things to keep in mind after shooting a deer

[bradsmith2010]

this is just a review, and hope those with experience will chime in on dos and donts after shooting a deer,,
my first suggestion is,,,, wait one hour after the hit before taking up the trail,,, that means dont look for blood or anthing just sit still,,,
there are exceptions to this,, like all things in archery,, but if you jump the deer up before it expires,,, it can go a long way and make recovery very difficult,,
if the hit is questionable, too far back etc,, wait till the next morning,, or if a morning hunt,, wait till afternoon to take up the trail,,the deer will probably be where it bedded down,,,
   I can hear the responses about the coyotes,, yes that could happen,, but better to wait than jump the deer and have it run a mile,,, well what about rain,, well if you jump the deer in the rain trying to track to soon,, it gonna go a long way,, if you wait it will be there in the morning where it died,,  I have experienced both 

[burchett.donald]

       Good reminders Brad, been bow hunting 35 yrs+ and have hit deer from just about all angles from tree stand and ground blinds...One mistake a lot of hunters make is not waiting and jumping the deer...I have had some fall in sight, but those that don't, even if I hear the loud crash, I will make myself wait...Have shot another while waiting and that will really get you jumping...
        Checking the scene of the impact can get you busted also...Never forgot the time I came out the tree just to get a look at the impact area and recover an arrow, seeing a white flag jump about 60yds out...I sit for a second shot now...
        The worst thing that ever happened was when I shot a trotting doe in the rain...Hit to far back and she laid down within 40yds...That was a hell of a thing to watch for 3hrs...That was so many years ago and I try to be as responsible as I can and pass a lot of shots if they are not just right...Folks please be as responsible as you can, we owe it to all animals...
                                                                                                                                 Don
                                                                                                                             
 

[osage outlaw]

In early bow season our weather can be very warm.  If I'm confident in a lethal hit I'll head to the house immediately to change clothes and get help.  I  like to go from the shot to skinned and in the fridge in less than 2 hours.  I could see blood spraying out of both of my bow kills this season as they ran off.  I knew there wasn't a need to wait.  If I'm not sure about the shot I will give it more time.   

[bradsmith2010]

yes the more experience you have ,, the better idea you have on how long to wait,, and sometimes it is a judgment call with weather,, etc,,
1,, example,, my friend shot deer in morning,, came to get me, ,I said we need to wait ,, he said I have to go to work and it will spoil by tomorrow,, ok then ,, I got my dog and we went,, yes the deer jumped up and ran out of sight,, no way without the dog,,no blood,, the deer went at least 300 yards and we recovered it with the dog,,, the deer was not 50 yards from where he shot it,, and probably would have died there with the proper wait time,,

[Outbackbob48]

Right after the shot I try and listen, sometimes the brush breaking sounds just end and sometimes I hear again as in thrashing , I also carry a compass around my neck and try to remember to take a direction reading while fresh in your mind, also pick last seen landmark.Things look different after climbing out of stand. I will also never give up on a hit deer, I have found some really bad hit deer thru persistence but more importantly have become a better tracker thru persistence. Bob

[bradsmith2010]

great suggestions,, 

[StickMark]

Osage Outlaw,

Second the summer season suggestion.  I often hunted a high but still hot wilderness valley in our Arizona velvet season, but this last harvest made me realize how foolish that may have been.  Best case: release arrow, wait 45 min's, go track, start cutting and boning, pack it out super fast, around three and a half hours best case.  Bad hit, in temps of 90's, bad deal.

[Pappy]

Gut shot I wait a minimum of 4 hours, ponch shot 12 hours, flesh wounds I get on soon, as others have said from experience I kind of have an idea of how long to wait, if like Clint I see the arrow and blood pouring as it leaves I ease down and leave in the other direction to the cabin, change cloth and take up the track, on the other hand if it is a questionable shot I stay quite and in the stand for at least 30 minutes then ease out in the opposite direction and give it some time. As b-d said I don't even look for the arrow. I don't know how many tracks I have been on and the guy says he hasn't pushed the deer and as we track he says I didn't find any blood here and we may be 30 /40 yards into it. Especially older deer will head home, where ever that is at if pushed, if not most will bed within 100 yards of the hit if they don't know what happened to them. Once they figure out you are looking for them all bets are off, if they can move they will.
 Pappy

[BowEd]

Gut shot I wait a minimum of 4 hours, ponch shot 12 hours, flesh wounds I get on soon, as others have said from experience I kind of have an idea of how long to wait, if like Clint I see the arrow and blood pouring as it leaves I ease down and leave in the other direction to the cabin, change cloth and take up the track, on the other hand if it is a questionable shot I stay quite and in the stand for at least 30 minutes then ease out in the opposite direction and give it some time. As b-d said I don't even look for the arrow. I don't know how many tracks I have been on and the guy says he hasn't pushed the deer and as we track he says I didn't find any blood here and we may be 30 /40 yards into it. Especially older deer will head home, where ever that is at if pushed, if not most will bed within 100 yards of the hit if they don't know what happened to them. Once they figure out you are looking for them all bets are off, if they can move they will.
 Pappy

That's pretty much the size of it.Your right Pappy.I will add a hard hit deer most times will run downhill/tail down on it's own if not pushed or scared and your looking for a blood trail.