Deer tracking update, advice needed

[catman529]

I picked up where I left off yesterday. 30 yards into the abyss I picked up blood. Spotty and not always easy to follow. Several hundred yards later I lost track of it but was near the creek bank. I took the most likely trail out I the thicket and into the undergrowth down on the bank. I have not found any more blood but I found where a deer had bedded, got up and the leaves are kicked up like it was stumbling. Goes down the bank right before the drop off and there is some bare dirt that has been kicked up quite a bit. Then down the steepest part of the bank you can see where something went down and a fresh pile off leaves 5 ft before the bank drops into the creek. Looks like a deer crossing area or beaver slide but the ground is really messed up, not like a deer ran down, but fell and tumble down. To add to that, I found a couple white hairs on the ground, one is at least 3 inches long. It's not a beaver slide because there are hoof marks, some intact and some that skidded.

Is still possible this is a regular deer crossing but the pile of leaves at the bottom, and the fresh bed on top makes me think otherwise. If the deer went in the creek it's gone. It has been swollen from the rain and I shot the deer a day ago. Also I never found the rest of my arrow.

This pic doesn't show very well but you can see the bare dirt on top and down by the water the pile of fresh leaves like something slid down, got up and jumped in the water. There are other fresh tracks parallel to the drop off so there are other deer that haves used the are recently.

This pic doesn't show the bed or the stumbling tracks coming from it, just the skid marks down the bank.

What you say, did my doe end up in the creek?

 

[Brisco Darlin]

how deep is the creek? more than likely the deer piled into it. did you find any sign on the opposite bank ? try walking downstream looking .

 

[catman529]

In going to walk downstream and look once I get my gear together. Creek is too deep to wade across right now because the rain pushed it up so its higher than usual.

 

[catman529]

One reply in over an hour here. As opposed to the frequent replies on my original thread. I wonder why people are more concerned about chewing me out for taking a bad shot than they are about giving me advice after I've put in all my effort to track and recover the deer.

 

[SES]

I would do exactly what Brisco advised. Head down stream looking for sign. Look especially close in the first big brushpile/snag that you come to in the creeek.

 

[backwoodsoutfitters]

If she did cross it then the water will most likely stop the bleeding for a min or two. Up in the air when they cross water like that, or she may have even floated down stream dead.

 

[TN Whitetail Freak]

One reply in over an hour here. As opposed to the frequent replies on my original thread. I wonder why people are more concerned about chewing me out for taking a bad shot than they are about giving me advice after I've put in all my effort to track and recover the deer.

I bought a flash light that has white green red and blue LED been lights ...
That blue light sure does make blood pop,,

 

[catman529]

I would do exactly what Brisco advised. Head down stream looking for sign. Look especially close in the first big brushpile/snag that you come to in the creeek.

I am standing there now. A small peninsula coming off the bank that is my old carp fishing hole. No sign of deer here.

If she did cross it then the water will most likely stop the bleeding for a min or two. Up in the air when they cross water like that, or she may have even floated down stream dead.

bank is very steep on the other side and it opens up with no cover for deer to hide. Not likely she went up the other side.

I'm still not convinced its her that slid down the bank but the deer sign seems pretty evident and I don't see what else it could be other than a combination of deer and beaver sign. There was no blood but there was white hair. It's hard to say what happened to her. At least I found the blood trail and did what I could to track her down.

 

[Urban_Hunter]

I would check downstream as others have said, but I really doubt you find her. In my experience... a deer that runs several hundred yards as you explained is usually capable of several more hundred yards. Its really just luck at this point. I hope you the best though! Solid effort, you still have the support of the majority, don't worry about the few. Hopefully very light wound, maybe see her again soon walking strong!

 

[chiggerbit]

I picked up where I left off yesterday. 30 yards into the abyss I picked up blood. Spotty and not always easy to follow. Several hundred yards later I lost track of it but was near the creek bank. I took the most likely trail out I the thicket and into the undergrowth down on the bank. I have not found any more blood but I found where a deer had bedded, got up and the leaves are kicked up like it was stumbling. Goes down the bank right before the drop off and there is some bare dirt that has been kicked up quite a bit. Then down the steepest part of the bank you can see where something went down and a fresh pile off leaves 5 ft before the bank drops into the creek. Looks like a deer crossing area or beaver slide but the ground is really messed up, not like a deer ran down, but fell and tumble down. To add to that, I found a couple white hairs on the ground, one is at least 3 inches long. It's not a beaver slide because there are hoof marks, some intact and some that skidded.

Is still possible this is a regular deer crossing but the pile of leaves at the bottom, and the fresh bed on top makes me think otherwise. If the deer went in the creek it's gone. It has been swollen from the rain and I shot the deer a day ago. Also I never found the rest of my arrow.

