Im tracking...just give me your thoughts.

[jacobsladder]

I sat off a fresh scrape tonight. I tucked my self up next to a blow down in the swamp... 45 minutes later mr buck decided to stop in to freshen his scrape.  He was clueless that i was sitting there 10 yds from him.. So i watched him work his licking branch for about 15 seconds and thought i better take a shot before he busts me.  I draw. he looks at me . Arrow smacks him behind the shoulder high and penetrates about 8 inches.  I see him dash off with the arrow  hanging. I wait an hour and track good blood for 50 yds and it has petered out.  Ive been looking for 3 hours and its starting to rain.  I found my arrow and it is covered in dark blood about 8 inches up the shaft and had a couple tiny peice of flesh on the broadhead. I marked my last sign of blood and have decided to start doing some circling first thing tomorrow in day light... any ideas or pointers you guys want to give me..  this is my first trad shot at a deer and ive killed more with a compound than i can count.. ive tracked many deer with less and more blood than im seeing... Im a bit concerned about the rain..but the swamp is so thick that you pretty much have to crawl to get thru it... Would you guys continue searching tonight, or wait until light and possibly bring my lab to help some... by the way this swamp is at least a mile square..nasty stuff.

[southernarcher]

Good luck bro.Hope you find him.

[jacobsladder]

decided to wait for day light..ill give ya guys a update.

[Robhood23]

Was it just dark blood or where there some bubbles in it? Keep us posted!!

[whitebuffalo]

From what he told me on the telephone,, Dark blood,, he got about 8 inches of penatration, all brown hair,

[whitebuffalo]

oh yeah Steve,, peroxide in a spray bottle can help find some of the smallest dots,,

[NDTerminator]

A high shoulder hit with dark red blood and no air bubbles indicated to me you may have a hit in the No Kill Zone.  That's the area above the lungs and below the spine.

Essentially, it's a void with nothing there to hit that will cause a deer to bleed to death,just muscle.  A muscle hit is almost universally non-fatal and the deer survives little the worse for it.  They are incredibly tough animals...

I've had two memorable No Kill Zone hits over the years, one a P&Y 5 point whitetail and the other a P&Y antelope.  Both times the arrow passed through, sticking out both sides of the animal.

I was unable to get either animal despite lengthy tracking.  The 5 point was killed later on in the year by a rifle hunter and was completely healthy.  The goat teased me by showing up at the waterhole a couple days later,
no sign he was hit but for some dried blood on his shoulder, but never presented a shot...

[Landshark160]

There is no void between the spine and the lungs.

Here is a picture of a cross-sectioned chest cavity of a whitetail deer. The white dot is the spine. As you can see, the lungs go up to and slightly over the lungs, meaning there is no void.

The spine sits much lower than most people think.  

[Littlefeather]

I've seen many deer circle when hit. This doesn't always happen but I have seen it many times. Since the arrow stopped on impact and was still in him you are dealing with a panic deer. When the arrow contacts brush it keeps scaring him making him panic and run to get away from it. If the hit wasn't solid vidals you may be looking to close. Then again if your blood petered out you may be right on him. If fatally hit he won't want to go uphill if your area is hilly. If he is freshening scrapes he probably stinks himself. Use your nose. I seem to smell deer very well. Good luck! CK

[Littlefeather]

I've seen many deer circle when hit. This doesn't always happen but I have seen it many times. Since the arrow stopped on impact and was still in him you are dealing with a panic deer. When the arrow contacts brush it keeps scaring him making him panic and run to get away from it. If the hit wasn't solid vidals you may be looking to close. Then again if your blood petered out you may be right on him. If fatally hit he won't want to go uphill if your area is hilly. If he is freshening scrapes he probably stinks himself. Use your nose. I seem to smell deer very well. Good luck! CK

[jacobsladder]

its turning daylight and im  heading back out.. by the looks of that cross section photo it seems that i should of been in the high lung area... i'll keep you guys updated.

[Tim Fishell]

Good luck Steve I hope you find him buddy!!

[Tim Fishell]

The only advise I can give is take your time and be observant.

