Well, it's that time that none of us like.  I shot a little buck, and it looked like a decent shot, though a little far back.  Saw him run hard a ways, crash, then pop out and walk stiffly up a hill and into the neighbors' pasture.  We trailed him a ways and checked out the blood.  It's definatly a lethal shot, but not a quick one, obviously.  We followed him halfway across the field and could hear what we think is him sounding like a wounded deer just inside the woods.  We marked the spot and left.  Going to give him a while and go try again.  This is the first time in ten years I've had one run over a hundered yards.  Sure hope we can find him tonight.  I'm afraid with the coyotes around here there won't be much left in the morning.

Tough one....hope it goes well.

dear lord - help daniel find this animal - aman.      5

Don't leave the blood trail to start following sounds.  Stick to the blood and the deer will be at the end of it.

My favorite trick with a light bleeder is to drag a 20 ft piece of 1/4" rope.  If the trail stops I drop the end and circle until I find it again.  Then retrieve the rope and resume tracking.  It shows you trends and is easy to see in low light.

Take a spray bottle of Hydrogen peroxide with you. If it even resembles blood spray it. if it foams you will know for sure.

QuoteOriginally posted by Stumpkiller:
Don't leave the blood trail to start following sounds.  Stick to the blood and the deer will be at the end of it.

My favorite trick with a light bleeder is to drag a 20 ft piece of 1/4" rope.  If the trail stops I drop the end and circle until I find it again.  Then retrieve the rope and resume tracking.  It shows you trends and is easy to see in low light.

thanks for the TIP
I have never heard of that but will add it to my tracking List.

My favorite trick with a light bleeder is to drag a 20 ft piece of 1/4" rope. If the trail stops I drop the end and circle until I find it again. Then retrieve the rope and resume tracking. It shows you trends and is easy to see in low light.

X2 Charlie, thanks for the tip.

Good luck in finding your deer sir!      

Thats a great idea Stumpkiller. Hope you find that deer.

Good luck. Really hope it works out for ya,

Best of luck and keep us posted.

Best of luck on finding your deer.

Sounds like a liver hit Sweeny. Lots of blood....bright red....then the trail dwindles down to almost nothing. When this has happened to me I left them over night and the deer was less than 60 yards dead from the last spot of blood, but you cannot push them. You have to give the deer time to expire and sometimes it takes awhile on a liver hit, especially if you only sliced the edge of it and not center punched it. A minimum of 6hrs. is the norm and over night is better. I know your worried the coyotes will get him, but it would be better to stand guard over the blood trail and wait in the dark than to go ahead with the search and jump the buck out of his death bed. If that happens you may never find him.
I would recommend the over night wait, get up an hour before daylight and be at the last spot of blood waiting for daybreak to come, then resume the track.
Good Luck.

Update:  We got it.  It hadn't gone much further, and had just fallen down on the run.  It wasn't bedded down to die.  I am glad.  Turns out it was a very good shot, but that was just one tough animal.  I've made worse shots when they didn't go near as far.  I guess that wheezing sound was some other critter, but it sounded very similar to a deer I shot several years ago that I watched die from the stand.  That wasn't real fun; I'd rather they run off a moderate distance, but not this far.  

Anyway, it is dressed and hanging.  Figured you all would like to know.  Thanks for all the well wishes and the tips.  We usually mark the last blood with an arrow stuck in the ground, but that doesn't work so well at night.  

I'm off to bed.  Much relieved.  I was getting agitated and wasn't going to sleep too well.  Will be better now.

A truly happy ending - Congrats

Great outcome!  That's the way to stick with it.

good stuff  

I always enjoy hearing about people who stick with difficult trails and end up bringing home their kills.

Always good when theres fur at the end of the trail. Congrats.

good job in the recovery of your deer.anxiety  can ruin a potential good nights sleep. congrats on your harvest,it was hard earned, ruddy

Way to stay with it Congrats on the Buck