to wait to start tracking a deer. I shot him at about 7:15 and I obviously didn't shoot him very well because he ran off. Couldn't find any blood for about 40 or 50 yds and when it started it was not plentiful or foamy. I couldn't pick up any particular odor from it either. I don't think he's gut shot and I don't think he's lung shot but I know he's shot. He may just be gone.

Am I safe to think that if I missed vitals I'll have to get lucky and have him just bleed out or else he survives and I never see him again and if he's going to bleed out he ought to be done doing that within 3 hours or so? It was not a lot of blood but I didn't follow the trail very far so I don't know if it gets heavier as the trail goes.

If you shot him with a rifle then yes I'd think 3 hours is long enough.

If your unsure call a dog in before going after him.

Yes. 30.06.

Where you located?

South Jeff co.

This is not a trophy but I want the meat.

What is the nearest town

With a 30.06, unless you just grazed him or hit it in the lower part of a leg - you should be ok. I've gut shot a few, hit some in the flank area, and normally with that caliber they are recovered. Good luck.

I would go now and see if I could pick up the trail and follow it at least 200 yds. If blood is hard to follow decide about calling a dog. If you are confident in following the trail keep going.

Call me

Ok I tracked for about 200 yds, a drop at a time. Lost the trail a couple of times and then found it but it finally played out. Over that distance I did not find enough blood to fill up a Dixie cup. The blood was not pink and had no bubbles so I'm confident I missed his lungs. The blood was bright red and did not smell of gut so I'm confident I did not gut shoot him. I see no way he could survive a heart shot or severed artery for more than 3 hours. I saw him favoring his left front shoulder after the shot but it was more of just a limp rather than him being unable to use that leg.

I'm pretty sure the verdict is that I made a poor, non-lethal shot and he's off trying to make babies as I type this.

This has been a crazy season for me. I've seen more deer this year than probably the rest of the time I've been hunting (2012). In the early season I was covered up in deer inside bow range and couldn't get one to step into a spot where I could shoot. Then it went dead when it was supposed to go crazy. I'm not sure if I saw a single deer on Cahaba WMA in the month of December. Jan 1 rolls around and I start hunting behind my house on my neighbors property and I'm covered up in bucks. I've shot at 3 bucks in the last 8 days and haven't killed any of them. The first one I dead centered a sapling and watched him and his doe run off down the hill. The day before yesterday I shot free hand (which is something I will not be doing again) at a buck just a few minutes after 5:00 and missed him clean, and this morning I shot what was probably a yearling 6 pt and screwed the shot up.

I think I kinda suck at this. I'm happy that I've been able to get in the right areas for most of the year but I'm unhappy that I can't seem to close the deal. I don't know what happened this morning, I just didn't kill him.

Sounds to me like you need more range time.

You got buck fever. I have had it before and still get it.

Call a dog and give this animal some respect by making every effort to recover it.

He may not be dead but you need to be sure.

Why don’t you call Idaho mike and recover him.

x2 you owe it to the deer. If he was favoring a leg, Lucy should be able to catch up to him.

Mike has asked for you to call him.

He gladly works off of donations.

Why would you not call him and at least let him try?

I pm'd him.

Don’t pm him, call him...he might not see it till Monday. I’ll pay the fee!

If I’m not mistaken smells is dealing with VERY small acreage here. A tracking dog might not be an option.
I hope you find him buddy.