Have you ever had a shot buck do this ?

[saddlesniper]

Thanks for all the help Dan especially for your videos and this web sight. Back on Nov. 3 I hunted a bed with a south wind. The leaves were a little wet from rain the day before. I got within 70yds of a bed, not knowing if the buck was there. The buck I thought was there was actually east of me around 3:30. Thinking my hunt was over, at 5:40 a bigger buck came out out of the bed I was hunting. A doe pulled him over to my tree he started to tend. I took a shot at 20 yds he was quartering to me ( Not good ) but not seeing me he limped over north of me and stood so I took a second shot at a little window of chest area. He ran low, like this time I did some major damage. I pulled out of the area and checked the first arrow it had white hair and guts on it. So I went way out of the way as not to bump him and waited until the morning; thinking he would lay down. Morning comes and I found blood trailing it starts fine and constant for 100 yds then bam at the end of my bedding area nothing. (Ive been bow hunting with good success for 28 years however in the last 5 years I have been focusing on deer that are over 100 inches.) Did a body search of my property and next to me, but I think he grew up across the road where I would see him and neighbor has pic's of him. QUESTION: Would he go to or try and make it to his primary bed? And has anyone seen that happen? (I have not) Thanks again.

[Stanley]

In my experiences they head for water if any is around.

[dan]

I have seen them go back to there primary bed. Happened last year with that opening week buck I shot... But if you got liver he is heading to water like Stan mentioned. Could be he just goes till he drops, could be heading for familiar territory, or the 1st good situation to see if he is being tracked... Gut shot deer should be hurting and should lay down fairly fast. He is dead out there somewhere. gut shots are fatal.

[Stanley]

I have seen them go back to there primary bed. Happened last year with that opening week buck I shot... But if you got liver he is heading to water like Stan mentioned. Could be he just goes till he drops, could be heading for familiar territory, or the 1st good situation to see if he is being tracked... Gut shot deer should be hurting and should lay down fairly fast. He is dead out there somewhere. gut shots are fatal.

This is the key thing to remember on gut shot deer.

[JV NC]

I shot a buck in 2008 that I backed out and later blood trailed for over 500yds. I even got a hound in here to track him (and some friends). We struck out in 3 days of looking. I had to get out of the property due to the guys on the lease beside me not wanting me in there for the ML season. They were nice to let me in there at all.

I went back and looked, periodically, for that buck. I knew he was dead. I found him 27 days later, 60yds from where I'd shot him, directly behind me....in the opposite direction of where he'd ran. He was likely there the whole time (died there, that day).

IF he can make it, I think they'll go wherever they feel the safest.

I agree with Stanley, also. If you gut shot this buck, he's dead.

[goldtip5575]

I know a guy who gut shot a buck and lost the blood trail.He talked to the nieghbor who knew where that buck was bedded over a mile away and they found it the next morning dead in his bedding area.

[VA5326]

I've posted before on this same type of thing. As Dan said. They're either going to water or familiar territory. Usually on a gut shot buck, I will back out at the first available opportunity and not step foot back in the area for at least 8 hours. It works, believe me. I recovered one of my best bucks ever last year by backing out and waiting at least 8 hours or more before getting back in there. He is dead in there somewhere, for sure.