Not having a good day

[Thumbcocker]

About 8 this morning 4 bucks came by chasing a doe. I shot the third buck. Trailed about 200 yards . Blood stopped. Tracking dog will be here this afternoon. Looked like a solid hit. Mule kick tail down. Here is some pics of the blood.

[Thumbcocker]

Pics.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191122/c4f06e39116a867937f7466c11b94149.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191122/2af54e8127b2516c70ed7f10b48ac9e5.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191122/ae20f7a0cb03fdf1496b4f6af3068b30.jpg

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[Winger Ed.]

That looks like a solid hit. It should be pretty close.

I've heard of them going under a bush and you can't see it from 5' away.

[chaos]

Pics.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191122/c4f06e39116a867937f7466c11b94149.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191122/2af54e8127b2516c70ed7f10b48ac9e5.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191122/ae20f7a0cb03fdf1496b4f6af3068b30.jpg

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That deer is Dead

[waksupi]

When you run out of blood trail, the deer will most likely be laying within 30 yards of the last sign, dead. They tend to circle a bit as they are dying, so search a fairly wide pattern. It's surprising just how well camouflaged they are when lying on the ground. I walked by one within a few yards several times before I spotted it, and it was in plain sight when I did. You can also sit and wait, and many times the birds will tell you where they are.

[chaos]

When you run out of blood trail, the deer will most likely be laying within 30 yards of the last sign, dead. They tend to circle a bit as they are dying, so search a fairly wide pattern. It's surprising just how well camouflaged they are when lying on the ground. I walked by one within a few yards several times before I spotted it, and it was in plain sight when I did. You can also sit and wait, and many times the birds will tell you where they are.

Exactly. They tend to circle back in the direction they came. Last known safe place is what I always figured.

I tend to smell the deer before I see him. Make circles and get wind in your face.

[nelsonted1]

Get down on your knees and scan. It gives you another aspect. You may see the body's height above the floor

[Texas by God]

Good luck. Good advice above. I also have found that they come back close to where they were shot if not pushed.

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[JBinMN]

When you run out of blood trail, the deer will most likely be laying within 30 yards of the last sign, dead. They tend to circle a bit as they are dying, so search a fairly wide pattern. It's surprising just how well camouflaged they are when lying on the ground. I walked by one within a few yards several times before I spotted it, and it was in plain sight when I did. You can also sit and wait, and many times the birds will tell you where they are.

This^

I reckon you will find it though, using a good dogs nose.

G'Luck!
:)

[txbirdman]

Had to track one a few years ago that my son shot with a mechanical broad head that failed to open. Drive a stake in the ground at the last spot where blood was found. Look closely in the 180 degree area around the stake in the direction the deer was going. If you find more blood move the stake to that point and repeat the procedure. Wounded deer tend to go down hill (at least that’s been my experience. Good luck. Btw we found my son’s buck after searching a couple of hours.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Sure hope you find it! I'm headed out with a 44 boolit in the muzzleloader...

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I hope you marked the blood trial and at the last spot of blood start walking in a circle making it wider as you go I had one buck fall into a ditch I must have walked past him ten times before I found him
Good luck pictures when you find him

[skeettx]

Take surveyors tape and tape the blood trail and other anomalies , it will make a HUGE difference in locating the deer.

https://www.bestmaterials.com/detail.aspx?ID=8923&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0vSyntX-5QIVDfDACh2QlwEvEAQYAyABEgIP8_D_BwE

Mike

[lostsixgunner]

If there is any water in the vicinity, look in the water. I hit a buck once a bit low in the chest. He went about three hundred yards. Found him floating in a 100 ft. Wide pond... Good luck!and

[trails4u]

I had one hit similar in KY last year.... Great blood at first, easy to follow in the dark. Couple spots where the deer obviously stopped, easy, easy, easy... UNTIL, the blood trail got thinner and thinner, then just vanished. Son and I looked three hrs. that night and another 3 hrs. in the morning. Nothing. Deer ran hard when hit, so I know she had all 4 legs under her. Never could figure that one out.

[Hogtamer]

Running? How far? Gut shot? A lot we don't know. The dog will trail him and good luck!

[Thumbcocker]

Dog found blood. He was bedded. Ran favoring left front leg. His right side was to me when I shot. Last seen running 1/4 mile away across county road. Dog handler reccomend calling it. I agreed. We had trailed him 1/2 mile through green briar and brush.

