woodshed Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 I gut shot one tonight right at dark. I watched the direction it ran way down into a steep valley. When I got down and found my arrow, I noticed it had gree/brown slime. White hair is on the ground. I left it alone til tomorow. I'm very worried though. It's raining hard right now. Temps are dropping quickly into the 20's tonight with rain/freezing rain through tomorow. There wont be a trail to follow. I'll just have to try to find it laying down somewhere. I'm so worried I wont find it. I've had this happen one other time with a gut shot. I just have never tried to find a deer with no trail in the rain. any encouragement would be appreciated. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntrman Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut This sort of thing happens, keep that in mind. We all have to learn from things like this. My advice would be to take it slow and take your time, but most of all, DON'T GIVE UP! Good luck to you and let us know how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowtech_archer07 Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut Good luck to you man. Things happen like that and like huntr said, we just have to learn from them. Again best of luck and hope you find him, let us all know how it turns out, if you didn't push him, he should lay down pretty quick and die. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodshed Posted November 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut This deer ran at least 100 yards, before it was out of sight and hearing, down into that valley. My friend said I can borrow his ATV to get it out. Thank goodness for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dartonman Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut When the temps drop, and the deer goes to bed, you will find it.....the last deer that I had to track that was gut shot went toward water, and laid in a brushpile....you will find the deer if you look for it....you truly will find the deer......clean it well with a hose, and you will be fine......keep us posted, just track slow, and methodical...you will find it............the cold temps will help it die sooner...............al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodshed Posted November 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut thanks,, but how do you track it after a hard rain? In the morning they are calling for freezing rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut Look for it by water. More often than not a gut shot deer will head for water, they develope a fever quickly and feel they need a drink. I have personally found a deer in a pond with only the horns sticking out of the water. Stick to it and you WILL find it. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arrow32 Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut Good luck. Just go to the place you last saw it and start from there. Go slow then go slpwer. If you dont find it soon go threw the place sort of angling back and forth might help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut Anything yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkeygirl Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut Don't forget to check the thick stuff....Andy gut shot a doe this archery season, I helped him track, never found it, he started looking too soon and it was lightly raining. Deer went into a hemlock swamp and seemed to follow a creek and thick stuff. so don't give up and good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WisconsinArcher Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut Like Dartonman said, you will find this deer. When I track a deer, i think like a deer. Deer follow natural contours, and have a reason for them to be going a certain way. Gut shot deer=deer waiting for you to recover it. Follow the direction the deer went when you last saw it, and look for him in bedding areas. Typically a gut shot deer does not go far and beds down. So if it did not get jumped, its probably where it bedded down. We are all pulling for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut Yep, like the others have said, just take your time. It most likely is still alive, but weak and will be bedded up somewhere. Check all the obvious trails it might have taken first, scanning the sides of the trails the whole time. If that fails, then do some grid pattern searches. Be prepared to finish it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monsterbucks1 Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut Any luck yet? Good luck and dont give up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodshed Posted November 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut well thanks everybody. I just got back in from the wet and cold. I searched and searched for 5.5 hours in the sleet/ice pellets. It's 25 degrees out. I didn't find it. This is the set up. I was up high on a ridge. Prob. about 1000ft. high to the valley below. The side the deer ran down is all hardwoods. So visibility below is good. I went across the side of the ridge back and forth in 15 yard paths marking trees as I went. When I reached the creek at the bottom (usually dry but it rained all night) I moved over and did another 100 yard swath back up the ridge. I came back down in another swath the same way. Still nothing. I followed the creek bottom about 3/4 mile till it ended in a small mud pond on private property. It was thick around the pond but from my vantage up high there was nothing. What drew me to the pond was a bunch of crows squawking. I thought maybe they had the deer. When I approached they flew away 100 yards or so and still did the same squawking. Still nothing. I doubled back over the whole area diagnally up and down at least 2-3 more times. It's real rough terrain and I was just beaten up. I came home to dry out. I'm in St Louis. Forcast is 6-12 inches of snow tonight. there is about 1.5 inches of sleet on the ground now. I just don't know what else to do. What I did not try is to go up the other ridge side across the creek. I felt that a wounded deer wouldn't go up hills like that. Plus it's a good 350+ yards away. What do you think? I keep wondering if it got jumped over night by yotes. It definately is not on that ridge side in for about a mile of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodshed Posted November 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut I don't want to give up. After the snow tonight do you think it's going to be visible? Tomorow afternoon I have to go out of town til sunday evening. I'm in a rock and a hard place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NY_Bowhunter14 Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut i'd check across the creek, i mean u never know... i hope you find him... