Lost blood trail

[Gunjack]

Well after my 3 year dry spell, of not seeing a a shooter buck while actually hunting for buck. Let me tell you I hunted hard the past three years. Archery, inline (doe only), rifle and flintlock.
This morning 10 am shooter 8 point. At 19 yards drilled him, a little high. First thing I noticed is that the arrow did not pass through. About a quarter, at least was imbedded in him. And he took off into the woods. I was in a stand about 15 feet up on a hillside. But he was on the high side of the hill, so he was only about 5 feet below me.

I gave it about 40 minutes, and I got over to where I shot him at. No blood, just tracks. I slowly started trailing him. Well in about, 75 yards first blood. 25 more yards, broken arrow, broke off about 8 inches of the arrow, not including the rage two blade.

I tracked this deer for about 300 yards. Minimal blood, specs here and there, good quarter spots now and again. Then it just stops. I call my dad in, the old blood hound and for 5 total hours we search and nothing.

I shouldn't have attempted to track him, I should have backed out. I think my eagerness to get my hands on my deer. Lost me the deer all together.

I'll be heading out Sunday am to see if I can pick it back up. To bad if I do find it the meat will be spoiled.

I do have to say this was my first shot at a deer in archery and I shoot , 68 lbs 310 fps. out of my pse and I heard a loud , Thwak when I hit him, so I either caught the should blade or the rage failed. I am guessing I got him above the lungs and below the spine. It's a shame. I hope I find him. I'll keep you guys posted.

[Ranger P229]

I bet you punched through the shoulder blade and got the top of one lung. Good luck looking for him! Don't beat yourself up about it, just remember to picture your exit hole, and put it in the bottom third of the deer next time.

I know people go around and around about broadheads, but take a look at Magnus Stingers. I shoot the 100 grain 4 blade stinger buzzcuts. The last deer I shot with one the arrow punched through the shouler blade, severed the spine, and penetrated the far side lung. Thats out of a 62lb old hoyt. They also replace your dented/damaged broadheads for free, just the cost of postage to mail them into Magnus.

[renegadephoenix]

take a few bottles of Hydrogen Perixide with you and a couple spray/mist nozzles to put on the bottles. set the nozzles to mist and spay any area you think might have blood. if there is blood, it will foam up white. keep doing this until you find the deer.

good luck

[ar15jules]

I bet you punched through the shoulder blade and got the top of one lung. Good luck looking for him! Don't beat yourself up about it, just remember to picture your exit hole, and put it in the bottom third of the deer next time.

I know people go around and around about broadheads, but take a look at Magnus Stingers. I shoot the 100 grain 4 blade stinger buzzcuts. The last deer I shot with one the arrow punched through the shouler blade, severed the spine, and penetrated the far side lung. Thats out of a 62lb old hoyt. They also replace your dented/damaged broadheads for free, just the cost of postage to mail them into Magnus.

His choice in broadheads isn't the issue here. Rage broadheads cause instant death. Haven't you watched any hunting shows or commercials.... The real story is that archery hunting is NOT a science. Well placed shots from 50 pound recurves have been doing the trick for an awfully long time. Shot placement is key, no matter WHAT THE GEAR. Being archery, even the best shooters are going to lose one from time to time. To the OP, good luck finding your buck. Glad to see that you are making the extra effort that he deserves.
Jules

[Ranger P229]

His choice in broadheads isn't the issue here. Rage broadheads cause instant death. Haven't you watched any hunting shows or commercials.... The real story is that archery hunting is NOT a science. Well placed shots from 50 pound recurves have been doing the trick for an awfully long time. Shot placement is key, no matter WHAT THE GEAR. Being archery, even the best shooters are going to lose one from time to time. To the OP, good luck finding your buck. Glad to see that you are making the extra effort that he deserves.
Jules

50 lb recurves shooting fixed blade broadheads!

You're right. Shot placement is what its all about.

I think its VERY easy to shoot too high on a deer from even a slight upward angle. Even though I know the general internal anatomy of deer, I still have a hard time picturing the heart and most of the lungs as low in the deer as they are.

[A-5]

Good luck, walk any creeks out they like water when injured. We all have been there, it's hard but keep your head up.

[bigandy1966]

Get some surveyors marking tape, and use it to get an exact line on his exit path, Most deer I have had run on me will go straight for quite a distance. Look in the thick stuff in the general direction he headed too, look on the undersides of leaves and branches in the thick stuff. if hes hit high, there may be blood there too. I know it sucks losing any deer you have put a bad hit on, but its a learning experience you won't forget, and one you wont make twice.
Good luck getting and finding your buck.

[PowerPM]

take a few bottles of Hydrogen Perixide with you and a couple spray/mist nozzles to put on the bottles. set the nozzles to mist and spay any area you think might have blood. if there is blood, it will foam up white. keep doing this until you find the deer.

good luck

I had no idea... Thanks for the tip! Rep inbound

[Gunjack]

Well I got out this morning and took the spray bottle with peroxide and tried it on a spot of blood early in the blood trail and wow. Works great. Thanks for the tip. Well I get up to where we lost his blood and there are three possibilities. We though he went down hill and check there all yesterday, but there were some other spot and so I tried the three upper trails. What do you know, tracks and blood. Thanks to the peroxide, but I lost it again. So I followed several trails and they all but one let out to an opening. Where I couldn't find any track or blood. The one trail that let into a thicker area. Hands and knees I crawled, into some ones back yard. These people are not friendly to hunters, so I went back and started circling, and looking. Long story short. No deer.

Btw thank you for all your help.

[ar15jules]

Well I got out this morning and took the spray bottle with peroxide and tried it on a spot of blood early in the blood trail and wow. Works great. Thanks for the tip. Well I get up to where we lost his blood and there are three possibilities. We though he went down hill and check there all yesterday, but there were some other spot and so I tried the three upper trails. What do you know, tracks and blood. Thanks to the peroxide, but I lost it again. So I followed several trails and they all but one let out to an opening. Where I couldn't find any track or blood. The one trail that let into a thicker area. Hands and knees I crawled, into some ones back yard. These people are not friendly to hunters, so I went back and started circling, and looking. Long story short. No deer.

Btw thank you for all your help.

Sorry to hear you weren't able to find him.
Jules