How long to wait?? New Pic added!

[Last of the Breed]

Shot my first trad deer to night, a doe @ 15 yds on the ground.  Not sure of the shot, I heard it hit with a loud crack and she almost fell, but took off with the arrow sticking out of her in the shoulder area.  Looked to be about 20" sticking out of my 32" arrow, looked to be pointed into the lung area.  It happened so fast, when she ran away at about 75 to 100yds looked like she was getting lower.  It is going to start raining tonight and continue for the next 3 days, is 3 hours enough??  The broadhead is a single bevel eclipse (600 grain arrow)

[L. E. Carroll]

Yes, 3 hours should be plenty. Get on her before the rain starts.  A light mist isn't bad but rain sux.
Gene

[loco_cacahuate]

go now

[bluegill]

Mike,

Try and re-play the shot in your mind, Did you have a good angle on her? The best thing you mentioned is 12 inches of penetration, which is definately enough to do the job. There is a chance that the crack you heard was the head hitting the off shoulder. In that case 3 hours is plenty. I have done this in the past and it happens so fast it can be easily misread as a shoulder shot.
a
Good luck and keep us posted.

Sean

[ishiwannabe]

What they said.

[Gaff]

get after her!!! it always seems to the case with me, i tend to start second guessing the shot, and fill myself with doubt!
but anyhow, sounds like a shoulder shot for sure, go get her. AND TAKE SOME PICS FER US!!!!

[Apex Predator]

Sounds like she only lived a few seconds to me.  Go get her and keep us posted.

[ChuckC]

If you don't SEE it fall or HEAR it fall, give it an hour before you trail.   If you saw and know that you hit it back,  more than 4-5 inches behind the elbow,  let it go for a few hours or more.   Way back.. let it go for nearer 6-8 hours or overnight.    

As long as the deer is alive, it won't spoil, even in hot temps so if you leave it 8 hours and it dies after 7, then it has only been sittung dead for an hour.

Many, maybe most deer will either run fast and die running, or will run to the nearest safe cover..  say 80 yards away or so, and stop and watch their back trail.  If they feel they are not being trailed they will bed nearby and that is where you will find them if allowed to die.  

ChuckC

[Widowbender]

Go, NOW

David

[Last of the Breed]

Well I did go bacl last night about 3 hr later and found a good blood trail.  Tracked her to hte marsh and the battery in the spot light went dead and since she went into some standing water my tracker (13 year old step daughter) didnt want to continue.  So I said that i would go back in the morning.  Since it rained all blood was lost and I just about gave up looking but decided to cut a new trail and ended up at the spot of last nights blood.  So i walked 15 steps in to the water and looked to the left and there she was another 15 steps to my left.  So we just missed finding her last night

60" thunderstick X 53# @ 28

 

[Tom Leemans]

good recovery!

[varmint101]

That's a solid doe right there. Good deal to keep at it.

[blueline]

Great work. Get another one for that tracker!!!

[BMN]

Way to stick with it! Congrats  

[Son of Texas]

Great job. Congrats!!!  

[bluegill]

Good Job!!

So what did the shot look like now that you found her?

[mscampbell75]

Awsome!!  Congrats!!  

[Chris Surtees]

   

[Apex Predator]

What goodies did you hit?  Great job, by the way!

[limbow]

Well done. Fine job!!