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkeygirl Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut Well sounds like you did alot of looking, good job on that. I'd say it wouldn't hurt to check across the creek. If you get snow tonight, it's going to make looking for a dead deer hard, will get buried. Too bad you didn't have that snow on the ground when you hit it. Good luck but if you don't find the deer, you tried your best and it happens to even the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slaw Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut definetly look close to the thickest, heaviest cover , even brushpiles around in the area you seen and heard him last., take a dog with ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut I made a bad shot on a buck this year...he went uphill through the thickest stuff around...didn't go to water and found him at the top of a hill along the edge of an over grown pasture field. I gave this buck at least 10 hours and he wasn't stiff when I found him...it takes a long time for a gut shot deer to die. BTW, he went about 300 yards. Good luck...hope you come acrossed him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodshed Posted November 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut being all hardwood all the way down to the creek, the only thick cover is the dead fall trees. I checked each and every one of the tops to see if it was hiding in them. Across the creek is Cedar stand. But, man that is far. If you could flatten out the ridge it would be 350 yards at least. Whithout a blood trail and snow on the ground now. whewww. Do you really think it would go that far and up the hill? Sorry it sounds like I'm talking myself out of further looking, it's just that I feel so defeated and devastated. I know this happens. It's just that I looked so hard. I don't see the sense in going back out tomorow morning with 6-10 inches of snow on the ground. Do you guys? Really thanks for all your support. I don't have any buddies or dogs to help me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirage Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut It is possible your deer is alive and will be ok sometimes that happens too. My dad shot a nice buck this year in the shoulder bow hunting and we looked for along time for that deer and finaly gave up. Two weeks later caught him on a trail cam he had a limp and a patch on his shoulder of messed up fur but he was alive. Since then we have gotten pics of him but only that one video so I dont know if his limp is better. But he is alive! so maybe your is too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodshed Posted November 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: got one in the gut Mirage, That is good news for your dad's deer. Unfortunately a shoulder shot and a gut shot have different survivability. I would think the internal bacteria would kill the deer eventually from infection. I don't think a gut shot is survivable. Anybody else know??? I would love to think this deer is alive and why I couldn't find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airman312 Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Re: got one in the gut [ QUOTE ] Look for it by water. More often than not a gut shot deer will head for water, they develope a fever quickly and feel they need a drink. I have personally found a deer in a pond with only the horns sticking out of the water. Stick to it and you WILL find it. Good luck. [/ QUOTE ] Well said Randy... yes ,it will be near or in water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOYTnMUZZYboy Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Re: got one in the gut I shot a doe this year that when i shot hit a lil further back then i wanted. She took off after standing around for 5min or so and headed straight for the creek that sits 60 yds down from my stand, she stood in the water for 30 seconds or so. Crossed the creek and bedded down. I could see her in the binos so climbed down from my stand and went back to the truck. Waited till the next morning to go out and get her. Keep in mind i shot this deer at 7:10 am. Let her stay all day. When i went back to get her she was right where she had layed down at 745ish the day b4. Dont give up on your deer. Gut shots can live up to 12 hours or even longer. The rain and sleet may set you back some, but give your all in finding the deer. Its the only ethical thing to do. Good luck and keep us updated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodshed Posted December 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Re: got one in the gut No luck today. We had 3 inches of ice pellets yesterday and another big dump of snow llast night. Walking over these hills was tough. Everything was covered with white. If that deer was there, it was covered with snow and ice. I have to go out of town this afternoon (if flights aren't cancelled) til sunday evening. I'm an airline person and travel for a living. I gave it my all. I hope to never live through this again. I slept very little worrying about that deer. I guess this is the unfortunate side of being a hunter. Thanks everybody for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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