early in

A friend of mine shot a goodbuck 11 days ago. When he hit him, he dropped on the spot, but got right back up and took off. I later helped him trail this buck, who leftone small pool of blood anda poor/spotty blood trail. We didn't find him. My friend swore he had a decent hit (yea right) and that the buck had to be dead, and spent several days trying to find him, to no avail.
Today (a non hunting day inPa)he decides to go looking again. He ends up finding him (1:30PM), but he's still alive! When he see's the buck it stands from being bedded. He walks a short distance then falls, and has trouble getting back up, but does, and just walks away into a thicket where he can't be followed. After being shot 11 days ago, and still being on somewhat shakey legs, do you think this deer will still survive. I was thinking, him going this long still alive, that he'll be OK.What do you guys think?

mauser06

could be infection setting in....


my buddies wife shot a very nice 10pt 2 years ago i think it was...opening day with a 243...shot was just a HAIR low...with a bigger gun, it would been a dead deer IMO...looked like the bullet hit the top of the leg and couldnt make it through the bone...

2 weeks later, the LAST day of the season, he took our crew there to do some pushes...he spied him bedded on the edge of a SGL food plot and it started to sneak away..away from any drivers or standers, so he put him down. he was really trying to get one of us to kill him (just to be a nice guy, get us hooked on BIG WOODS hunting, and so he wasnt in the DOG HOUSE with the wife )

he dropped it...infection set in...it was N A S T Y...buck was VERY weak and wasnt going far even without being killed...it looked like it didnt move or eat in the 13 days since it was shot...very skinny and sickly looking...was atleast a 3.5yo buck..you could just look at it and see it was sick...i have no doubt it would been dead within a week or so tops...no way it was getting down the mountain to water...had food right there but didnt look like he was doing well at all...

maybe thats what your buddies buck is going through...


maybe he can find him again and put him down...sounds like he is in pretty bad shape...

moose1915

i'd be right back out where i last saw it, does not sound like it's going anywhere fast. too bad

Mikey S.

yea, get the bows asap and go find him and finish him off. sounds like you can get close enough to him if you find him laying someplace. At least try it, you may get him and put him out of his misery.

Ben / PA

I'd be back out first thing tomorrow looking. (with bow in hand) I would have had the bow in hand today, I am not sure it if it's legal, but it seems alot more ethical.

bigtim6656

i would go finish the him off. Like other said he is not long for the world.
I wonder how good eating he would be if he i sick and has a bad infection.

OHbowhntr

+1, my thoughts exactly!!!

fastetti

I'd get out there and finish him off, there's no way he'll make it. If he can barely stand, the Coyotes will get him soon. Don't let him suffer anymore, put him out of his misery.

Rory/MO

That's what I was thinking too!
I think the bucks done!
Good luck to your friend