Shot a Buck today with no blood trail

[Yruslow89]

Today I shot a Buck with what I would’ve sworn was a good shot. Double lung. Broadside at 20 yards and from the ground. But I could find no blood trail and was unable to recover the deer. Judging by the blood on the arrow I would also assume it was a good shot. But…I’m new to bow hunting. This would actually be my first deer with a bow. So obviously I’m now second guessing my shot. Can any tell by the arrow if I possibly hit the guts and not vitals?

I also attached the only spot of blood I could find.

 

[Yruslow89]

Today I shot a Buck with what I would’ve sworn was a good shot. Double lung. Broadside at 20 yards and from the ground. But I could find no blood trail and was unable to recover the deer. Judging by the blood on the arrow I would also assume it was a good shot. But…I’m new to bow hunting. This would actually be my first deer with a bow. So obviously I’m now second guessing my shot. Can any tell by the arrow if I possibly hit the guts and not vitals?

I also attached the only spot of blood I could find.

Also it was a complete pass through with Magnus black hornet.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

Looks like a good shot to me. I'd try to look again tomorrow. Or even bring in a dog.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Doesn't look like gut blood. Or liver blood. If it didn't get vitals, you may have gotten leg or brisket. Get a dog on it.

 

[NBN]

Hard to tell from that, but definitely get a dog.

 

[sportsman94]

How much looking did you do? Did you walk circles in the direction he ran? If you shot high lungs from the ground with a relatively small fixed blade it could take awhile to fill up the chest cavity with blood. He may not start bleeding good for 75-100 yards. The blood on the leaf appears to be bright with small bubbles on my phone screen.

Deer are funny with blood trails. One day you’ll shoot one and have no trail, the next day you’ll shoot another in the same spot and it’ll look like you just poured out a bucket of blood along the trail. Hate that happened with your first bow deer.

 

[BASS1FUN]

I don’t like double lung shots, I had one like that didn’t bleed and found her 150 yards away, if it wasn’t open hardwoods she would’ve been buzzard meat, I have more success with heart shots, go back but with a buck you’re going to have to stretch it out some more. Be blessed

 

[Cmcharles]

Looks like a dead deer, just need to go find it. A dog would be a good idea.

 

[Yruslow89]

How much looking did you do? Did you walk circles in the direction he ran? If you shot high lungs from the ground with a relatively small fixed blade it could take awhile to fill up the chest cavity with blood. He may not start bleeding good for 75-100 yards. The blood on the leaf appears to be bright with small bubbles on my phone screen.

Deer are funny with blood trails. One day you’ll shoot one and have no trail, the next day you’ll shoot another in the same spot and it’ll look like you just poured out a bucket of blood along the trail. Hate that happened with your first bow deer.

I looked for about 4 hours. I would say I walked no less than 200 yard circles where I could. The terrain was very steep ridges so it was harder to navigate. But I did cover quite a bit of ground. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Yruslow89]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I’d like to learn from this so I can avoid it in the future. Not a great feeling.

 

[basshappy]

@bprather89 did you recover the deer? Did you call in a dog to assist in tracking?

 

[Ajohnson0587]

Call in a dog, there’s tons of variables, but the only way to learn from the situation is to recover the deer, and analyze the shot. If you don’t, you are just going to have a bunch of questionable guesses & assumptions.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

It doesnt look like gut from the picture. Bright red with bubbles = lungs. Another way to check is to smell it. You can smell gut easily, you will know. If you double lunged him, look for tiny blood splatter. A double lung hit will have them blowing blood out of their nose. It’s soooooo important when you stick one from the ground to be still and quiet. If you spook them after the shot, they will grab another gear while getting out of there. A buck that is stretched out will cover some ground and the sign will be a lot farther apart than you think it will be. It takes a lot of patience and discipline, but if you’ve just started and shot a deer on the ground with your bow…..you’re squared away. Keep at it, double lung is the way to go..

 

[Yruslow89]

So, unfortunately I did not recover the deer. I did call 2 dog trackers that I could find on google (I don’t know if any trackers in my area). One of the trackers said he call me back. Still haven’t heard from him. The other was really helpful and answered a lot of my questions. He also sent me a list of about 10 trackers in my county. I’m going to really take in how all of this transpired and note what I can do better next time. I truly hate that I had to learn this the hard way.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

So, unfortunately I did not recover the deer. I did call 2 dog trackers that I could find on google (I don’t know if any trackers in my area). One of the trackers said he call me back. Still haven’t heard from him. The other was really helpful and answered a lot of my questions. He also sent me a list of about 10 trackers in my county. I’m going to really take in how all of this transpired and note what I can do better next time. I truly hate that I had to learn this the hard way.

I hate it too but it happens, specially with sticks and strings. Keep after them, sounds like you did all you could do to recover the deer. We all have stories like that.....

 

[furtaker]

So, unfortunately I did not recover the deer. I did call 2 dog trackers that I could find on google (I don’t know if any trackers in my area). One of the trackers said he call me back. Still haven’t heard from him. The other was really helpful and answered a lot of my questions. He also sent me a list of about 10 trackers in my county. I’m going to really take in how all of this transpired and note what I can do better next time. I truly hate that I had to learn this the hard way.

It's happened to everybody who hunts a lot. Get back in the woods and have fun. Good luck.

 

[Kris87]

I'm going to say you hit high through the backstrap, although it normally bleeds like crazy at first. Definitely didn't get lungs, or heart. Could have been liver and if you bumped the deer, it would be gone. Guts is fatal, but doesn't look like that either. I'm guessing shot was high.

 

[Yruslow89]

I'm going to say you hit high through the backstrap, although it normally bleeds like crazy at first. Definitely didn't get lungs, or heart. Could have been liver and if you bumped the deer, it would be gone. Guts is fatal, but doesn't look like that either. I'm guessing shot was high.

Being I did not find it, that would be ideal and hopefully he lived if so.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[hunter84]

Just remember aim low that way if the deer drops you are still good , it's better to miss low than to hit high in no man's land. the lower the shot the better chance of having a good blood trail high shots takes longer for the body cavity to fill especially if your hunting on the ground because you are shooting level and not from a tree stand where you have a higher entrance and a lower exit but even with all that said if you hunt long enough it's going to happen we just have to do our best every time but good luck in the future. keep at it it will come.

 

[ninjaneer]

I shot a doe at 20 yards while standing between 3 big white oaks a few weeks ago. No blood. Arrow passed through and continued over the crown of the ridge. Could not find arrow, so no help. I waited 30 minutes and followed the way she went heading to the steepest area she could have found. At about 75 yards I found a little blood which improved as I went. After 40 yards more she crossed a branch, there was a little more then the blood just stopped. I walked 15 yards further and she was laying dead down in the branch.
Very high double lung shot. Aiming lower is good advise.