’m not. In the case of the center lung-shot animal, it was killed by an automobile two years after it was shot through the lungs with a dull broadhead. The broadhead and 10 inches of the shaft were still in the buck, positioned right in the center of his lungs. His wound had healed completely, and he seemed to be in otherwise perfect health when the car hit and killed him. He was butterball fat, too. The heart-shot doe was shot later by a rifle hunter, also two years after an arrow passed through the center of her heart. She too was healthy and fat, showing no evidence of ills due to the 6-inch section of aluminum shaft still in the center of her heart. In both cases, dull broadheads failed to do their jobs. There was minimal hemorrhaging, and both animals survived. Shot placement is critical in bowhunting, but unless your broadhead is shaving sharp, a perfectly placed arrow may not get the job done."

farmcntry

Yes a gut shot is a kill shot.

Gundeck

I assume every gut shot deer is a dead deer. Is it possible that one will survive here or there? Yes, but if you assume the deer is dead, you will hunt until you find it. In your mind, there should be no question as to whether it "might have made it". This makes it easy to give up the hunt. It is not always possible to recover every deer. We all know that, but each hunter should give every effort he can to find an animal he wounded. I lost my second deer in thirty plus years of hunting this year and it eats me up. I have seen a head shot deer survive. I am sure an occasional gut shot deer does, as well. Still best to assume it is a dead deer and hunt until you find it or can search no more.

Finch

Good responses guys! It just made me wonder when I had read and heard that a gutshot deer "may" or "should" be a dead one. I assume they are dead as well but stranger things have happened.

bowdoc1

A buddie of mine was hunting in Missouri Once a week after gun season. He had adout 6 doe come out into a field. He picked out the biggest one and shot it. He seen her go down and as walking up to the doe and it had a bad smell to it. The doe had been shot with a rifle in the guts the week before. He went to town and called the DNR they meet him in town and went out to look at the deer. After inspection of the doe he ask if he had to tag it and the warden said to him, you were going to tag it when you shot her wasn't you, so tag it. Then the warden help him roll her off into a ditch and he was done hunting that year. This doe had been living for a week or better, but was dying

rybohunter

I was always under the impression that if the stomach or intestines were cut, the deer would die eventually.

THe strangest wound I ever saw was on an otherwise healthy buck that was chasing does. He had a previous wound high & back right where the inner loins are. The holes were not visible until skinning, We figured it had been a good week that he had taken that shot, and there were no signs of infection or any indication that deer was going to die from that wound.

Rhody Hunter

if the stomach or intestine are cut the deer will die from the wound eventually. it may take days but it will die

janesburg

I believe if you actually go thru the guts that deer will die each and every time.It may take some time, but the high risk for infection is too much.