This pic doesn't show very well but you can see the bare dirt on top and down by the water the pile of fresh leaves like something slid down, got up and jumped in the water. There are other fresh tracks parallel to the drop off so there are other deer that haves used the are recently.

This pic doesn't show the bed or the stumbling tracks coming from it, just the skid marks down the bank.

What you say, did my doe end up in the creek?

I'd say probably so, especially from finding the hair.

 

[jb3]

Just because there is no cover doesn't mean that she didn't go up. She could have traveled a couple more hundred yards.

 

[Brisco Darlin]

any way to get across the creek. can you see any tracks on the opposite bank. ones with moisture still in the bottom and very distinct ridge between the hoofs? if so that could be the right way. any prints on the pennisula?

 

[Urban_Hunter]

I'm still wondering why you have a carp fishing hole? You target fish for carp?

 

[in the dog house]

Did you see any dog tracks in the area of the bed..... just now saw your post... abd btw any sightings of the buck...

 

[catman529]

Couldn't access other side of creek. No sighting of the buck, yet.....

I'm still wondering why you have a carp fishing hole? You target fish for carp?

have you ever caught a good sized carp on light tackle?

 

[in the dog house]

Did you see any dog tracks in the area of the bed

 

[Urban_Hunter]

have you ever caught a good sized carp on light tackle?

Yea... then what? Let 'em go right? Hopefully without having to touch them?

 

[catman529]

have you ever caught a good sized carp on light tackle?

Yea... then what? Let 'em go right? Hopefully without having to touch them?

you don't like touching fish? Catfish are a lot nastier than carp. Carp are a giant minnow and not so easy to catch, and man they can fight. They're smart fish too. Catch and release for me, walleye and panfish are for the table

 

[catman529]

Did you see any dog tracks in the area of the bed

didn't see any

 

[Crosshairy]

If you aren't seeing blood along a particular trail for long periods, and the deer made it into moving water where it can cross immediately or take a leisurely swim...odds are low that you will find the deer, and higher than it was a non-lethal shot.

If the deer BEDDED with no blood, that's significant in my book (unless it has rained and washed it out). It's one thing to have a wound that doesn't bleed that much. It's another thing to have a wound that doesn't bleed at all while an animal is sitting still for extended periods of time.

The wound is probably non-lethal, in an area around its legs/shoulder, causing it to stumble periodically on uneven ground.

 

[Urban_Hunter]

you don't like touching fish? Catfish are a lot nastier than carp. Carp are a giant minnow and not so easy to catch, and man they can fight. They're smart fish too. Catch and release for me, walleye and panfish are for the table

LOL, No I'm just funnin. I tournament fished the collegiate tour in College, I've caught my fair share of carp... and even worse drum. They are in no way more nasty than catfish. I have never seen a fish that just starts falling apart when you touch it nor one that stinks as badly as a carp. I'm just thankful you don't eat them. Its catfish or (mostly) panfish on my table.

 

[Urban_Hunter]

As for the hair on the ground, if that is a steep slide (as it looks) that levels out at the top it could very well be from a different perfectly healthy deer trying to climb up and dragging his/her belly.

 

[catman529]

If you aren't seeing blood along a particular trail for long periods, and the deer made it into moving water where it can cross immediately or take a leisurely swim...odds are low that you will find the deer, and higher than it was a non-lethal shot.

If the deer BEDDED with no blood, that's significant in my book (unless it has rained and washed it out). It's one thing to have a wound that doesn't bleed that much. It's another thing to have a wound that doesn't bleed at all while an animal is sitting still for extended periods of time.

The wound is probably non-lethal, in an area around its legs/shoulder, causing it to stumble periodically on uneven ground.

maybe so. No telling for sure if the bed found was my deer or not. Going off the stumbling tracks and the two white hairs, I think it was likely but still possible she could have veered off elsewhere. I had lost blood at least 50 yards back and just kept following the trail until it opened up to the bush hogged edge of the field, and I crossed that straight into the undergrowth/tree line by the creek where I found the sign.

 

[catman529]

you don't like touching fish? Catfish are a lot nastier than carp. Carp are a giant minnow and not so easy to catch, and man they can fight. They're smart fish too. Catch and release for me, walleye and panfish are for the table

LOL, No I'm just funnin. I tournament fished the collegiate tour in College, I've caught my fair share of carp... and even worse drum. They are in no way more nasty than catfish. I have never seen a fish that just starts falling apart when you touch it nor one that stinks as badly as a carp. I'm just thankful you don't eat them. Its catfish or (mostly) panfish on my table.

well comparing the diet of a catfish to that of a carp makes you wonder why catfish are so good eating. Like pigs I guess, they just taste good. Only time I have had carp "fall apart" is holding them by the gill flaps, especially with the hook on the digital scale, cuts into the fleshy part. Funny I never thought a carp smelled worse than any other fish, just smell like fish to me. I have caught a catfish or two that smelled bad though. Depends on the water they come from I think.