The worst of days the best of days GRAPHIC

[Thumbcocker]

Got up a red oak in my climber before daylight. There were rubs and scrapes in the area. Around 7 I saw feet through the leaves and hit the grunt tube.

About 10 minutes later a doe stepped into a shooting lane. I lined up on her with the crossbow and let fly. I may have over estimated the range. She dropped at the shot. As in right there. I waited and watched. After several minutes she got up and walked away slowly. I was stunned and hadn't reloaded.

Talked to a friend and he said give her a lot of time. I reloaded and sat for an hour. I heard a noise in the leaves and saw this buck heading for a scrape. I got the crossbow up and his vitals were behind a tree. Then he turned to face me. I held for the right side of his neck with a trajectory that would go near the heart. He ambled off with his tail down. Waited another hour.

Trailed up the buck. 60 yards or so. Arrow center punched the heart. Loaded buck on truck. Looked for doe. blood and fat on the arrow. Pink blood on the trail. Then lost blood. Marked last blood.

Temperature is in the 60's. Decide to get buck quartered and cooling. Better to deal with the one in hand.

The last blood on the does trail looked pinkish. Any suggestions on what to do on the doe? Going to get back on it tomorrow.

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[slownsteady22]

Broadside or quartering away shot? Is it possible you hit the intestines?
Awesome buck by the way congrats.

[Ateam]

Light pink blood and dropped at the shot tells me high lung/spine. If you have given her a few hours to die, go ahead and cut for sign, I bet she is not far from the last blood as long as she has not been bumped.

[MrWolf]

Doesn't take long for that meat to go bad on that doe in warm weather. Had a buck go bad after not finding him for about six hours on a warm day. Hope you find her and the meat is still good.

[BK7saum]

Fair chance that she will survive if in fact a high spine shot. Light watery blood is indicative of muscle hit and likely not vital hit. I shot a small buck high in the vitals quartered away behind the shoulder. The next year I shot him again. My broad head went through and lodged in the scapula. There was a 3” section of arrow turned parallel with spine adjacent to there shoulder blade.

[marshall623]

Fair chance that she will survive if in fact a high spine shot. Light watery blood is indicative of muscle hit and likely not vital hit. I shot a small buck high in the vitals quartered away behind the shoulder. The next year I shot him again. My broad head went through and lodged in the scapula. There was a 3” section of arrow turned parallel with spine adjacent to there shoulder blade.

Agreed , light pink blood and fat on the arrow I would say you hit right over top of the spine . She will live , but we'll educated

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[smithnframe]

Cute little bugger………should be tender!

[megasupermagnum]

It's funny you mention this. Saturday dad shot a doe that he said crumped on the shot, but was kicking some. He took a second shot that apparently missed, as the doe was in tall grass, completely concealed. He said it did not move for 20 minutes, then came to get me to help him carry it out. When I got down there, there was no deer. Just a small bit of blood about like you have pictured, and a couple drips within 10 yards of the shot. Almost no blood, but I did find a tiny drip about 200-300 yards away where it had brushed through a small tree that still had leaves. That was it. I was just checking trail camera pictures today, and I'm fairly sure I see a doe from that night, about 1/2 mile from the shot, with what looks to be a shot just above the spine. It never hurts to check again, but if your arrow didn't stink, you think you shot high, and the deer wasn't dead within a reasonable range, I think it's probably a survivable shot.