Late Post.... bloody arrow

Cali Ridge Runner

Well-Known Member
Nov 25, 2012
686
632
93
San Diego
IMG_5062.JPG Saturday morning I watched two small bucks sparring in a meadow. I took advantage they were occupied and played the wind right. Snuck in to 45 yds and had a good flat shooting lane. I let them finish their sparring session and then put one through the winner. ( small forky). Shot felt good and heard a loud thump as the arrow made a complete pass through. Gave it 45 min then walked up to a bloody arrow from broad head to fletching. I shoot a fixed broad head. Waited another 15 min then started trailing. Had a good blood trail for 50 yds then nothing. So here we go. Drop my pack and put the bow down and on my hands and knees for hrs. Complete grid search out to 400 yds every ten feet. I find blood out at 250 yds from the scene and start trailing again. At this point this guy is going straight up a hill away from all the cover and thick brush below. My thought is I should have waited longer and may have spooked him as he was bleeding out. After about 7hrs I backed out and figure I give him some space. Picked it back up in the morning Sunday. No luck and no more blood and no buzzards. Went back out this morning to try again. No luck and no sign of a wounded animal or a carcass. Im starting to think the arrow may have hit to far back and missed his vitals. With the arrow being covered with blood I thought for sure he would be down with in a couple hundred yards but like I said I think I went in too early and bumped him. If he wasnt hit as good as I thought he could go for miles. Checked around the nearest water this morning and nothing there either. After 3 days of trying to track this wounded buck down I am moving on.... just nothing to go on at this point.
 
Last edited:
There are some guys on here with dogs and many that are excellent trackers. If this happens again you should post up sooner and more than likely help would be on the way.
Are you going to punch your tag or keep hunting? My bet is he is dead. Did any of the blood have bubbles in it?
I am sorry this happened to you but it is one of the things we accept can happen when we enter the woods with a bow.
 
this would have been a good training session for my coon hound dog . bummer man.
post something sooner.. . I would have waited at least 30 min if not more.then track
I like to wait an hour sometimes depends how it hit and where. but it's tough...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Goyaałé
There are some guys on here with dogs and many that are excellent trackers. If this happens again you should post up sooner and more than likely help would be on the way.
Are you going to punch your tag or keep hunting? My bet is he is dead. Did any of the blood have bubbles in it?
I am sorry this happened to you but it is one of the things we accept can happen when we enter the woods with a bow.
Ya I had no shortage of help. Dogs etc. didnt turn anything up. I think he is still around. I plan on hunting the area the rest of the season. He will turn up sooner or later.
 
this would have been a good training session for my coon hound dog . bummer man.
post something sooner.. . I would have waited at least 30 min if not more.then track
I like to wait an hour sometimes depends how it hit and where. but it's tough...
Ya I had help right away. Just didnt ask on here. Ya waited 45-hr as stated in my post lol
 
There are some guys on here with dogs and many that are excellent trackers. If this happens again you should post up sooner and more than likely help would be on the way.
Are you going to punch your tag or keep hunting? My bet is he is dead. Did any of the blood have bubbles in it?
I am sorry this happened to you but it is one of the things we accept can happen when we enter the woods with a bow.
No bubbles and not a lot of blood on the floor. Just good blood on the arrow. Had good help. If he was down some where I am confident we would of turned him up.
 
Sorry to hear the news.
You mentioned buzzards. When do you guys expect to see buzzards over the carcass?
A couple of years back I went back to glass the area where I left a carcass. Watched for hours in early morning and all I saw was a golden eagle in the vicinity. That carcass was just 3 days old.
 
I hit a deer went through both lungs, left hell of hole. No blood. Never found the arrow. Tracked the deer about 150 to 250 yards. Found it dead. Bled internally. When I gut it all the blood came out of the chest cavity.
 
Same exact thing happened to me Sunday!!!! And I mean same exact thing with blood trail, hours searching and it going up hill. Maybe an hour wasn't enough for me either but there were other hunters that could have bumped him.

.IMG_9371.JPG IMG_9372.JPG
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Same exact thing happened to me Sunday!!!! And I mean same exact thing with blood trail, hours searching and it going up hill. Maybe an hour wasn't enough for me either but there were other hunters that could have bumped him.
dam , we need a pinned post with volunteers that have dogs.. except remember it takes time & expenses. so
 
I hate fixed broadheads , i shoot a buck in 2015 at 32 yds with 65 lb bow , I used dead ringer Trauma broadheads, big hole drop on tracks 40 yds , from my blind to the buck I find 3 lung pieces. Best braodheads I use by far. Last pic was entry hole.IMG_3614[1].JPG IMG_3614[1].JPG
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3615[1].JPG
    IMG_3615[1].JPG
    543.3 KB · Views: 27
  • IMG_3622[1].JPG
    IMG_3622[1].JPG
    433.5 KB · Views: 31
  • Like
Reactions: Hunt4lyf and Bowman
Sorry to hear about that. First deer I ever shot, with a rifle no less, I knocked him to the ground. Ran to the spot, he was gone. Lots of blood. He was squeezing between saplings, both would have blood smeared on them. We followed him for what ended up being about 3 miles over 5 hours, including one time he was seen jumping a 6 foot fence. He bled, even just tiny drops, for almost the whole 3 hours. Until we pushed him out of a thicket in front of another guy who shot him. Turns out I hit maybe an inch from shattering the spine at his back legs. Just missed any vital bones, but enough of a hole to make him bleed a decent amount.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cali Ridge Runner

About us

  • SCHoutdoors was created in January of 2011 by a few people who love the outdoors. The main goal is still the same – bring people together who enjoy the outdoors and share their knowledge and experience.
    Outdoors in the West, Hunting gear reviews, Big Game, Small Game, Upland Game, Waterfowl, Varmint, Bow Hunting, long Range Rifles, Reloading, Taxidermy, Salt WaterFishing, Freshwater Fishing, Buy-Sell-Trade on Classifieds and Cooking/Recipes
    All things outdoors…come join us, learn, contribute and become part of the SCHoutdoors community.

Quick Navigation

User Menu