Miles away???
Dammit, I always thought they went straight to water to hide and recoup?
I'm hoping as sun sets it will come out of marsh (assuming its still there and if its able) and try to go back to safety beyond me and I'll get another shot.
A gut shot deer will usually run till it gets tired and lay down and die, eventually. Searching for it may bump him and cause him to run. That's when a good dog is handy. A hog will run till he runs out of gas. My experience anyway
I didn't know that deer knew first aid until one day I came across a pretty heavy blood trail and followed it cuz I thought the deer surely couldn't have gone far. it headed to a stream and leaned against a big rock covered in ice that acted like a cold compress and slowed the bleeding considerably. he must have been there for some time. after he left the blood trail disapeared and I never found it or the person that shot it until we spotted it from the truck app 4 hours later and miles from the stream. we should have done the humane thing and put it down on the spot, but the warden said not to.
Deer are amazing creatures. Arrowed Gut Shot deer if left alone will usually go a safe distance and lay down and die. If you push it or go looking to soon they will and can go quite a distance.
My first arrowed buck I had down to the tree he came out into the alfalfa field by and what time. Watched him several nights from a distance. Was waiting in my stand at the right time and he came out as planned. Stopped 25 yrds broadside. I put an arrow through him and into the ground. I watched him run down the field and enter the woods again. I was about 14-15 and had shot some deer with guns but only two does with my bow and my cousins helped with them. I didn't know to wait and climbed down out of the tree and walked to where I saw him enter the woods, only to hear him take off running. I walked on down to find two blood spots where he was standing, one coming from each side. Back at that time the only broadheads we had were those you resharpened and it was tough to get them real sharp.
Even so if I would of waited at least 30 minutes I believe he would of been laying dead right there. As it was when he took off running there was just a spot of blood here and there. We looked for 2-3 hrs that night and I went back the next day by myself and looked for several more hrs. Never found him. Tough lesson to learn, but one that I have never forgot. Last buck I shot with a bow (evening hunt) I realised that he was hit to far back and decided to back out and look again the next morning. Found him laying about 350 yrds from where I shot him.
Gut shot deer need to be left alone for at least 4 hrs before tracking or you will just keep pushing them further away.
