Came up empty on track job (anybody experience this?)
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Came up empty on track job (anybody experience this?)
I got a text yesterday evening from a friend asking if I was free today to help him recover his buck. He shot a 3.5 year old right before dark. Per his words, it was a 35 yard shot pretty much broadside (a touch quartering away). The arrow hit a few inches back (away from shoulder) and the middle of the deer in terms of high/low.
When the buck took off, my buddy saw roughly half the arrow sticking in him. He ran 20 yards into the woods and was "coughing" for a good 2-3 minutes. He then heard some crashing though the brush and another minute or so of "coughing" then nothing. He thought it was a done deal but wanted to play it safe and not push.
He backed out and when we came back to track it was a good 14 hours after the shot. We found zero blood and no arrow. We grid-searched for hours and no buck. Anybody ever deal with something similar? We've been on plenty of track jobs together but never anything like this. He is 100% sure where he hit him but we are both confused by the lack of penetration. He shoots Killzone's (2 inch mechanical's) but has a long draw length, heavy arrows, and high poundage.
Thanks
When the buck took off, my buddy saw roughly half the arrow sticking in him. He ran 20 yards into the woods and was "coughing" for a good 2-3 minutes. He then heard some crashing though the brush and another minute or so of "coughing" then nothing. He thought it was a done deal but wanted to play it safe and not push.
He backed out and when we came back to track it was a good 14 hours after the shot. We found zero blood and no arrow. We grid-searched for hours and no buck. Anybody ever deal with something similar? We've been on plenty of track jobs together but never anything like this. He is 100% sure where he hit him but we are both confused by the lack of penetration. He shoots Killzone's (2 inch mechanical's) but has a long draw length, heavy arrows, and high poundage.
Thanks
- Dewey
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Re: Came up empty on track job (anybody experience this?)
Sounds like a high single lung hit and arrow stopped in far shoulder. Might have been quartered more than he thought. Not much blood with a single hole up high plugged with an arrow. Usually a very tough tracking job. Keep looking and don't give up too easy. Good luck.
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Re: Came up empty on track job (anybody experience this?)
Dewey wrote:Sounds like a high single lung hit and arrow stopped in far shoulder. Might have been quartered more than he thought. Not much blood with a single hole up high plugged with an arrow. Usually a very tough tracking job. Keep looking and don't give up too easy. Good luck.
All makes sense to me with the exception of lack of penetration. Arrow deflection on the hit into far shoulder? Thanks
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Re: Came up empty on track job (anybody experience this?)
I lost a doe on a similar shot in 2014. One hole up high is tough. Best of luck.
- Stanley
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Re: Came up empty on track job (anybody experience this?)
The arrow often tells the story. Sounds like he didn't get enough arrow into the buck.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
- tgreeno
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Re: Came up empty on track job (anybody experience this?)
Half an arrow, should be plenty of penetration. It's hard to believe there's no blood at all? Sometimes it's only drops, but that will give you a direction of travel.
It really sounds like a dead deer to me, if that head deployed correctly. Mechanical's scare me!
It really sounds like a dead deer to me, if that head deployed correctly. Mechanical's scare me!
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It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than to open it an remove all doubt
It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than to open it an remove all doubt
- Bedbug
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Re: Came up empty on track job (anybody experience this?)
That would be frustrating.. but that amount coughing is very promising!!
as others said the high shot with no exit explains the lack of blood. Great choice waiting 14 hrs. If there's any helpful info I could put in it would be the high possibility of him getting bumped when you're friend left the stand. You said he ran 20 yards the first time he stopped he might not have went much farther. Say 30-40 yrds? I personally couldn't exit a tree without bumping an injured deer that close. If that is the case with a single lung shot we all know the distance there capable of.
Id say dead deer and would not give up easily. Wish you the best of luck!
as others said the high shot with no exit explains the lack of blood. Great choice waiting 14 hrs. If there's any helpful info I could put in it would be the high possibility of him getting bumped when you're friend left the stand. You said he ran 20 yards the first time he stopped he might not have went much farther. Say 30-40 yrds? I personally couldn't exit a tree without bumping an injured deer that close. If that is the case with a single lung shot we all know the distance there capable of.
Id say dead deer and would not give up easily. Wish you the best of luck!
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Re: Came up empty on track job (anybody experience this?)
Did you guys try calling a blood tracking dog handler? Those dogs are amazing...
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Re: Came up empty on track job (anybody experience this?)
Thanks for all the replies. I’m still scratching my head on this one. My buddy will search again tomorrow :/
- Tufrthnails
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Re: Came up empty on track job (anybody experience this?)
Hours later can be tough to know where everything happened. i would have him get in the stand direct you to exactly where the buck was standing. There will be cut hair right there. From there he can send you where he thinks the deer went. Hands and knees sometimes to find that first blood. but if he's coughing he's prob spitting blood at least shortly thereafter.
Tuf- The below average hunting beast
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Re: Came up empty on track job (anybody experience this?)
Id second the dog. After this amount of time you searching for the antlers anyways right? Ive used one once and it was amazing to watch. Throw in it was a dachsund-mind blown.
- headgear
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Re: Came up empty on track job (anybody experience this?)
Dog for sure. Remember arrows and deer can play tricks on the eyes, very easy for a bad hit to look good in that fraction of a second. If the hit was good that is a dead deer in minutes, I'm thinking the hit was a little off from what his eyes saw.
- Wetfoot
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Re: Came up empty on track job (anybody experience this?)
Had one like that about 25 years ago. Took quite awhile to find specks of blood. Was able to track about 1/4 mile. Finally found the deer on the 3rd morning. Ravens were perched over it on the edge of a pothole swamp. Single lung hit. I'll 3rd the dog. But it's better not to muddy the track to much. The dog will done it quickly if the track isn't spoiled. good luck!
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Re: Came up empty on track job (anybody experience this?)
If he was coughing the arrow definitely hit a lung. Surprised there wasn't any blood though. He should start spitting it out at some point. One lung hits can make recovery very difficult. Best of luck to you guys.
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