Lance_M Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 This past week, I was filming a hunt for a buddy up in Southeastern Kansas. He shot a real nice 8 around 8:30 am, we went back and looked at the footage and saw the arrow hit a little far back (he was quartering at us) but still looked like it was a good shot. We went and checked the blood and arrow and it looked like lung blood. We let the buck sit until 10:30 before we started tracking him (had to head back to OK by noon). We ended up kicking the buck up 175 yards or so away. At that point blood was clotted and we lost the track 50 yards further down the trail. The question arising from this long story, how long does everyone suggest letting a deer lie before tracking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVdeerhunter Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 i think if you got lungs it would have been dead. Gut shot id say 7-8hrs or over night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 a shot like that at least 6 hrs..quartering to is not a good shot choice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowhunter97 Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 Depends where it is hit. But guts normally about 8 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiethekid Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 How long to let a wounded deer lie? When in doubt, back out. and wait till the next morning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 From what you described it sounds like he probably got one lung & gut. Would have been best to let him lay until at least 8 hours or even overnight. Good chance if you had, you would have recovered him where you jumped him. My buddy shot a 158" 11 point ~4:30 last Thursday afternoon quartering away and hit him a little forward for a quartering away shot. We were also supposed to leave early Friday morning but we did the right thing anyway & let him lay overnight. Turns out he got one lung with his shot. I found him the next morning and his buck was still alive but close to his last breath. When I found him ~200 yards from last bood his head was still up. That was ~8:00 the next morning. I eased back out, found my buddy who was checking a different direction & sent him back for his bow. When he returned and we eased in the bucks head was down. He put a finishing shot in him when he moved his head slightly at 15 yards. We weren't taking any chances. Whitetails have a will to live. Here's my buddy's 158" buck...as you can see the shot looks good too but when he described the quartering away hit we understood the odds and played it safe. Put us both real late getting home but that's what you have to do sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrown Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 (edited) Should of, could of, would of... you just learn and keep going. Maybe he lived to give your friend a chance at a bigger one later! The biggest buck I have ever shot was looking right at me! So to say it's a poor choice, well we don't have a choice at the shots we get, we just seize the opportunities when we do. That's why we practice! I'm still learning too. Edited November 5, 2012 by abrown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pointing_dogs_rule Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 When in doubt, back out. and wait till the next morning I agree...the next AM....nothing to lose but a buck. Quartering away... good, quartering towards...bad. We all learn lessons as we grow as archers. Don't give up on him and hope that you locate the buck. good luck to all the dog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted November 5, 2012 Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 i'm with Rhino. you probably got one lung on entry and guts on exit. you should leave for several hours. basically the deer can still breathe and has to bleed out. many times the wound channel clots but it's still bleeding internally and will still die. it may be still alive but after that long it'll likely be too weak to get away from loss of blood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance_M Posted November 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2012 How long to let a wounded deer lie? Thanks for all the advice. We'll know better next time, really wish we both didn't have prior commitments for that evening or we would've stayed in KS one more night. Like someone said, you live, you learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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