Should I wait it out?

[Jhucke]

Hey guys first post on this forum. Yesterday was opening day bowhunting here in Wisconsin and I was able to take my shot at a 10 pointer on my land. The shot placement seemed a little low, but was still able to avoid the front shoulder (just above it). I got pretty excited because the exit hole hit the opposite shoulder, sending the buck from a standstill to a flip head-over-heals. I thought that it would have been a perfect shot, but this deer is tough!

I waited about 2 hours to start tracking and when I did, I found blood right away which had me thinking that it would be a simple track. The blood was continuous and plentiful. Unfortunately, I kicked it up a little sending it across a road. Blood covering the road I decided to leave it until morning so he could die in peace.

In the morning (10 hours later), 10 yards from where I left it, I kicked it up again. The deer was laying in a pile of blood but still able to run a little even with the wrecked shoulder. We tracked it for another hour and decided to leave it. This phantom deer is really bugging me. Should I give it another day to die? I'm amazed that this thing is still living!

What would you guys do?

[kellory]

Welcome to the forum. You will hear several answers to that question, but here's mine. I would go after it now. ARMED. If you kick it up, put it back down with another shot! I would not wait for scavengers to find it. You said it could run a little, That does not sound like it would be too hard to hit again.
Wherever you hit that deer, it sound like it will be a long time dying.
You have given it plenty of time if it were a hard hit, I don't think you hit heart/lungs , I think you're dealing with broken bone and blood loss. If it is gut shot, the bacteria is loose to play havoc with the meat. I would not wait more time, or you might not have much to recover.
As long as it is legal to be armed while recovering deer where you are, That is what I would do.

[Woods Walker]

Sounds like a non-fatal wound. The deer still may die from gangrene or some other indirect cause. I would go after it with 2 armed people. Track SLOW and CAREFULLY. The person who's the shooter should be NOT watching sign, but looking fro the deer and hopefully a chance to get killing shot. This is not easy to do and luck will play a big part in it. But it may be the only chance you have. It'd be great to get the deer and see where exactky you did hit it at first so you can make sure you never do that again.

This deer may very well live, also, albeit with a limp. They are tough. I've seen deer with a broken leg surviving just fine.

[charlie 01]

Both good answers guys. As long as he is bleeding, keep pushing him till he gets weak enough to get close enough for a second shot. He has more than a broken leg, that arrow went through him. Keep after him, he will get to a point where he will be too weak to get up.

[RyanCGrover47]

I've got to agree with the guys on this one. If he keeps bedding down like you say, and he's still bleeding; he's getting weaker. Have a person there to look for blood and have yourself look for the deer. If you're quiet and stealthy you should be able to give him one in the pump station and hopefully next time you walk up on him he'll be dead. Keep us updated!

[pgchambers]

All good advice if you have the space. If you are close to pushing him onto land you can't access, you may want to back off and let him be. It would be great if we all got along, but I know too many land owners in WI that care less about the animal than they do about keeping the neighbors off their land. Only you know the whole situation, so best of luck.

[Proline]

I guess the guy never got him as he didnt come back with a pic? Agree with Kellroy I would have been right on him the next day trying to get another arrow in him.