[Tom Leemans]

I'd take the dog. My buddy had a lab that not only found the deer but was dragging it back for him when he caught up with her. The deer may not be dead either, and the arrow may not have hit where it appeared. Keep at it and don't forget to stop often and just look around.

[joe c.]

If you need any help Ive tracked many deer in the big swamps of waterloo,let me know I get off work at 3:00pm be more than happy to help.

[ChuckC]

Steve.   you gave some good indicators, but...can we discuss more.  You said you hit a bit high behind the shoulder.   First.  describe "the shoulder"  Are you talking the actual shoulder blade, which is far forward and high on a deer, or that thing near the bottom line of the deer(elbow on us) that everyone is taught to aim behind and call the shoulder ?  It matters.   You said you hit high.  If the deer was looking at you as you shot, it is a good chance that he was already moving time the arrow reached him... AND that whirl of movement can stop the pennetration of the arrow as well as any bone.

To me, I am guessing that you hit behind the "elbow" and if you hit more than just a few inches behind this point, you stand a good chance of not hitting lungs but getting liver.  Dark blood tends to confirm this hit.  

I really think that we as bowhunters need to start looking at re-arranging our thoughts on that "spot" to pick for aiming...but that is another topic.  

If you got the liver, the odds are real good the deer is dead, but not in ten seconds like a lung shot may give.  

learn to take a compass reading of the deer's line of movement as you watch him or her leave.  Use it as a last resort, but very often that reading will save the day.

I have learned a valuable lesson in hunting...the hard way.  If you see or hear the deer fall....you can go get them most any time.  If you don't....give them 30 - 60 minutes...more if you are concerned about a bad shot.  

If you sneak out, the deer is likely to run less than 100 yards and stop to look back,  then bed, then die.  IF you  are after it before it beds, it will continue to run.  If you get close enough after it beds and it is still alive, it will probably get up and move off.  

I would wait till morning so you can see better and so you don't push that deer further.  

Most unpushed deer will travel fairly straight.  Yes, they may circle..trying to find out what it was that scared em.  But they will not weave in and out.  a pushed deer WILL do that, especially in a swamp or marsh.

Go get the guy in the morning...good luck
ChuckC

[wapiti792]

My piece of advice...don't quit. Not until you run out of time, points stored with family, your job. I shot a big deer last year right in the scapula and got one lung. I looked for days and finally found him. I hated losing the meat, but it happens. I managed to salvage the cape and horns. Just keep looking until you can't look any more. Take a friend who is bone-headed like you. When one wants to give it up the other friend should root him on. GOOD LUCK!!!

[jacobsladder]

I went back out with my neigbor today...unfortunately we had a down pour this morning.. We went to last sign of blood .. the lab was instantly turned on by the blood.. but she was as lost as we were after the blood trail stopped... i did a 100 yds circle around the area and worked my way in to the last sign... the swamp to the south is so thick that it is hands and knees most of the time... ive been rewinding this first trad episode over and over. And i think the only thing i could of done different is pin point my spot better.. i saw the arrow hit ..the buck ran off with the arrow behind the shoulder but 2/3s up... The blood was solid..no froth or air bubbles... ive got to get to work and i will have to get back in the swamp at 5 pm... i'll give it another good comb over tonight...I've waited for this shot to present itself the past 4 or 5 times out.  Ive past on mature deer 3 or 4 times to take a shot i felt most comfortable with.. this was broadside at 10 yds.... and i actually drawed while the buck was brushing his face against his licking branches... it was a perfect scenario... i may have just shot too high.... I appreciate the advice from you fellows.. and i will continue on this when i get home...

[Kip]

Steve With all due respect you have killed more deer than you can count with an arrow and trailed many you already know what you have to do and know if you made a good hit no one here can help at this time.Bring the dog and good luck.Kip

[Dustin Waters]

The dark red blood scares me a bit sounds like maybe you got a meat hit.  The best thing you can do is look till you have exhasted all avenues of recovery.  Its gonna be a long road but it will be worth it if you find your deer.  Good Luck.  We are all looking forward to the pictures.