One of the worst feelings in bowhunting whitetail is knowing you made a bad shot, particularly a gut shot. Considered by many to be a non-lethal hit, gut-shot deer can be very hard to track and seemingly impossible to recover sometimes. However, with the right decisions and proper strategies, this poor hit can actually yield a fairly high recovery rate. By interviewing several dozen tracking experts we’ll cut the crap and get down to the nitty gritty of how you can take an errant shot and turn it into one that has a happy ending to the blood trail.
If you’ve hunted long enough you’re bound to “gut-shoot” a deer. I’ll admit I’ve had a few, and will share my experiences and lessons learned at various points in this article. The problem with taking one person’s advice, however, is that when discussing one specific hit it takes a lifetime to accumulate enough experience to knowledgeably speak to it. So, to fast track our insight I reached out to several deer tracking networks to get a much broader picture and many more data points to draw from. If you think about it, one tracker may get experience on as many gut-shot deer in one year as most hunters do in their lifetime. By interviewing dozens of trackers who have a cumulative hundreds of years experience on thousands of tracks, you can probably see we can greatly expand our knowledge while also condensing the time to gain it. So, in a summarized format I’m going to share what deer trackers revealed are keys to recovering gut-shot deer with nine questions I asked, along with a few helpful personal anecdotes.
Tracker Questions: Keys to Finding Gut-shot Deer
What do you consider a gut shot?
(This is important to define so you know how to be honest about your hit and how you should respond) In short, anything behind the diaphragm and below the spine and back meat should be considered a gut shot. This could include the liver if only clipped, as well as the stomach and/or intestines. It could be as far forward as the diaphragm, and one must consider angles of your shot and where the entire arrow will travel due to this angle. For a quartering to or away shot, this could even include one lung if exiting or entering through the stomach and still be considered “gut shot.”
What is the difference, or is there, between a stomach hit and an intestines hit? How can one tell the difference?
The biggest way to know this is visually marking on the animal where the arrow impacted as well as the angle of the shot and knowing your anatomy. If closer to the ribs, it will be the stomach, but further back will be the intestines. Most trackers agreed that a stomach hit deer will die much quicker and be easier to recover. Intestine hit deer may live weeks, where a stomach hit deer less than a day. If you’re not sure, giving at least 12 hours for stomach and 24 hours for an intestine hit was the general consensus. Of several deer I (author) hit in the last five years that I suspected were gut-shot, most only made it 150 yards. In my case the arrow impacted the ribs but the angle took the arrow into the stomach leaving gut matter on the arrow, but also cutting through at least one lung and the liver on its way. So, knowing anatomy and paying close attention to the shot placement and angle will help you make the call.
What are key indicators that a deer is gut-shot and should be treated as such?
Other than impact location, the deer will often only run 30-50 yards and start walking. They may hunch over, stand in one place, twitch their tail excessively, lick their nose excessively, and many times will bed down within sight. There may be minimal blood on the arrow, and if smelled will stink. Green or brown matter can often be found on the arrow and sometimes chunks of chewed food. Interestingly, one tracker suggested that if you cannot tell, put your arrow on your vehicle’s dash with the defrost on high and close the doors. After five minutes you’ll be able to smell the stench of a gut shot if so.
What’s the first thing a hunter should do when they suspect they gut-shot a deer?
Visually mark the last sighting and be specific with something (like a tree) the deer walked by. Stay on stand as long as possible (minimum 30 minutes) and leave in the opposite direction the deer went. Make sure you do not allow them to hear, see, or scent you if possible as they may be bedded within 100 yards. If you must, carefully and very quietly check the site of impact and arrow if you can find it for evidence of the kind of hit you have, then back out and give at least 12 hours. If you don’t have confidence in the hit or your ability to recover it, call a tracker immediately as they can also give you advice. The biggest thing is to not get too excited and push the deer, but back out and play it safe. Many times if you don’t push them and give them time, they will be in their first bed and dead, but only if you practice patience and do not push them.
Are there factors that dictate how quickly you should begin tracking?
Factors such as incoming rain, hot temperatures, work schedules, and coyotes in the area may make you want to track faster than the suggested 12-24 hour wait time. However, the tracker responses gave me a few surprises. Most trackers said to still wait the 12-24 hours regardless. The meat will likely spoil and rain usually doesn’t affect the track much if you have a dog. So if it is going to rain, still waiting but getting a tracking dog is key.
If coyotes are in the area, this should actually make you wait because a jumped and running deer puts more scent in the air and on the ground and increases chances a coyote will find it. If you have good blood, and possibly saw it bed down, this could be a better indication you can begin your track earlier (12 hours) without a dog. Again, refrain from being impatient as you do not want to jump the deer but allowing it to die in its first bed is the goal since they typically will only go a hundred yards or so, making it much easier to find.
What are the biggest errors hunters make when tracking a gut-shot deer?
