Kids Outdoor Outpost – November 2016

Deer Recovery

My son, Jackson, and I had been getting a lot of hang time in the deer woods before his ship date to U.S. Army Basic Training at Fort Benning. During the pre-rut weeks of September and October, we try to bowhunt over food sources, and this season was no different. In an area that we call “Big Oak,” I was set up about halfway up a ridge. Jackson was posted up in a nearby pine. 

While scanning the area in front of me, two bucks came in from over my right shoulder. The first one quickly moved through my shooting lane. I was barely ready when the second buck appeared. I gave a soft mouth doe bleat to stop him, silently drew and released my arrow. As the two bucks scampered off, I replayed the shot in my mind and locked in their direction of travel. I thought the shot may have been a little high and a little back from where I intended. 

I texted Jackson that I had arrowed a buck and that I was going to wait a few hours before getting down. While waiting, I took my binoculars to take a look at the arrow shaft that was imbedded in the ground 15 yards away. I saw it was covered in bright, red blood, a good sign that probably indicated a fatal hit. 

Around 9 a.m., Jackson came over. The arrow was covered in blood; however, there was a very faint blood trail. We followed the trail for about 100 yards, using orange marking tape every 25 yards or so to provide an indication of the route of travel the deer had taken. It was now apparent that my hit was high. The blood trail seemed to be dripping on the right side, which was the entry wound. I told Jackson the exit wound was likely plugged with intestine that stopped blood from flowing out both sides of the deer. 

After another 50 yards, we lost the trail. We did a brief search around the immediate area that revealed no additional blood. At that point, we were about two hours into the search and were doubtful we would recover the deer. I asked my son what he thought. 

He said, “Let’s go back to our last blood sign and start looking for the next droplet. Dad, we have to find this deer!” 

We both got down on our hands and knees and searched for a drop of red. He found some. Little by little, we began to establish the direction the buck ran until we came to the edge of the creek bank. The sign disappeared. 

We spent the next hour searching the area and then returned to the last blood sign, marked with our orange tape. I was pretty disappointed by that point. He told me that we need to make another check in the other direction of the creek. 

After about 75 yards, he called out “Dad, over here!” I hurriedly crossed the creek and saw the white belly hair of the buck next to an oak tree. It was a 7-pointer, very similar to the gene pool of bucks we have taken over the years here. 

As suspected, the shot was high and back, a liver hit that was plugged on one side with intestine. The moral of the story? Once you release your arrow or pull your trigger, the hard part begins. You owe it to the deer and the tradition of deer hunting to do everything you can to recover the deer, no matter how big or small, buck or doe. Many times it sure will help to have a set of young eyes to help you.