help please

work. i wish i could spend the whole day looking. i'll be looking the next time i get out there, as well as during other times when i hunt that property. also keeping an eye on the roads and letting neighbours know. it's a highly pressured area so it won't suprise me if someone else manages to find him or has already. if he's left the bush i hunt, it's very likely someone else saw him and shot him as there are a ton of other parties.

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Originally Posted by blasted_saber

Id of been looking all day if I shot at that time. Theres still 5 hours of light left. Why leave?

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An active animal will restrict blood flow to it's secondary organs (intestines, etc) to increase oxygenated blood flow to muscles. When at rest, the opposite occurs. If a gut shot deer is bumped constantly and not resting, little blood will flow from the wound. The best bet is to leave it alone and let it rest (increasing blood flow to the wound) and hopefully it will expire.

it happens...hang in there

I would never leave an animal shot at 1pm longer then an hour before searching, especially in this heat. If its not found its wasted that night. I would be going crazy if I wasnt out looking for it.

The OP has extenuating circumstances though, so he cant be blamed.

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Originally Posted by Dythbringer

An active animal will restrict blood flow to it's secondary organs (intestines, etc) to increase oxygenated blood flow to muscles. When at rest, the opposite occurs. If a gut shot deer is bumped constantly and not resting, little blood will flow from the wound. The best bet is to leave it alone and let it rest (increasing blood flow to the wound) and hopefully it will expire.

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Originally Posted by blasted_saber

I would never leave an animal shot at 1pm longer then an hour before searching, especially in this heat. If its not found its wasted that night. I would be going crazy if I wasnt out looking for it.

The OP has extenuating circumstances though, so he cant be blamed.

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A gut shot deer doesn't die right away. It takes hours. Until the deer expires, the meat is fine. If you look too soon for a gut shot deer, you risk bumping the animal and since there is no blood trail to follow you have an extremely good chance of loosing that deer. The heat does suck but I would rather lose a good portion of the meat than bump a deer and lose all of it.

Ive seen gut shot deer with a bow still alive ten hours later. Only way I found him was snow on the ground.

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Originally Posted by Dythbringer

A gut shot deer doesn't die right away. It takes hours. Until the deer expires, the meat is fine. If you look too soon for a gut shot deer, you risk bumping the animal and since there is no blood trail to follow you have an extremely good chance of loosing that deer. The heat does suck but I would rather lose a good portion of the meat than bump a deer and lose all of it.

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Yup, I agree.
In my experiences a gut shot deer is usually a tough recovery if recovered at all. If they get bumped they can go very far and probably off the property.
Every gut shot deer I've ever helped track has headed for some water source. Look close to a creek, pond or a swamp. Try to follow the tracks if you can. Good luck.

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Originally Posted by Obi-wanShinobi

Yup, I agree.
In my experiences a gut shot deer is usually a tough recovery if recovered at all. If they get bumped they can go very far and probably off the property.
Every gut shot deer I've ever helped track has headed for some water source. Look close to a creek, pond or a swamp. Try to follow the tracks if you can. Good luck.

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I have read they head for water because a gut shot deer usually dies from blood poisoning and the fever from it makes them hot and thirsty.

But, he shot it yesterday afternoon right?

Mark

One year,I killed a doe with the bow near last light and it was 60 degree weather ( long story) and I didn't find it until noon. It was still good.