Legacy357

just shot a small 5-6 point buck at like 35 yards. He was perfectly broadside but when i shot, my contact moved and i have no idea where i hit him. Also it is raining here so i don't think i am going to have much of a blood trail. The arrow has white hair on it so i know i hit him low. There was no blood on it but i shot him and then waited at least 45 minutes to go get the arrow cause there were deer all around me. The blood on the arrow could have washed off already. the arrow has either mud or stomach contents. I can't tell because it might have been mud that splashed up when the arrow hit the ground. Any tips for tracking after a rain? i got out as quickly as i could once i saw the arrow in case he really is gut shot. any help is appreciated...thanks

Tribal

Tough call, but you really have no choice but to wait him out a few hours minimum. Since your unsure if you indeed did hit him, and even if you did it was a low or gutshot you need to be certain not to push or jump him. Even with no blood trail he will be close by and you can do a grid search and check the trails and deadfall for him. That IMO is your best chance of recovering him if indeed he was hit. Good Luck keep us posted. Try and find a few buddies to help you out.

Legacy357

i did hit him, there is hair in the rubber band and on the fletching. The good thing is that this is about an acre of woods surrounded by about 50 acres of fairway grass fields. I hope he just goes and beds down and i will search the plot for him. The problem is that there are still a lot of deer there with him so i hope that doesn't make him get up and there are foxes that might kick him up. hopefully he stays there and i find him in the morning...will let you guys know

Pa Trophy Man

If the ground was already wet (providing your in a wooded area with lots of leaves on the groud) you should be able to follow kicked up leaves fairly easily. A deer running through wet leaves tends to make an easy trail to follow; at least in my experience.

handyhaver

If it was stomach byle (sp) on the arrow it should have had an odor all it's own. Have never smelled anything quite like it. Good luck on your search. I failed to recover a doe this season. I left the woods and came back a few hours later with a few buddies. It started pouring about 10 minutes before we got to the woods. Did a grid search for about 2 hrs. in the pouring rain, no luck. I know it was a good hit, found the arrow with blood on it tip to tip (just after the shot), but it does happen.

Mark

MasonsRidge

Like PA Trophy Man said, when you continue your search, look for "kicked up" leaves and some sort of trail. Did the deer proceed up a hill or down a ravine? Is there any sort of stream and/or creek nearby? Many times a wounded deer will go to a creek to clot their wound. Since we (east coast) are getting a substantial amount of rain, any water source will be higher than normal. Also try checking around any deadfalls or anywhere you would think would be good cover for a deer to hide. Good luck and keep us posted.

Legacy357

there isn't much cover around this place, he is prob either in this small thicket or in someones backyard. he ran through the field first and then into the woods so he might have thrown up some leaves where he entered the woods. he wasn't running very hard and i could tell he was hit. only the morning will tell....

Legacy357

another question, how long until blood washes off an arrow? i shot the buck and waited like 45 minutes to get the arrow cause there were deer all around me too. there is hair but not a drop of blood. It was raining pretty steady.....

BowHuntingFool

Good luck in the morning, keep us posted. Oh yeah good luck sleeping tonight!

beebecl

Not much to add to the advice already given. Wish you the best of luck. Nothing more painful to me than losing one. A guy told me once he trailed one with his dog. I tried it once but my dog is just dumb happy to be in the woods, she isn't looking for any particular thing a'tall.