When you shoot a deer, particularly a big buck, your adrenaline is coursing through your body. Your emotions urge you to go find your prize, but this is where most hunters go wrong. The overwhelming response from trackers is that most hunters make the mistake of tracking too quickly. You must avoid this urge, calm down, be honest about your shot, and play it safe by giving the deer the appropriate time. The biggest mistake a hunter can make is going after the deer too quickly, pushing it out of its bed, and getting a bunch of buddies to help look (thereby putting their scent all over the track and ruining sign as well as making noise that could push the deer). You must overcome the urge to pursue too quickly, the recovery of your deer may depend on this.
I personally know the value of this wisdom. In 2016 I shot a giant 13 point, which was the largest buck I had ever launched an arrow at to date. Unfortunately, I hit him center mass and I watched him walk off giving no body language he was even hit. Fearing a gut shot, I stayed on stand the remaining 45 minutes until dark and snuck out the quietest way possible – opposite how he left. The tracking was tough in the morning, but after a few hours of taking my time and following the few drops of blood , I found him over a ridge in a thicket. Indeed, it was a stomach hit. From finding two of his beds it was clear the death process took some time. Also, finding him relatively close to the shot location (150 yards) after losing the blood trail was I believe largely due to giving him time and exercising self-control, as hard as that was.
Fast forward to 2020 and I found myself with a similar shot on a 16 point that ran and disappeared into a deep ravine following the hit. The arrow showed gut matter, so I backed out and gave him six hours, even though it began raining shortly after my shot and my emotions begged me to give chase. After the excruciating time passed, I cautiously approached and quickly found him piled up about 150 yards away but by surprising means – vultures on his carcass pecking his eye and rump meat out. Many hunters fear something like this, usually with coyotes getting to the animal, but these two mounts look great on my wall and testify to the fact that waiting and having patience is key when you suspect a gut shot.
What are the biggest tips you could give a hunter when thinking they have a gut shot?
This may be repetitive, but waiting the suggested time is critical, not trusting your emotions but calming down and using your head, not calling all your buddies to help, and possibly calling for a tracking dog are key. It really boils down to time, as the deer will die, it’s just a matter of doing the right things to ensure you can find it. Time is the critical factor, it can be your best friend or worst enemy.
Do you see a difference in lethality and recovery rate when comparing fixed blade vs. mechanical broadheads on gut-shot deer?
Both will kill the deer, however mechanicals usually offer a larger cutting diameter which can do more damage and leave a bigger blood trail. This can matter more without a tracking dog. What may be of more importance is the sharpness of the blades, as intestines can slide out of the way of dull or semi-sharp blades. Razor sharp blades are key with any hit but especially behind the ribs, so whatever you shoot, make sure it’s sharp and don’t assume it is sharp enough out of the box.
When is it time to give up on a gut-shot deer?
According to the trackers, a gut-shot deer is a dead deer. Giving up should only be done if a dog cannot find the trail or you cannot get permission on neighboring properties where the deer ran. Once you’ve exhausted your abilities with the tracking dog, and have done a last-ditch grid search with a team of people (a last resort after waiting the 12-24 hours and carefully tracking) it may be time to “give up.” However, keep in contact with neighbors and pay attention for crows or buzzards, which can at least alert you to its final resting place. You may not get the meat in this case, but may be able to retrieve the antlers if a buck.
Final Summary
So to wrap up here are some key takeaways and a few bonus tips from our trackers to remember for this season. No one looks forward to a hunting season expecting to have to deal with a gut shot, but since flinging a relatively slow projectile at a jumpy animal is never a slam dunk, it’s important to be prepared in the event it does happen to you.
1 . Time and patience are the key ingredients. The phrase “when in doubt, back out” should be foremost in your mind when a hit is questionable.
2. Don’t call your buddies first, but only as a last resort after you’ve waited 12-24 hours and done a careful track. Then, but only then they may help with a hail-mary grid search.
3. If you doubt your tracking skills, have a hard time seeing blood, or it’s rained, seriously consider getting a tracking dog as their nose is much better than your eyes at determining the path a deer took.
4. Have several tracker’s numbers in your phone before the season, and don’t hesitate to call. Trackers love to talk through scenarios even before season. They are also possibly the best person to call after a bad hit because they are not emotionally involved and can give the best, unbiased advice.
5. Have permission from neighbors to track a deer onto their land if necessary well before season. This can make or break your recovery as they may not respond at the critical moment you need them.
6. Have flagging tape to clearly mark your trail as you track, an often overlooked detail that can save stomping around and ruining a scent or blood trail.
7. Be practiced up. Shooting your bow early and often, and in high-pressure situations can help increase skill, confidence, and eliminate the need to even worry about a gut-shot deer.
A big thanks to the input from Rob Miller of Miller Deer Tracking, the guys in the Michigan Deer Tracking Network, as well as the Ohio Deer Trackers group on Facebook. If you have questions, or want to line up a few trackers for this year, I highly suggest you connect with them.
Gut shots happen, but by following some wise advice deer are very much recoverable even if you find your arrow cutting the crap.
HIGH IQ TAKEAWAYS AND CHALLENGES:
- If you don’t have a couple trackers on your phone, take time to find and connect with a few now.
- Make a plan ahead of what you will do if you get a questionable hit – so you aren’t making hasty calls an intense moment.
- Take the Deer IQ test, to see how “deer smart” you really are! HERE. (if you already did, share it with a friend!)
