Tracking Help

[Bulldog25]

Shot a buck this morning broadside and hit him in the front quarters. My stand is in the hardwoods about 20-30 yards from an open field. When I thought I shot him he was quick to take off which had me concerned I missed so I got down and checked for blood. Saw blood and then found a bone fragment about 10 yards into the open field from where I hit him. Followed blood drops (small and large drops) 20-30 yards through the field and about 20-40 through trees, brush, and leaves (this part of the blood trail was anywhere from a drop to a collection about as big around as softball or bigger which I'm assuming is because he would stop to lay down) was hard following the blood through all of the trees and stuff and thought I lost the trail but saw where he was dragging his leg (I'm assuming it's broke or badly hurt) and got back on the blood trail. After getting through the trees and everything I came out into another open field and there was a collection of blood about as big around as a baseball and then nothing. Walked all around the tree line of that field and saw nothing. Did it finally clot up and he got away or did he just take off so quick into the field that I didn't see any other drops close by that one. Did he go on and eventually die or did he survive? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[huvrman]

I shot a deer once in the front leg. Was aiming for the heart, but was so close, the bullet went low. I found bone and a little blood. It ran over a hill and had similar blood patterns like yours. I couldn't find it, so that afternoon a local dog runner (was in Mississippi) brought a couple of his dogs in and they found the deer in a thicket on the back side of the ridge I had shot it on. It wouldn't come out of the thicket, and one of the guys ended up wading in and shot it when it stood up. The leg was broken just below the brisket, but the wound had swollen so much all blood flow had stopped. This deer would have likely died of infection, but not for many months.

Your story doesn't sound good.

 

[bowriter]

Couple observations:
1-If it is a leg hit and it sure sounds like it is, you missed any major artery or he would be dead. Therefore, it is highly likely he will either live or live for a few days anyway.
2-It sounds as though it would have to be a hind leg hit. Deer don't drag a front leg. Occasionaly, if you can push a deer hit that way hard enough to make them really keep moving, you can make them lose enough blood to try and "fort up". They will get somewhere they think they can hide and just hole up. May let you walk within five feet of them and not move.
3- Every now and then, obviously not in this case, if you keep them moving, a sharp bone can pierce an artery. Seen it a couple times.

Where in Wilson are you hunting?

 

[Bulldog25]

Yea huvrman I figured he would clot up and I had no hope of finding him.

Bowriter the land I hunt is a family friends farm right off Vesta.
It was definitely the front leg and not the back and I am only assuming it hit the leg and not vitals because when it hit he pulled that leg up like it was hurt.
The larger collections of blood I assume are from him trying to lay to clot up and me getting close so he moved on.
I wouldn't be worried too much about it but it just blew my mind that it went from a collection of blood as big around as a baseball to no blood in sight.

 

[huvrman]

Could have been when he layed down, it opened up the wound or compressed it enough to press some out. Hard saying. Maybe he will make it, but if it is broken, those dangling bone ends are going to make a mess of it.