Pictures Buck Shot...Don't know what to think now.....

Matt Watson · 11-06-2008, 03:31 PM

I went out early this morning with plans to hunt all day. I figured with all this warm weather we have been having and considering the time of year, that the bucks would be on the move today. I was right. At 7:30 i heard some deer running down the ravine behind me so i looked back and there was a doe being pursued by two nice bucks. I immediately recognized one as the buck i have been watching and had decided that i was going to take if i had the chance. I have several pics of this buck over the last couple of years. The other buck was similar in size but i was after the guy i had some history with. He ended up offering me a 15 yard shot. Afterwards i noticed some small twigs in the way that i may have clipped. I'm sure if i did or not. Anyways i ended up hitting a little low as far as i could tell from the impact. He ran about 15 yards and stood for around 20-30 seconds then continued. He didn't run after that he just moseyed along almost as if nothing had happened. About 80 yards away he stopped for a good ten minutes looking around and licking his wound. He then proceeded out of sight. Since i never saw him go down and didn't quite act like i thought he should have i decided to give him a few hours but i had to check my arrow. The arrow had good bright red blood and there was an instant, great blood trail. Still i backed out and came back with a buddy 3 hours later.

Following the trail, i couldn't believe how much blood there was and it was all frothy and bubbly which made me feel great. It started to seem like the typical double lung blood trail i had seen so many other times. The first picture shows where he stopped the first time for 20-30 seconds. The Second pic shows what the entire 80 yard blood trail looked like. It was blatantly obvious that he was bleeding out of both sides with a 3-4 foot wide blood trail. Soon enough i could see the massive blood pile he had left where he stood for around 10 minutes. This can be seen in the last three pics. The pile was once again full of frothy bubbly blood. 10 yards past this no more blood could be found. I then thought there is no way that he made it much farther so i proceeded over the ridge to see if i can see him below. I could not. I walked a little farther and then all of a sudden he busted out of a thicket where several dead trees had fallen. I got down and watched him as he dissapeared from sight.

I am about 99% sure that it was him. I backed out and am going to go out tomorrow morning to see if i can just sweep the area and find him since all sign will be lost after this rain tonight.

I don't know what to think now. Maybe i just got one lung? I considered that which is why i left him lay for 3 1/2 hours. I wanted to wait a few hours longer but with the forecast of rain i figured i better get in there. The other problem is, is that i called 5 more buddies and my brother all of which will be hunting in the morning so it looks like its just me and my dad. What do you guys think? How long can a deer live with just one lung if i only got one?

The sixth picure is a trail cam pic that i got of him earlier this year. I'm sure most of you have already seen it. He is no monster by any means but i figured he was a 4 1/2 year old deer and it didn't look like he had the best genetics. It would have been(hopefully will be) my biggest buck and the fact that he is one that i have been specifically targetting would have made it much better.

20-30 seconds

Trail

10 minutes

Luv2Decoy · 11-06-2008, 03:44 PM

How much blood was there in the thicket that you busted him(?) out of. With the amount of blood that you found; I am not certain that the deer that ran away is the one you were trailing.

Good Luck

24 HUNTER · 11-06-2008, 03:44 PM

I can not believe you spooked him!! Them bucks can sometimes suprise you on the will to keep going. If it were me i would go out this evening before dark and give it one more chance before the rain comes on heavy. Good luckk I hope you find him!!!

thedarkarcher · 11-06-2008, 03:48 PM

i think you'll find him, don't give up. my guess is one lung. that, coupled with raging testosterone may have been what kept him alive. (hopefully) i'd say search hard he's probably down for good somewhere as we speak. good luck.

Matt Watson · 11-06-2008, 03:56 PM

Luv2Decoy

I didn't check the thicket cause i couldn't tell how far he ran off and i didn't want to risk bumping him again. But i would guess he got the hole plug up since the blood stopped after that big pile. I hope you guys are right about finding him. I just need to get lucky and come across him now.

