Bad shot, no recovery. What you guys think?

[Daniel23]

Shot a nice buck today with the muzzleloader. Tracked it about 800-1000 yards. Found some good blood in the beginning nice and red, then about 100 yards later drops and then sometimes it was a little more then just drops. When looking into the blood 2 times i found bone pieces. One pice of bone about 4 inches and another about 1 inch. Has anyone found pieces of bone when tracking a deer? Where do you think my shot was? I think i hit him to far forward and got the leg and just missed my target. Do you guys think its a fatal hit?

[Joeybeets]

Might consider the help  of a tracking dog in the morning. Good luck. 

[Mpdiesel]

How long did you wait before tracking? 800-1000 yards is a long ways for no recovery. Probably pushed him at some point. 

[LPJR]

How far was the shot? With no further info, you may have struck a leg below the vitals hence the fragmented bone pieces.......

[Daniel23]

70yd-80yd shot. And about 30mins because it was getting late.

[Daniel23]

it was a quartering away shot 

[birdshotnj]

Sounds like you hit leg. The deer probably won't survive, but he won't die right away either.  Call a tracking dog in the morning, the deer deserves it. Good luck and keep us posted

Edited November 28, 2018 by birdshotnj

[LPJR]

The buck may be fine. Sounds like a little low, struck in one of his legs perhaps. 

[Mpdiesel]

Quartering away at 70-80 yards with 800-1000 yard track job I would say that deer is still alive. Hurt, but for the time being still alive. Sounds like you are forward and you hit the leg which is why you see bone fragments. 

If it was me, I would be back out in the morning pick up last blood and attempt to keep looking. Worst thing that happens is you jump the deer because he's still alive.

[Merkel]

I’m thinking same thing as Mpdiesel but would consider calling a tracking dog. Let us know how you make out. Good luck. 

[Pqreturn62]

Tracking dog and identify water sources, he won’t run a fever right away, but will develop an inquenchable thirst from all the blood loss. 

Definitely hit bone but 1000 yds is a long way to be running on 3 shoulders with what you hope is at least a liver hit or single punctured lung from a quartering shot. I think if you got shoulder, you just knicked it with the most likely bones being ribs that are falling out of the wound on a quartering shot. Either way, get the dog, find the water, and be prepared to find him in the thickest stuff around or jammed under a log somewhere. Recovered a 6 pointer last year the morning after  in some skunk cabbage so well hidden that I walked past him twice and was in the process of giving up when I essentially tripped over him.

[Rusty]

7 hours ago, Joeybeets said:

Might consider the help  of a tracking dog in the morning. Good luck. 

[Buck154]

Sounds like you shot low and broke the leg. A dog might find it but it will be alive still and will have to be finished off. 

[tcook8296]

There is only one  guy here  that can give you the advice you need. Hopecully he  chimes in. 

Have a pen and paper ready so you can make a list

Edited November 28, 2018 by tcook8296

[Ringtail]

Sounds like a leg shot. I had the same thing happen this year but with my bow. He showed back up on cam a couple days later. The neighbor just put a lethal shot on him last week.