Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Serious Deer Talk Forum Couldn’t find buck even with a dog, thoughts?

Hey guys, long time lurker first time poster. Need some thoughts and opinions on my day today and what to expect.

Shot a stellar buck at 6:30 this morning with a rack as wide as goal posts. First deer taken at our place in a few years, possibly the biggest or easily one of the biggest I’ve ever seen out here. Shot was at 100 yards and I was lined up broadside but he was moving quick and was almost out of my sight. I gave a quick bleat to get him to check up but he took a step toward my direction to look, almost like quartering but not quite. I took the shot aimed behind the shoulder and he curled up for half a second and took off onto the neighbors property.

Figured it was possibly a lung shot, so waited an hour for a buddy to come help and got permission from the neighbors to enter. Found the blood trail, and my buddy thought the color of the blood indicated a possible one lung shot with its color being red and what we thought might’ve been a few bubbles. Blood trail was solid and consistent and it looked like in spots he was coughing it up. We trailed it for nearly 450 yards and heard a rustle up ahead, and sure enough we bumped him off a bloody bed. Deer had been shot for nearly 2:30 hours. We backed off till a little before noon at the bed, but it wasn’t much further until the blood kept spacing out and getting smaller like it was clotting. Last spot was pinhead sized dots before he crossed a small creek. We tried to pick the trial back up but no luck, and started to fan the surrounding area. We finally were able to call a dog in, and he was able to pick whereabouts he had been on the other side of the creek, but he lost the scent shortly thereafter, still with no blood we could find. We let the dog work up and down the creek and in the direction it looked like he was heading, but no luck. The wind was blowing pretty solid to the north, which is probably the direction he went based on the cover and surrounding properties. I trust the guy and his dog, they have a good track record around here. In total we spent 6-7 hours looking and were 500+ yards from the stand with no heading at that point.

Obviously it was poor shot on my behalf and might’ve been low and missed vitals, the fur I found was mostly white it seemed. I was planning on going back to the last known spot tomorrow for a few hours and looking around hoping he might have circled back and expired near there. But I figure if the dog couldn’t find him, he’s probably long gone after that bump and there isn’t much I can do now except hope that he lives and I’ll see him again. I really don’t know know if the shot was fatal or not based on all this. I want to keep looking but the area covers two other properties that are also hunted, so that doesn’t help either.

Never not been able to find a deer, let alone a dog not being able to find him, but this is only my third deer.

What do y’all think? Have we done all we can do at this point? What should’ve been done differently if anything?

Shot with 150gr .308

call another dog and try it again

Keep an eye on the skies while you're out there tromping around.

Get another dog.

From the sound I believe it was gut they normally hump up with that shot.

Yupp I wouldn't be surprised if he stayed in that creek

Good luck w your search - if u did not hit him good enough - maybe he turn back up on camera - double check that creek

It’s happened to most all of us - about 25 day before thanksgivings ago I clean missed an absolute stud - everything felt great - after hours of looking I went back to stand to find shot line - i found a big ole frayed limb I had shot - bullet never made it to him - never shot another one like that sense - it was a pretty good gut punch at the time - but it happens - hope u find him

Sounds like gut shot from everything described. Would bet deer is dead somewhere in creek. Good chance he traveled creek bed and may be why dog couldn’t locate on other side. Check any deep holes.

He’s most likely dead…….not sure where you are located…..but Harold and Otis will find him if you are close enough. I do not want to knock any man’s dog but I’ve seen Otis in action and he’s legit! Good luck!

Sounds like a gutshot unfortunately. If you jump them out of a bed like that they go a long way. Just to make sure dont give up and keep looking alomg as suggested.

If he's gut shot he'll most likely die keep an eye out I'd get another dog also...

You in Athens? I track out that way alot

Did not wait long enough. Even on a 1 lung shot they can live 12 hrs at times. Get another dog your deer is dead by now.

All dogs are not equal

Merry Christmas! Thanks for all the replies everyone. So possible gut shot then? I never found any discolored or green blood, not disagreeing just trying to learn. And yeah that’s correct with the dog, he made it to another contributing stream very close before he lost it. Might have an issue getting another dog out here today with it being Christmas, but yeah if he has expired the chances would be way better. I’m about to head back down there now.

What part of limestone co was this in?

Keep looking dont give up. GOOD LUCK

JohnV just said he tracks around Athens a lot. Get him out there if you can. If not be sure to grid search the first bed that you found. From reading the tracking threads on here, they sometimes circle back to the original bed that they were jumped from.

Sounds like gut shot to me. If they are quartering to you and you put one behind shoulder you could have missed lungs entirely. I like those shots but the aim point should have been in front of the shoulder, not behind it.

I've seem them run down the edge of creeks in the water then bed on the edge of the bank more times than I can count. I would walk down the bank as far I could on each side if possible I'm talking 1,000 yards before I'd turn back and check each direction. Of course I have no idea what the creek looks like