Evenflow · 11-06-2008, 04:12 PM

If you have a dog, or know someone that does, it could be worth a shot bringing it along, they have better noses than us, and I would bet most any dog could smell a deer from a ways off and would go investigate that smell even if it is not trained to track deer per say.

flatcoats · 11-06-2008, 04:15 PM

matt, PM me if you want to use the k-9 approach. I will be hunting til about 10AM tomorrow, but with these cold temps, Im sure the deer would be fine.

Rdy2Hnt · 11-06-2008, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thedarkarcher

i think you'll find him, don't give up. my guess is one lung. that, coupled with raging testosterone may have been what kept him alive. (hopefully) i'd say search hard he's probably down for good somewhere as we speak. good luck.

I agree with thedarkarcher. Good Luck!!!

thumpper · 11-06-2008, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 24 HUNTER

If it were me i would go out this evening before dark and give it one more chance before the rain comes on heavy. Good luckk I hope you find him!!!

2nd this one before the rain comes.

If anything I would check that thicket before rain hit to make 100% sure that deer you jumped was the one you hit.

**Chad** · 11-06-2008, 04:47 PM

Good luck, Matt!!!!

BPbowhunter · 11-06-2008, 04:56 PM

That is alot of blood for a deer to be losing and it still make it too far. I agree, I would make sure the deer you jumped is the same one you shot. I'd go in and check that thicket tonight, then go back in the morning and start grid searching the area. Then if that doesn't work, try bringing in a dog.

Lureslinger · 11-06-2008, 05:15 PM

I cant believe that deer is still alive with that much blood loss. I agree and think hes dead right now. Go get him before the rain and good luck!! Cant wait to see the pics.

**Catfishsteve** · 11-06-2008, 05:21 PM

Good luck! I agree. I'd have doubts as to the deer you jumped being the deer you shot.

Those are great pics. I can't wait for you to find him so we can correlate the blood trail to the actual wound.

I bet you just got one lung. I bet he was dead by the time you left the woods.

You'll find him.

DiggerDog · 11-06-2008, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Watson

Luv2Decoy

I didn't check the thicket cause i couldn't tell how far he ran off and i didn't want to risk bumping him again. But i would guess he got the hole plug up since the blood stopped after that big pile. I hope you guys are right about finding him. I just need to get lucky and come across him now.

Matt if you can, go to that thicket and find blood. Once you've spotted blood in the thicket find the blood trail where he left and follow it as far as you can. If that was your deer and he's wounded as bad as it seems, he'll go to water. But do what you can to find blood then follow it.

One question. When he ran off, we he laboring at all?

I sent you a PM with my phone number. Feel free to call me if you would like.

Also, can you attached an Earth Google or aerial photo of the area where you shot him and last saw him?

BoB_25 · 11-06-2008, 07:27 PM

I hope you find him. SOOOOOOO, how did it go???????

Alex T. · 11-06-2008, 09:40 PM

If I wasn't waiting to be called for work,I'd offer to help ya look. Good luck.

Alex

fishcatcher · 11-06-2008, 10:10 PM

alright im really ready to hear some results!

huskerbowhunter · 11-06-2008, 10:14 PM

I have discussed this with Matt over the phone, and he is afraid of the dark so he decided to wait until morning to go look for him.

DiggerDog · 11-06-2008, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by huskerbowhunter

I have discussed this with Matt over the phone, and he is afraid of the dark so he decided to wait until morning to go look for him.

Now that's funny

Sendhendrix · 11-06-2008, 11:11 PM

That deer is piled up nearby. No way he's still alive. He just decided to spite you and find a place to hide and die. If there's a water hole nearby I'd check that. Good luck!

