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Post by busco on Oct 26, 2007 6:55:18 GMT -5
How long or how far do yall usually look or walk without seeing any blood or other sign you actually hit a deer before calling it a miss?? Took an iffy shot on an eight pointer. he ran I heard him off about 40 yards but never heard him drop so I waited about 30 minutes... walked down to where I shot at him..not a drop of blood walked in circles for probably 35 yards not as much as a drop of blood that I could find.. so I went and sat on the edge of a field for a while seen nothing so when it got dark I went back and looked for another 20 minutes nothing.... went out yesterday to throw some corn out and from my stand there is the stench of death... I looked again but found nothing yet It makes me sick to think it was him. Im hoping its just something else but will probably look again after sat morning hunt...
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Post by BIG FOX on Oct 26, 2007 7:01:30 GMT -5
did you find your arrow? If you missed you should have found your arrow if you didn't find your arrow you have to assume the arrow is in the deer. Your best bet is to wait till day light and go back and retrace your steps. hopefully with some light you can find somethign you may have missed in the dark... Good luck hope it was a clean miss....
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Post by busco on Oct 26, 2007 7:08:27 GMT -5
It was with a smoke pole.... after getting where the deer was standing and looking where my stand was it was actually thicker with beech tree limbs than I thought when i shot.... this was last sat
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Post by BIG FOX on Oct 26, 2007 7:12:45 GMT -5
oooooo, try going back and looking at the brush between you and the deer and see if you see any limbs or trees bark shot off. could have effected your shot. also look rightt where the deer was standing and see if you find any hair there. usually can find hair at the location of the shot even if you don't find blood there... Good luck, i wish you the best..
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Post by Rommel on Oct 26, 2007 8:03:04 GMT -5
It's been my experience when shooting deer with a .50 cal muzzleloader to sometimes not find hair or blood at the spot where the deer was standing and after looking for a few hours finding the deer piled up 100 to 150 yds. away. I'm with Fox on this one, you should look for where the bullet went, tree limbs or on the ground where the dirt might be kicked up a little. As far as your question about how long to look? I say, look as long as you feel you should look but don't walk away until you feel that you have done you very best to find some sign of the bullet or the deer. Good luck.
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Post by osprey on Oct 26, 2007 8:39:27 GMT -5
I'm with Rommel on the muzzleloader hits, most of the deer I've shot with muzzlelaoders don't bleed anything like an arrow hit. Kid I take hunting shot one last Friday with a .54, found one piece of flesh on the tree behind where the deer had been standing, no blood trail at all, and she was piled up 25 yards away in the woods, very little blood even where she lay. If you think you may have made a good hit I'd check every thicket within 200 yards, twice, before even thinkng of giving up the search. Or I'd want to find the slug in one of those saplings.
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Post by busco on Oct 26, 2007 8:56:32 GMT -5
Thought Id looked everywhere but the smell is telling me different.. I know the meat is far from being good but if i did kill it Id at least like to find it..
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Post by branson on Oct 26, 2007 10:07:58 GMT -5
I usually look for 30-45 minutes. And last Saturday I was walking through briars for 50 yards or so on a trail. Not a drop of blood or hair or anything. Hopefully it was a clean miss. Look as long as you feel you need to, and maybe a bit longer. You owe it to the deer to do your best. I'd go find that smell too... Good luck.
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cbass1465
Junior Hunter
Shoot 'Em Straight
Posts: 27
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Post by cbass1465 on Oct 26, 2007 13:08:44 GMT -5
On any questionable hit, arrow/gun/muzzleloader, look at the site where the deer was standing. Mark that spot and the spot you last saw/heard it after the shot. Then get out of there!! Come back several hours or the next day later. Don't want to push a liver/gut shot deer. When you return,if you don't find blood, walk off in the direction the deer ran and see if you can follow it's tracks, much harder but possible. After giving as much as you can without finding it, call it quits and know that you did the best that you could. I agree with Branson whole heartedly, you owe that to the animal you just may have killed!! At this point, several days later, use your nose like a bird dog and the turkey buzzards circling to track the stench down. Good luck! On a second note, I disagree with you continuing the hunt that night if you had any thoughts that you hit the first one! What happens if you did hit it, lets' say gut shot. Then later shoot a doe that dies near where the first one bedded. Now you'll definitely lose the first one. Just one hunters opinion is all. Give the animals the respect they deserve, they're to tasty not too!
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Post by Hardcorehunter on Oct 26, 2007 21:55:39 GMT -5
It depends on the situation. I usually will look myself for an hour or so. Doing small circles and not disturbing too much. If I feel it was a hit even if no blood or hair was found. I often will call a buddy to assist. Two sets of eyes are better than one. I get on stand and point to the ground man where the deer was and where he ran. If you then find sign of a hit, its nice to have a two man tracking team. If all else fails wait for daylight and look. I have several times after a questionable hit backed out and came back in the morning. One leaf with blood you step on at night may be the key to finding your deer in the daylight. Good luck in finding the smell at least to put your mind at ease with was it a hit or miss.
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Post by brettgerhart on Oct 27, 2007 15:01:01 GMT -5
I look for about 30 minutes.... I start to cuss under my breath and then I call my sister. She is freakishly amazing at finding a blood trail! I'll rent her for 40 bucks an hour..... what happens in the woods stays in the woods!
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Post by jlwade on Oct 27, 2007 20:02:42 GMT -5
Ok well ill just wait for your pms to start filling up asking for her to come find everyones deer now that youve said that!!!
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Post by busco on Oct 29, 2007 6:57:38 GMT -5
I found him.. Not a pretty sight by now.. from what i could tell probably good shot but lack of blood and he crossed 4 creek beds.. I stopped looking for blood and stuff after 3 creek beds and a 100 yard circle from where i shot him.. he was about 150 yards I will spare yall pics of what was left but put pictures of his cleaned up skull later.. I do feel better now that I at least found him even though it sucks the meat was no good GROUND SHRINKAGE SUCKS!!!!
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Post by busco on Oct 29, 2007 9:49:21 GMT -5
Here it is cleaned up
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Post by Huntin'Fever on Oct 29, 2007 11:00:38 GMT -5
Glad you could get em Busco. Congrats
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