Not a good day for the reputation of handgun hunters. All the ones I have shot that dropped within 30 yards dont count. The sights looked good and I had what I thought was a good sight picture. Clean trigger break.

I am royally pizzed at myself. [emoji35]

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[WinchesterM1]

I had that happen this year I followed a blood trail for over 400 yards on a buck I hit 2 times in the boiler room it looked like someone took a bucket of blood and threw it in the woods I could never find him

[Winger Ed.]

I am royally pizzed at myself.

Not even Babe Ruth hit a home run every time...….

[brewer12345]

We accept this risk when we choose to be hunters. I don't like it any more than you do, but it happens. We do all we can to ensure a clean kill, but sometimes it does not happen.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

It happens i have lost a deer from a bad shot in the past too it sucks but remember that something else will eat it

[Minerat]

I shot one a couple of years ago that had it's left front lower leg below the knee shot nearly off. Did not see it till I got up to it and started dressing it. It was a fresh wound and figured it happened earlier in the day when I heard shooting over the ridge to the west. It had to have traveled at least a mile across the property to get where I dropped it. It saved that small buck a lot of suffering before the coyotes got him.

Sorry you lost it but you did not give up until you had exhausted all options and that is a big plus.

[Treetop]

[QUOTE=Thumbcocker;4768242] We had trailed him 1/2 mile through green briar and brush.

Thumbcocker, you trailed that deer through 1/2 mile of greenbriar and thicket. You are an ethical hunter and someone that I would be proud to hunt with anytime. 98% of hunters wouldn't make it 20 yards through greenbriar, IMO. I know how you feel right now, but you did everything that could reasonably be expected! Semper Fi, TreeTop

[Hogtamer]

Good effort. It hurts sometimes.

[Texas by God]

You did your best and things happen. It wasn't that bucks time. The only one I've ever lost was in greenbriar so thick it kept me from falling into the unseen dry creek. Searched for 6 hrs over two afternoons after finding a piece of rib the size of my thumb. A flood the next spring washed the skull out in the open so I picked it up...... I'd rather have had the meat but I'm sure the coyotes smiled. Your remorse speaks volumes. Dont be too hard on yourself. Tell us what you used and the distance and let the Monday morning quarterbacking begin.....[emoji16]

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[Thumbcocker]

Bisley hunter model .44. Noe 265 rnfp 9.5 of power pistol. 1100 fps.

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[winelover]

I used that bullet on deer for many seasons. Never got a good blood trail, if any. All good hits, resulting in dead deer. Most went almost 200 yards, after being hit and not pressed. I give them a half hour, before tracking. The bow hunter in me, refuses to aim for the shoulders.

This season, I'm using a RCBS 300 grain SWC that's been hollow pointed by Eric. It's the last draw, will go back to J-words for hunting, if results aren't more favorable. I'm too old for long tracking sessions.

Winelover

[Silvercreek Farmer]

My condolences. Best thing to do is get back out there and put one on the ground!

[cwlongshot]

Thats rough. But sounds like he will survive. How bad are coyotes in your area?

Reminds me of my last bear hunt. I tagged out first day. Outfitter was friend of my good friend so I palled with him baiting hauling iut animals & tracking a wounded bear. OMG did he go far!! Outfitter was AMAZED I found him. Hunter pumped three 125g HP from his 357 mag into the bear.

One from my 45 Colt did him in. When we skinned him. The 357’s really only slowed him down. MAYBE he would have surcomed to blood loss. But NOT ONE of them penetrated vital organs. One shot hit front leg and broke it. Other two where superficial as it rolled on ground or ran off.

One shot from a 300g 45 surely did. Went thru n thru back to front!!

CW

[bikerbeans]

Been there, done that.:(

Good luck next time out.

BB

[Bazoo]

Sorry for you.

I lost one a few years ago. No blood, but was sure I hit it. Next spring I found a carcass about 50 yards away in an area I didn't search, opposite of where I was sure it had went. It was pretty thick stuff where I found the remains. Best I could tell, what happened, was when I hit it, ducked behind a few trees and went left, out if sight, while an unwounded deer ran right and out of sight. I heard the one going right, and searched quite a large area there and never found anything. Later when I found the carcass it dawned on me, does usually are in a group. Guess the bobcats ate good for a few weeks that season.

