# How much blood means dead deer?



## cootsrfun2shoot (Sep 24, 2012)

So I had a nice shot at a 3 point on Thursday eve. I thought I put a clean shot on the deer. I heard a kind of "sucking in sound" when i hit the deer at 25 yds. I watched the buck for 20+ min and then I though it went into a group of trees to "bed down". I didn't want to push the buck out, so I went in the next morning and couldn't find any signs of it bedding down at all. There were several softball patches of blood around(7 or 8) of them and then all of a sudden the blood stopped. I've looked for 3 days now, and no arrow, or deer. I'm hoping it is not laying dead but hoping it will heal up. Not sure what to think happened. I know my shot didn't go low, but after replaying it in my mind I think my shot hit high on the deer. Any thoughts on if you all have seen deer survive a shot, and heal up?


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Its dead, no matter what we hope I'd bet 90% of critters shot die in a short time, either from the hit or infection. If you hit'em high they can pool the blood inside and not leave a blood trail once the entrance / exit clots up. Seen that a few times over the years. You check trees and brush on the exiting trails about the height of the deers shoulder? They can leave blood smudges as they move through. Keep looking, look / listen for magpies that might be feeding on it at this point. 

My wife shot a 4x4 8 or so years back with a 30-06. It left a massive clotted puddle of blood you wouldnt believe at the spot it was hit. We moved in on it at dark, certain it was dead, but it jumped up and took off. We went for flashlights, Packout came to help look... trailed that thing over a mile before we marked our last blood spot and called it a night. Rained the next morning hard but my wife went up and looked for 2-3 hours while I was at work. When I got home we went back up and ironically Packout was up there on a adjacent ridge glassing. He happened to notice a dead 4x4 laying behind oak brush across the canyon and called me, not knowing we were only 400 yards below it heading up the hill. He directed us over and we found it. It was her buck, died less than 100 yards from where we stopped the night before. Crazier things can happen, but you gotta keep looking.

Packout also shot a buck one time on the rifle hunt with a arrow lodged between its loins and skin (someone tried a texas heart shot apparently but hit high), it was alive but extremely ill and in pain... and had gangrene all over it. Nasty.


-DallanC


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Shots high can be above the backbone and non lethal. If it hit below the backbone its dead. If you hit it in the guts its dead of toxic shock.


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## Old Fudd (Nov 24, 2007)

A 25 yard shot. unless you pounded the shoulder bone would blow clear through the animal.the wheezing sound sound like a lung. what was the color of the blood?right Red and Pink mixture? Real Dark? or Green and Black ? Did he go up hill or down hill after the hit? Did he hunch his up his rear legs toward the front of his body?This may sound crazy.it has happened to me more than once..might be right under you nose in a very bad thicket..under a bunch of dead fall.You shooting a Fixed Broadhead or Expandable?


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

I would bet money that it is dead as well.


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## cootsrfun2shoot (Sep 24, 2012)

I used a mechanical broadhead. Blood was dark redish, and was consistent in color all along the way as he went. Blood was not pink or frothy. The trail was not a heavy trail of blood. The heavy spots of blood were the size of softballs, but only in areas where it had stopped, and was patchy. Blood was also pretty good in the areas where it went into the trees, but no signs of it laying down at all. After i shot it I watched the deer kind of flip around sideways and run accross a field about 100 yds. Then it stood there and ran in tight circles a few times. It didn't act hunched up hardly at all. I was shocked that it didn't go and lay down. I watched it for 20-30 minutes while it was walking along toward the trees. Maybe the other deer in the area kept it from bedding down. We have literally combed over the area 4-5 times with a fine tooth comb. The thick cover areas we really dove into and searched inside and out. I think aliens must have snagged that buck during the night and took off with it. It is like it just disappeared. The thing must have clotted up and walked off. I put up a trail camera and have been back multiple times in the surrounding areas(early and late) where water is. I'm not giving up yet, but I'm not sure what i can do next in trying to locate it.


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

All you can do is give it your best effort. Don't beat yourself up too about it. I commend you for even getting on here and asking.


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## cootsrfun2shoot (Sep 24, 2012)

Thanks Mr. Muleskinner. I appreciate the kind words. What do you think the average is for Archery hunting with "deer that get hit and get away vs actual deer retrieved"? Just curious what the odds are? Also what is your opinion on a fixed vs a mechanical broadhead.


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

I have no idea with how many deer are hit and then get away. Seriously no idea. I helped a friend look for an elk that we eventually found that was nailed in both lungs and it took us a few days to find them. Thing went almost a mile. It crossed a creek and we completely lost the trail. I have seen antelope come across the hill with front shoulder blown off that we finished with a shot and had the group come across us 20 minutes later saying that they shot it with a 300 mag and had been after it for miles.

As far as mechanical versus fixed.......I have always used fixed. I shott the muzzy mx3 and they have never failed me. That said I have seen those Rage mechanicals open up some nasty holes. 

A properly placed shot will kill every time. I have yet to see otherwise.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

You do have the option of taking your dog for a walk.


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## huntinkid (Aug 19, 2009)

I came across a kill that had a potential high/back shot that was a 4 point but you never know. In the North Salt Lake area.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

watch my video on follow me on my archery deer hunt. It shows what lung blood looks like on an arrow.


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## cootsrfun2shoot (Sep 24, 2012)

I put a trail camera out for this last week and guess who is still alive? I might get another opportunity if I am lucky. By the looks on the pic of the deer it looked like my shot went barely high and I must have missed all of the vitals. I will hopefully have a pic this next week to share!


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

I have processed deer from the rifle hunt that had broadheads in them,cut myself on one broke off in the hip joint,so they dont all die.


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

I agree Dunkem. You would be surprised how many deer and/or elk come through the doors at our meat shop that have previously been hit in the legs, shoulders, ribs etc and obviously didn't die from it.

Normally if you hit something important, they die. Critters are tougher than you think at times.


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## Markthehunter88 (Nov 5, 2010)

Lets see the pic!


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

I have shot a couple of deer with similar scenarios as yours....I found both of the deer later alive and well (in fact, we found one a week later alive and looking no worse for the wear; this buck was killed on the rifle hunt by an acquaintance who said my broadhead was sticking out of the deer. He couldn't believe that my shot wasn't fatal and said the deer showed no signs of being wounded. The second buck was found after the rifle hunt alive and well and didn't show any noticeable signs of being shot...). Each deer was shot high and both made a gasping sound after struck...the first deer was shot with a mechanical broadhead which I wonder if the broadhead failed to open. The second deer was shot and the arrow passed completely through the buck and a good blood trail was left that we tracked for close to a mile before we lost it. I think there is a chance that your buck is still alive and perhaps laying low from the wound.


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## cootsrfun2shoot (Sep 24, 2012)

*Finally got the pic*

So here is the buck. Look at the left side of the deer where my arrow exited. It looks to me like my mechanical might not have opened up. Otherwise the exit hole on his left side would have been much larger. The arrow was 3/4 the way through the deer when he ran off. I watched where he ran, and I never found my arrow. Not sure when the deer worked the arrow out. Maybe the planets will line up for me and i will get lucky. It has been much more fun than the rifle hunt that is for sure.


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## huntn30inchers (Apr 21, 2014)

I hit an elk last year high in the front leg just under his brisket and followed a pretty consistent blood and bone trail for well over a mile and a light blood trail for another 3-4. I found him 5 days later feeding and acting pretty normal other than a busted leg. The rockies are rough as hell and the animals that run it are even tougher.


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