[exide9922]

Can anyone give me an idea about how long a deer will keep in this weather? I've hunted a total of 2 minutes this year and shot one with the crossbow at 7pm tonight. Looked in the dark until about 930 and couldn't find it. Headed back out at first light to keep looking...I would hate to kill a deer and have it go to waste, never had that happen. So many weeds and leaves...


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[Mad-Eye Moody]

You will be able to find it by smell in the morning. Sorry for the loss. It happens to everyone eventually.

 

[BuckBlocker]

It's wasted. Coyote food now. Sorry man. It's just too warm.

 

[Fish'n what bites]

Like they said its not worth it. If you found it by some chance you may find a half eaten deer and your arrow. That's about it.

 

[exide9922]

That's kinda what I figured...awful feeling that is


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[Mylife614]

Although is prob yote bait now, still worthwhile to look in the am.


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[exide9922]

Yeah I will go look pretty soon here. I can't not look.


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[Mad-Eye Moody]

Yeah I will go look pretty soon here. I can't not look.


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It's important to know what happened. I would look too. You can learn if you made a bad shot, if there was equipment failure and tracking is always good practice.

In the greater scheme of things nothing is ever wasted. Carrion eaters need to eat, mice need the bones and insects need the rest. I know too well the sadness and frustration of losing an animal. It is a good thing that you are bothered by it. That makes you a better person.

I read a book once about finding wounded deer. The author says that anyone who has never lost a deer is either lying or has not hunted very long.

Good luck in your search.

 

[dsoy28]

I feel your pain, lost one last year, tracked til midnight and the trail dried up. Stayed close to 70 degrees all night long so I knew it was lost. Found a few days later in a creek, farmer was glad to have one less deer but it made me sick. I know the right shot should drop em but I don't like the lack of wiggle room, personally I will not hunt til at least Monday when it cools down.


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[treytd32]

my deer from last year was killed just before last light and I did not recover him until 11pm so I could not take him to the butcher until the morning. The temp was 84 while I was on stand and got down to 65 that night then the next day had a high of 83 again. A tarp, a blanket, and 80+ lbs of ice saved all 218 lbs in a makeshift meat locker.

 

[exide9922]

thanks guys. never did find it, but i've added a few things to my growing list of things I probably could do better next time. looked quite a while for that one...glad i'm not the only one, not a good feeling to lose one. thought for sure i had my first deer from a bow when i saw that arrow go through it.

 

[treytd32]

so my friends brother was out last night and shot a doe, was unsure if he got shoulder and not the lungs, light blood and no arrow. They stopped trying to follow the trail after about 30 minutes. Dead rotting deer or limpy doe?

 

[M.Magis]

so my friends brother was out last night and shot a doe, was unsure if he got shoulder and not the lungs, light blood and no arrow. They stopped trying to follow the trail after about 30 minutes. Dead rotting deer or limpy doe?

That's not nearly enough information to go on. Just like 30 minutes isn't nearly enough time before giving up. If they don't want to put any effort into it, bow hunting may not be for them.

 

[treytd32]

that was my sentiment at first also, I even offered to come out after I got off work at midnight to look and even said I could bring my dog lol. More details have come into light since I posted this, I won't divulge to save him a scolding by half the internet voices here but in short, the deer is alive and uninjured.

 

[M.Magis]

Understood. Good to hear.

 

[CasualFisherman]

I actually shot a small doe on October 4th also. Great blood trail for 100yds then nothing. Looked for an hour on my own with no result so I had my wife drop my son off to help (I am red-green color blind and he is not) I felt better that he too could not find more blood for the first half hour or so. About 45 minutes later He found the smallest speck of blood about 50 yds or so from where the trail ended. The deer had taken a hard left . Like a blood hound he was able to follow what I would describe as a meager blood trail with tiny specks every 10 yds or so. About 100yds later he found the deer bedded behind a rock pile and very much alive. We could see the eyes shinning back at us from about a 75yd distance. (10:30 PM) We backed out and I returned at first light. The deer was right where we left her. I dressed and dragged her out and took the hose to the cavity as soon as I got home. I packed ice around her and wrapped her in a tarp until I could quarter her out that night. All the meat was good with no spoilage. I think many are quick to declare deer a lost cause. Keep after them.

I may have gotten lucky on the coyotes as we sure have many of them around my area.

 

[Ozdog]

It happens, I've lost a few in 33 seasons. They all still haunt me. It's amazing how tough they are. Early November in 2008 I had a quarter away shot @ 35 yards on a 160 class, chip shot. I was heavy into archery shooting 40 arrows a day.
Let it fly looked good, pass through a jump & a couple hopps head down tail flickering he slowly faded. I waited an hour since I didn't see the deer go down. The blood trail was great, heavy on the shot side with spatters on the other. I followed thgat for about 75 yds came to a bed loaded with blood & a spot in the leaves where he shoved his mouth & nose. Turned around & got my gear, tried to circle wide to get out, jumped a buch of does that ran that direction. Came bach 4 hours later sure I would find him, tracked over the hill acroos the creek & up under some briars there was another bed, heavy blood, tracked on to find a about a 14" radius where he coughed up blood all was hours old. Left again, got help. About 50 yds from the cough spot the blood stopped looked for a total of 2 days. Good thing I'm fat cause I didn't eat for a few days.

 

[Doboy]

We've hunted at our Muskingum camp for 35 years. Many a deer was shot & lost over night in + 60* temps!

I had a neighbor who heavily studied American Indian History. He always preached/ taught us the ways to 'Air/Sun' dry & preserve meats.

He called it 'Indian jerky'. "No Need to cook!"
(He hung his deer meat so long that the outside was BLACK & FUZZY!!!.
"Now" he said, "IT'S DONE, it's TENDER and ready to eat!" OMG)

After you find, gut, cape, & thoroughly clean w cold water & dry,,, rub down the entire carcuss, inside & out, with red & or black pepper & garlic salt if available.
Hang the meat high in a shaded tree & let it wind & air dry. (indians used 'sun racks' to dry/cure & cold smoke their jerky)
His QUOTE; If a blow fly won't land, you've done a good job.

We've had guys that didn't listen,,, they threw a bag of ice inside the cavity that wasn't caped and properly cleaned under the hide, & then wrapped it in a tarp or plastic & LEFT IT ON THE GROUND in the shade,,, sometimes for a day or two!!!
When they got home,,, they unrapped garbage.

I ALWAYS TAKE 2 CANS OF BLACK PEPPER WITH ME,,, When I warm-weather bow hunt.