[marshall623]

Dog found blood. He was bedded. Ran favoring left front leg. His right side was to me when I shot. Last seen running 1/4 mile away across county road. Dog handler reccomend calling it. I agreed. We had trailed him 1/2 mile through green briar and brush.

Not a good day for the reputation of handgun hunters. All the ones I have shot that dropped within 30 yards dont count. The sights looked good and I had what I thought was a good sight picture. Clean trigger break.

I am royally pizzed at myself. [emoji35]

Sent from my SM-G960U using TapatalkThumcocker , I've read your hunting reports for the past couple of seasons and your are a ethical hunter for sure . I lost one this year with a ML , I followed the blood trail till it stopped right at a manufacturing facility property line and then some after he stopped bleeding .

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[superior]

You gave it all that can be expected . Good work . Now get right back in the saddle.

[yeahbub]

Well, you made the effort, which is what is ethically required. Makes me uncomfortable when no matter my efforts, the hoped-for result doesn't come, but one's best is all anyone can provide.


I've heard of them going under a bush and you can't see it from 5' away.

Precisely what happened to one in our hunting party some years ago. A doe came through the woods to the guy's stand and he shot at her and she ran off like she'd been goosed. He couldn't imagine how he could have missed, but a minute later she came wandering back. This time he nailed her and she went down a few yards away. After hearing his description, I got to thinking there might well be another one out there laid up or dead. I found faint traces of blood some distance from where he'd been, lost it further on but kept searching. Eventually I found a doe snuggled up under a bush like she was sleeping ten feet from the end of the blood trail. Must have walked past her a half dozen times before I thought to lift up the limbs on that bush she was under.

[Winger Ed.]

Precisely what happened to one in our hunting party some years ago.-

I had a great deal where I used to hunt on the family's 'low fence' property in the Texas Hill Country.
The wooded pasture we hunted on had a small herd sheep on it all year around.
We'd bait/feed the sheep down at one end with a bale of alfalfa hay,
a couple of bags of corn, and they'd stay close to it for a couple days.
The deer wouldn't avoid the sheep, but they didn't mingle in with them either.

All the bushes up on the end we hunted were eaten off near the ground enough that a wounded deer couldn't disappear under one.

Even with that, they had perfect camouflage by laying down in the tall clumps of dead grass.
We never lost one, but I can sure see how it would be easy to do, especially as the sun sets and it gets dark.

[Thumbcocker]

It was very interesting to watch a Bloodhound work. She got off the trail once and had to go back to find it. She started baying after trailing him through some woods and across a corn field into a thick bedding area. The buck got out of his bed and headed for green briar. The handler wanted me to shoot at him but there was no shot. I won't shoot at a running animal in heavy brush. The buck then went across a small creek up a hill, along the hill to a 4 strand barb wire fence which he jumped. I called and got permission to cross the fence and we saw him 1/4 mile away across a county road limping a bit but making good time. It had been 6 hours since the shot.

I am pretty sure it was a brisket hit that clipped the off leg. The Bloodhound, Riley, her handler and the handler's nephew only cost me $100 for about 21/2 hours. I think that is more than fair considering how hard all three of them worked.

[Cary Gunn]

Thumbcocker,

It happens, sometimes, despite our best efforts.

And, unfortunately, we sometimes never find out what went wrong.

It may not bring any solace, but know you are not alone in your misery.

Happy trails, and better days,

-- Cary Gunn --

[trapper9260]

I had it happened to me this year also could not find the deer. at first could not find a blood trail and then got my brother he help me to try to find it then found a blood trail and then lost it and then about 50yrds found it again then lost it and then lost it again it was about 1/2 mile from where I shot it . Did not found it. years go I shot one that could not be found and then later on in time found it it had went a miles about from where I shot it someone else found it .

[fcvan]

Yesterday, there was a piggy. He was wrangled a bit before he was down hard. He was not having a good day.

I first spotted him on the upper shelf of the fridge before I skinned back the plastic and loaded him onto the broiler pan. The range was about 325 degrees. He was tasty.

Happy Thanksgiving, we had ham with our eggs followed by yesterdays home made, actually Mom's home made pie!

P.S., the Turkey was about as easy to find, had to move the piggy. Mom's Turkey - corn chowder for lunch with sandwiches to follow.