re: Cant find your deer... How long do you stay?

Shot an 8 point one morning at about 30 yards. Front scope mount was loose but didn't know it.

Found some blood and a chunk of meat on a sapling just past where he was standing. Trailed him thinking he was dead but couldn't find any blood.


Eventually I found a pool of blood. Lots of it about 100 yards away. Went and got help from 3 other guys. We looked for the path he took but couldn't find squat.

They drove away to get some lunch midday. I ate and went back to search. Found a little blood. About 1 drop every 30 yards. Then it was a speck every few feet.

Followed him on my hands and knees for another 100 yards. Took hours. Finally lost the trail. But kept trying to find another drop. Jumped up the deer (heard it only) as it crossed a creek 30 yards from where I last found blood.

Found a little meat on the other side of the creek like what you might pick out of your teeth. It was stuck on a greenbrier. Of course that was just before it exited the creek and the trail split in three directions immediately after that.

I was very quiet and slow and spent and 15 minutes looking for sign. within 30 yards of that meat. Nada. Then I see a buck looking at me 50 yards off. It looks like it is coming my way. I get ready but it disappears. Wait wait nothing.

I walk over and discover it dropped into a little depression and dropped out of sight and crossed the creek. Find a couple more drops of blood then nothing.

I know that deer is bedded down close to that last crossing. I go back and tell the guys that drove back up for the evening hunt. We circle the area.

Light is fading and I know where that deer has to be. I get up and push through that are. I never hear the deer but I pushed it by my buddy. He fires with a 45-70 right at dark as the deer limbs by. Clean miss. We didn't know it so we went back with lights and searched for an hour in the dark. Find nothing.

A couple days later the guy a guy is hunting same stand the 45/70 miss came out of. He sees the deer and shoots it. It drops. He is new to hunting. Never killed a deer before.

He waits till dark knowing it is the deer I shot since it was hurt. He walks over to the dead deer and grabs its rack. 8 point. He puts his hand on the deer and it is still very warm.

He figures it is feverish from infection so leaves. As I drive out that same evening after he left I talk to danny. Danny tells me the story. I get the guys number and he tells me where. I go there and search for an hour in the dark. I know the deer is dead within sight of the stand. Can't find it.

Turns out my shot had been low due to the mount and nearly blew of the deer front leg. Only skin holding it on is what he said.

They look their next trip. Deer gone. Don't know what exactly happened but that guy didn't kill the deer somehow. It layed "dead" for over an hour in front of the guy and then the guy leaves. 1 hour to 30 minutes later i searched the area and the deer was freaking gone already.

The guy put his hands on a live deer and didn't know it. crazy! Newbee!

That deer just didn't want to be eaten by humans. No doubt the coyotes got him after being shot at 3 times and hit twice. I searched the area after the fact just trying to find the carcass to no avail.

I have no idea where the guy shot him it put the deer down but only for a little while. Wasn't in the antlers because they weren't broke.