Tracking injured deer :(

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my2girls

Joined
Aug 4, 2009
Messages
207
Location
Ohio
I DO NOT hunt therefore have no clue of how to track an injured deer. Here is my question; my neighbor allowed someone to hunt on her property (bow) and this person shot a deer about 5-8 ft from my property line. I did not realize this was taking place until my deer shot across the yard with tails flagging and my dogs were going NUTS. I went outside to investigate and found this man walking around with a flashlight (it was dusk). Anyway, long story short - he shot a deer (and I feel terrible because I have been putting feed out for the babies thinking hunting season was over - this took place about 40 ft from where I put feed out) sorry again, I am trying to make this short. ANYWAY, he has not been able to locate the deer. He came back out yesterday morning in the same spot trying to track it but has not had success. My girls or dogs ARE NOT liken this man walking around either so everyone is feeling the stress :( I own about 5 acres and thought maybe it could be on my property. I can't stand knowing there is an injured deer with an arrow peircing through it out there....alive....maybe. I walked my property but no luck. Where do deer typically go when they have been injured like that - I really want to find it because if it's alive I want it out of pain & misery. I voiced my concern of him hunting near my property & he promised he would not go near my property again - which I appreciate. It broke my heart because when my girls first spotted him (the next day) they freaked - snorted & took off. I was trying my best to talk to him (from inside the fence) but my dogs were going insane. My girls slowly came back over to me and stood behind me - as he turned and walked away and I turned to walk back to my house - they were shaking all over :( It kills me to see them so scared. Anyway, sorry I went on & on but this situation has me so upset. I want to find this poor deer - and to think I had 3 fawns feeding really kills me - what if it was one of them......oh God, please give me peace.
 
Thats a tough one with no blood or snow to track it.If i was you i would tell the hunter you looked with no luck.I would ask the landowner not to allow hunting on that piece of land.You dont want your girls bouncing of the fence.If its only a graze or leg shot it will survive,they are tough.Its a fact of hunting that this will happen.It did to me one time and its not a good feeling knowing that they are out there wounded but it happens.Good luck
 
Thank you. He said there was a blood trail but he has not been able to locate it. I think it's crazy to hunt at dusk because of situations such as this - my opinion. Oh, well - I will keep my eyes out for the poor thing. I had about 6 deer that have been coming regularly to feed - including 3 fawns. I feel bad because I am thinking that it may have been one coming in to eat - and.....ya know. I did not see any yesterday or the night before when this all started. It's all hills out here so there is no telling where it may have gone. Thanks again.
 
Gail, You may be at the mercy of your neighboring property owner as to whether you can have "peace in the pen". If your pen goes close to the property line you may have to invest in some type of site barrier. I have one pen close to my property line but the neighbor is a hunter and I think he appreciates the live decoys only 100 feet or so from his stand.



Your situation can get ugly in a hurry because as you know your girls can get worked up easily over little intrusions of their site.



I don't have suggestions for finding the injured deer other than binocs over the feed pile but you have probably stopped that already.



So have you ever reconsidered the possibilty of having Faline set up with a dating sevice?:p Just kidding!:D
 
It is regretable that the hunter could not have put a better shot on the deer and apparently does not possess the skills necessary to find a wounded animal. However, hunting is something we must have in this country. It is a tradition that I for one support and want to continue. Having said that, it is probably a good idea not to feed the wild deer near your pen. Hunters can take advantage of your acts of kindness and your girls coule be unnecessarily exposed to diseases from contact through the fence with the wild deer you lure in. The sight barrier Rusty suggested is a good idea, regardless of whether your neighbor continues to allow hunting near your property line or not. If you want to find the deer the man shot, find the blood train and begin walking in circles gradually expanding the diameter by 10-20 ft each time you make a round. Get your neighbor's permission to go on his property first.
 
An injured Deer always lays near a lake or water.....try looking next to the ponds nearby....I have found one injured and a dead one next to a pond.....for some reason they like to die near water...
 
Gail, I feel your pain over this and I too cring when I see a deer get hit by a car and it is not dead but lying on the ground in pain. Call me (Henry) at (717) 238-7715 and I can get you set up with site barrier.
 
this time of year they will also be using a south facing slope to gather more warmth,when a deer is hurt bad it changes it's tactics and goes into comfort/ survival mode, if it's still alive even a bad arrow hit can kill a deer in an hour or two but they could cover miles before they curl-up and hide. if you know the direction that it went to start follow and think like a deer.
 
"Most", not all, but most(80%) of deer wounded and not recovered by bowhunters do not die and usually fully recover. Arrows kill by bleeding and a hit that fails to produce enough blood loss is usually not going to kill the deer later on.



Not sure of your state but most states make it illegal to hunt close to a feeding spot, ie bait. Hunting that close to the property line I consider unethical. I would talk to the adjoining landowner about that and the bait.



troy
 
Yeh gail I went up to fill my feeder and there was a doe limping with a hole in her back flank. She was feeding and seemed to be on the mend, deer are very tough, so if it wasnt found it could still be alive.
 
Thank you everyone for responding. I have yet to spot the injured deer and I believe the hunter gave up on looking for it as well - I have not seen him either.



Rusty - haha - you are starting to sound like Mitch with the dating service comment! Tonight she may agree with you as she seems to be in heat. Oh boy.



I will continue to keep an eye out for this deer - most likely I will never find it. I just don't understand hunting at dusk like that - anything could happen.
 
Yeah, Faline was in heat about a month or so ago - had a buck tear up a good bit of my pen - even bent a metal stake in half! Faline was injured in the process - I think she cut herself on the bent stake. I guess my dogs ran him off but that is twice that I have had a buck tear up my pen. Does not make this momma very happy either. I just thank the Lord above that my girls did not escape because they sure could have. God is good!!!
 
menopause????? I just finished AI-ing a 21 year old doe and she is still cycling. What age is menopause supposed to happen to a doe?
 
the deer I have seen get a bit irregular after 15. could be the new definition of a super doe
 
She is a joy to possess. She is the matriarch of my herd and has seen just about everything a captive deer can experience, both good and bad. I hesitated as to whether to AI her this year or retire her, but as healthy as she is, I decided to give it one more shot. Naturally, she got the most expensive straw, nothing but the best for Barbara!
 

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