11-06-2008, 03:31 PM	#1 (permalink)
Matt Watson Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Omaha, Ne Posts: 222 Thanks: 3 Thanked 5 Times in 2 Posts	Buck Shot...Don't know what to think now..... I went out early this morning with plans to hunt all day. I figured with all this warm weather we have been having and considering the time of year, that the bucks would be on the move today. I was right. At 7:30 i heard some deer running down the ravine behind me so i looked back and there was a doe being pursued by two nice bucks. I immediately recognized one as the buck i have been watching and had decided that i was going to take if i had the chance. I have several pics of this buck over the last couple of years. The other buck was similar in size but i was after the guy i had some history with. He ended up offering me a 15 yard shot. Afterwards i noticed some small twigs in the way that i may have clipped. I'm sure if i did or not. Anyways i ended up hitting a little low as far as i could tell from the impact. He ran about 15 yards and stood for around 20-30 seconds then continued. He didn't run after that he just moseyed along almost as if nothing had happened. About 80 yards away he stopped for a good ten minutes looking around and licking his wound. He then proceeded out of sight. Since i never saw him go down and didn't quite act like i thought he should have i decided to give him a few hours but i had to check my arrow. The arrow had good bright red blood and there was an instant, great blood trail. Still i backed out and came back with a buddy 3 hours later. Following the trail, i couldn't believe how much blood there was and it was all frothy and bubbly which made me feel great. It started to seem like the typical double lung blood trail i had seen so many other times. The first picture shows where he stopped the first time for 20-30 seconds. The Second pic shows what the entire 80 yard blood trail looked like. It was blatantly obvious that he was bleeding out of both sides with a 3-4 foot wide blood trail. Soon enough i could see the massive blood pile he had left where he stood for around 10 minutes. This can be seen in the last three pics. The pile was once again full of frothy bubbly blood. 10 yards past this no more blood could be found. I then thought there is no way that he made it much farther so i proceeded over the ridge to see if i can see him below. I could not. I walked a little farther and then all of a sudden he busted out of a thicket where several dead trees had fallen. I got down and watched him as he dissapeared from sight. I am about 99% sure that it was him. I backed out and am going to go out tomorrow morning to see if i can just sweep the area and find him since all sign will be lost after this rain tonight. I don't know what to think now. Maybe i just got one lung? I considered that which is why i left him lay for 3 1/2 hours. I wanted to wait a few hours longer but with the forecast of rain i figured i better get in there. The other problem is, is that i called 5 more buddies and my brother all of which will be hunting in the morning so it looks like its just me and my dad. What do you guys think? How long can a deer live with just one lung if i only got one? The sixth picure is a trail cam pic that i got of him earlier this year. I'm sure most of you have already seen it. He is no monster by any means but i figured he was a 4 1/2 year old deer and it didn't look like he had the best genetics. It would have been(hopefully will be) my biggest buck and the fact that he is one that i have been specifically targetting would have made it much better. 20-30 seconds Trail 10 minutes

11-06-2008, 04:47 PM	#10 (permalink)
Chad Director Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Gone Fishin' Posts: 6,474 Thanks: 60 Thanked 70 Times in 43 Posts	Good luck, Matt!!!! __________________ *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.*

11-06-2008, 04:56 PM	#11 (permalink)
BPbowhunter 2007 NEFGA Outdoorsman Of The Year Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Broken Bow Posts: 2,514 Thanks: 8 Thanked 32 Times in 24 Posts	That is alot of blood for a deer to be losing and it still make it too far. I agree, I would make sure the deer you jumped is the same one you shot. I'd go in and check that thicket tonight, then go back in the morning and start grid searching the area. Then if that doesn't work, try bringing in a dog. __________________ Whackin' Woodies Waterfowl Crew "Look, a pair of singles!"

11-06-2008, 07:27 PM	#15 (permalink)
BoB_25 Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bellevue NE Certified Youth Fishing Instructor Posts: 1,766 Thanks: 24 Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts	I hope you find him. SOOOOOOO, how did it go??????? __________________ 2008's Total Catch: LMB:205 - SMB:83 - Wiper: 24 - Rock Bass: 6 - Yellow Bass: 9 - White Bass: 4 - Eye:10 - Sauger:7 - Saugeye: 12 - Crappie:77 - Perch:5 - White Perch:6 - Gill:47 - Cats:9 - Drum: 16 - Bull Frog: 1 2008 Hunting Pheasant: 8 - Chukar: 5 - Canadian Goose: 12 - Mallard: 15 - Green Wing Teal: 3 - Shovelers: 2 - Widgeon: 1 - WoodC: 1 - WT/Buck: 1 - WT/Doe: 1

