Do paunch-hit deer always go to water?
QUESTION: I shot a deer last fall with my bow, and it jumped just as I shot. When I found my arrow, it was covered with green slime and some blood. We tried to track it but were unable to find it until several days later. We found what was left of it near a small pond. Coyotes got the rest. My friend told me that gut-shot deer will always go to water and we should have searched there first. Is this true? — Tom C.
ANSWER: As with just about any advice related to deer hunting, there is often a certain amount of truth, but you have to look at the big picture and apply a healthy dose of common sense as well.
If you shoot a deer in the paunch, your best first course of action is to exit the area as quietly as possible and wait as long as possible before following up, taking things like rain and scavengers into consideration.
When bowhunting, it’s best if you can wait at least 6 hours, with 12 being even better. I once gut-shot a deer in the evening, let it lay overnight and returned more than 12 hours later. The deer was bedded only 75 yards away, but was still alive. Fortunately I was able to get another shot off and successfully recover it. With a gun, you can sometimes follow up sooner, but I still like to wait as long as possible. Often, but not always, the deer will lie down a short distance away. If left alone, it will expire there.
However, that’s not always the case. I once tracked a gut-shot deer well over a mile from where it was hit and found it in a small creek. When gut-shot deer travel, they often go to water. We can’t say why for sure, but it’s likely due to the effects of the injury. One effect of shooting a deer in the paunch is septicaemia or blood poisoning, which often results in a high fever.
In summary, wait as long as possible, then begin searching nearby. If there is no blood or you lose the blood trail, start checking nearby water sources next. And, if legal, enlist the aid of a tracking dog.
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