A New One on Me "Tracking a Deer!"

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  • Emperor

    Seriously Misunderstood!
    Rating - 100%
    11   0   0
    Mar 7, 2011
    8,376
    113
    Nether region
    So, two Thursday's ago I arrowed a big doe on an evening hunt. She came inside of 20 yards, so I neck shot her. Those who know my hunting exploits from on here know I love shooting deer in the neck. She was no exception. To me, I felt after the arrow hit her it was a perfect shot where my 100 grain Montec Broadhead landed. She hauled ass but was stumbling the entire time, and finally crashed what I thought was about 30-35 yards away. I heard her wheezing loudly a few times before total silence. This led me to believe that I cut her esophagus. When I got down to examine the arrow (which passed through easily), I noticed good bright red blood on the fletches, though there was not much blood in the spot where she was when the arrow landed. When I got to the palmetto's edge, it was evident she was bleeding heavily. The blood trail would be easy to stay on. I gave her about 30 minutes before I began my track.

    As I first suspected, the blood was everywhere. She was really gushing, so I surmised that I hit an artery. I easily followed heavy blood for about 30 yards and saw a pool of blood at the end of it, but no deer?!? WTF? There was no way. She's got to be right here, I thought to myself. As unlikely as this was, I figured she may have sat, clotted up, and walked. Deer tracking 101 kicks in at that point and I go down to my hands and knees and start making small semi-circles from the last blood pool. I got to about 10 yards out and still didn't find any additional blood. Could I be wrong about my shot? Could I have pushed her when I was coming through the palmettos? Not likely, but she was gone.

    I backed out, went to the house; got a green Glo-Stick and a much brighter spot flood; then went back. I hung the Glo-Stick high enough in a tree above the last blood pool so I could easily see the last spot as I started to widen my semi-circles. Each time I went around, I added a few more yards. Hell, I ended up 30-40 yards away from the light stick and still nothing. I even started randomly walking in different directions hoping I would get lucky and spot a trace of blood to at least put me back on the direction she went.

    Now I am not one to give up on a deer, but I was now over 2 hours in, it was pitch black dark, and the palmetto forest I was in was thick and over my head. I texted my wife that I can't find her and I may have to give up. I went back to the last pool of blood one last time, got on my hands and knees again, and surveyed the blood trail one last time before I surrendered. I couldn't wrap my head around this. I didn't understand what the hell happened. I know these animals can take tremendous injuries and still get away, but damn!

    I crawled back from the last pool of blood one last time before I was going to walk out. Two yards away from the last pool, there it was. A few blood spots that were landing in the wrong direction. WTH? I was stunned, because that didn't make sense! How could she be hauling ass in one direction splattering forward, and here I have a few spots landing backwards? Staying on my hands and knees, I kept back tracking the blood trail and much to my absolute amazement found more blood going back against the initial blood trail. Holy ****, I thought. That magnificent bitch! She backtracked her own trail. Sure enough, 10 yards back up the initial trail, there she lay. About 1 yard from the original trail, dead as a doorknob. Had I not tried this last ditch effort, I would have walked out and passed within 3 feet of her and never saw her!

    I was thrilled, but I was also amazed. I had NEVER had a deer backtrack a blood trail! EVER! This was a first of firsts for me, and I have been killing deer in various fashions for decades. And lot's of them too!

    So guess what? If it happens once, it can happen again! For those of you that ever lose the blood trail in the future and can't believe it's possible, just for shits and giggles, crawl the last blood spot backwards. You never know! I have added that strange and very unlikely tactic to my deer tracking catalogue!

    Oh, and she was delicious! ;)
     

    whbonney26

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 100%
    37   0   0
    Nov 2, 2008
    4,795
    63
    Pearl River, LA
    I have seen deer and other animals do some strange things in that few seconds from the hit to the final breath. Glad you found her and she'll make it to the table.
     

    riverrat66

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    May 1, 2016
    142
    18
    The hills of St Helena parish
    Im just glad to hear that you are a true hunter and sportsman. My dad wouldn't leave til we found a downed deer. We have spent the entire night tracking in cat island swamp and didn't find that buck til daylight. I've seen people giveup after 30 mins. My dad taught me a lot about tracking and more about making that first shot count. But like you. I've never seen one double back. Congrats on your harvest. Sounds like you earned it.
     

    Bangswitch

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jan 10, 2019
    2,221
    38
    a location near you
    There’s the reason I always aim at the chest cavity if you had cut her esophagus and she some how didn’t bleed out she would have spent days dehydrating and starving to death. If an animal survives a chest wound they will likely survive long term. Over the years I’ve been witness to some amazing feats of survival as well as some bullets that just didn’t hit the intended spot. The heart is roughly 4x3 inch nestled in-between two 12x18 inch lungs if you hit the heart you usually punch the lungs too. They die quickly like that but sometimes they are dead running. I’m not a tender foot When I hit the woods I’ve got killing on my mind but I’m not wild about intentionally or by accident causing an animal to die a prolonged painful death. I’m sure as the feeling you lost her sunk in you contemplated your choice of shot placement I know I have a time or two. We are all grown men so you are welcomed to continue doing you, but I ask you to consider having not recovered that deer should you continue to take high neck shots.
     
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    Bigchillin83

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 100%
    94   0   1
    Feb 27, 2012
    6,188
    113
    Livingston
    maybe she kicked the leaves... or bent down and turned the leaves to throw you off... lol , yea i have tracked some deer before and had my gps casue unknow woods and you should have seen the bread crumbs.. it was like a figure skater lol... we were doing loop de loops and ended up 230 yrds total travel and he was 20yrd behind the stand lol
     

    Bigchillin83

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 100%
    94   0   1
    Feb 27, 2012
    6,188
    113
    Livingston
    mmm that got me thinking of the 2 deer neck roast, 8 onions,3 bell peppers, 1 clove garlic on top of fresh baked sweet potatoes taste like last week... Its amazing with that stuff, huge cast iron and 6 hours can produce...

    and of course deboned it for the kiddos lol
     

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    Gator 45/70

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 100%
    31   0   0
    Congrats first off,I generally do neck or head shots as well,I see nothing wrong with that at all.

    Now for tracking and training I do a lung/heart shot...Break out the Labrador and let her have some fun...

    She's awesome at tracking blood trails but sadly she getting on up there in age...
     

    Magdump

    Don’t troll me bro!
    Rating - 100%
    163   0   0
    Dec 31, 2013
    9,396
    113
    Hammond, Louisiana
    Great story.
    I like neck shots on deer, but only when I’m holding a high power rifle. It will usually drop them in their tracks so it’s come in handy on deer standing on my side of a deep creek bed. I’d never shoot a deer in the neck with a bow, however. Heart/lung or strictly lung shot for me, for obvious reasons.
     

    1wise1

    Active Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jan 15, 2015
    26
    1
    Carrollton, Texas
    Don't dismiss the chance a large alligator dragged the deer while you were out on your wide circle. If it was a small doe, it wouldn't be out of the question.
     

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