11-06-2008, 09:40 PM	#16 (permalink)
Alex T. Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: under the lids of a laydown blind Certified Youth Fishing Instructor Posts: 3,419 Thanks: 0 Thanked 62 Times in 35 Posts	If I wasn't waiting to be called for work,I'd offer to help ya look. Good luck. Alex __________________ Listening to an e-caller daily to help pass the time until they come back

11-06-2008, 03:44 PM	#2 (permalink)
Luv2Decoy Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: in the blind Posts: 70 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	How much blood was there in the thicket that you busted him(?) out of. With the amount of blood that you found; I am not certain that the deer that ran away is the one you were trailing. Good Luck

11-06-2008, 03:44 PM	#3 (permalink)
24 HUNTER Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: omaha ne Posts: 247 Thanks: 4 Thanked 7 Times in 5 Posts	I can not believe you spooked him!! Them bucks can sometimes suprise you on the will to keep going. If it were me i would go out this evening before dark and give it one more chance before the rain comes on heavy. Good luckk I hope you find him!!!

11-06-2008, 03:48 PM	#4 (permalink)
thedarkarcher Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Lincoln Posts: 941 Thanks: 103 Thanked 54 Times in 40 Posts	i think you'll find him, don't give up. my guess is one lung. that, coupled with raging testosterone may have been what kept him alive. (hopefully) i'd say search hard he's probably down for good somewhere as we speak. good luck.

11-06-2008, 03:56 PM	#5 (permalink)
Matt Watson Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Omaha, Ne Posts: 222 Thanks: 3 Thanked 5 Times in 2 Posts	Luv2Decoy I didn't check the thicket cause i couldn't tell how far he ran off and i didn't want to risk bumping him again. But i would guess he got the hole plug up since the blood stopped after that big pile. I hope you guys are right about finding him. I just need to get lucky and come across him now.

11-06-2008, 04:12 PM	#6 (permalink)
Evenflow Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Omaha Posts: 276 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	If you have a dog, or know someone that does, it could be worth a shot bringing it along, they have better noses than us, and I would bet most any dog could smell a deer from a ways off and would go investigate that smell even if it is not trained to track deer per say.

11-06-2008, 04:15 PM	#7 (permalink)
flatcoats Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: omaha Posts: 1,329 Thanks: 15 Thanked 39 Times in 29 Posts	matt, PM me if you want to use the k-9 approach. I will be hunting til about 10AM tomorrow, but with these cold temps, Im sure the deer would be fine.

11-06-2008, 05:15 PM	#12 (permalink)
Lureslinger Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 372 Thanks: 3 Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts	I cant believe that deer is still alive with that much blood loss. I agree and think hes dead right now. Go get him before the rain and good luck!! Cant wait to see the pics.

11-06-2008, 05:21 PM	#13 (permalink)
Catfishsteve Director Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Plattsmouth, NE Posts: 6,847 Thanks: 22 Thanked 115 Times in 35 Posts	Good luck! I agree. I'd have doubts as to the deer you jumped being the deer you shot. Those are great pics. I can't wait for you to find him so we can correlate the blood trail to the actual wound. I bet you just got one lung. I bet he was dead by the time you left the woods. You'll find him.

11-06-2008, 10:10 PM	#17 (permalink)
fishcatcher Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Lincoln Posts: 99 Thanks: 3 Thanked 2 Times in 1 Post	alright im really ready to hear some results!

11-06-2008, 10:14 PM	#18 (permalink)
huskerbowhunter 2008 Catch & Continue Champion Join Date: May 2008 Location: Fremont Posts: 320 Thanks: 7 Thanked 12 Times in 10 Posts	I have discussed this with Matt over the phone, and he is afraid of the dark so he decided to wait until morning to go look for him.

11-06-2008, 11:11 PM	#20 (permalink)
Sendhendrix Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 9 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	That deer is piled up nearby. No way he's still alive. He just decided to spite you and find a place to hide and die. If there's a water hole nearby I'd check that. Good luck!

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