how long do yall wait

[westguy76]

30 to 40 minutes, I do try to wait about 5 or so minutes or as long as I can and go check the arrow/ground for blood at impact spot. no matter how it looks I will wit another 30 minutes.

[41Chevy]

what is this about ppl going back the next morning to start tracking?? seems like any blood trail would be dry and hard to find and your deer might be munched on my critters or the meat gone bad...

Was watching I think it is Pig Man (DVR'd) last night. He shot a deer and found it 20 minutes later. It was half eaten.

[Flint knapper]

At least 30 min, although it depends on the shot placement!

[12thman]

If I see it fall, I pack up my gear, send a few texts and then go get it. No need to wait if it is down. If I don't see it or hear it crash, i pack up my gear, send a few texts, go check my arrow and then decide how long to wait. I am pretty impatient so usually 30 minutes is max unless I know it was a bad shot. Then I start tracking really slow.

[billfromtx]

If I see it fall...I go right then.
If I don't see it fall, it depends on the hit! anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 or 3 hours.

I do get down and check the arrow and the blood sign.

Sometime...like this past Saturday morning, it dont matter you still dont find them even with great blood and a good hit!

[Triple 7]

I run out like a turkey hunter!!!

[grizzman]

If I'm sure I made a good shot but don't see where they fall I'll wait 30-45 minutes. Sometimes if I stay up on stand a little longer I get a two-fer. If it is close to dark and warm, I might cut that time because it is really hard to find a deer in the dark, especially as I get older.

[Randy]

Exactly Two Minutes

I immediately go and look at my arrow. If it gives me a good report and I can see a good blood trail I take off right then tracking slowly. Especially if daylight is going away.

If it doesnt look good I give it awhile.

[Speedgoat]

If I see it fall... a few minutes....

If I don't, it depends on the video tape review. Good shot...30 minutes.....Bad shot....it depends.....

Like Chew, I'll go look at my arrow and the area around the initial spot almost immediately ...that also helps in the decision.

I will second this. After my first video kill on Saturday evening.

[3rdShot]

I don't know if it's adrenalin delay or what, but from the time I see the deer until the shot, I stay pretty calm and focused on the hair I want to hit with my arrow...after the shot and the deer runs, I get the shakes so bad I have to just sit still and hold on to the seat or railing for a few minutes to keep from falling out of the stand...it's a great feeling! :-) On the one doe that fell in sight, as soon as my breathing calmed down and the shakes went away, I got down and went to it. On the one that ran out of sight in the brush, I waited for what felt like a long time, checked my watch, about 10 minutes had passed...I waited 30 minutes from the time of the shot then went blood trailing...kicked her up about 50 yards away(she had leaned forward as I shot, the arrow hit too far back/liver), I backed out and went to camp to wait on the other guys to come in, we went back about 2 hours later and tracked her down.

Good luck to everyone this season!

[Roamer]

I call my brother, tell him about the shot. We talk about the day. Talk about his hunt. Then when I am calm I go look for the animal. Usually about 30 minutes to an hour. It will depend on what our conversation is about.

We all have our little rituals.

[Rockpit TX]

what is this about ppl going back the next morning to start tracking?? seems like any blood trail would be dry and hard to find and your deer might be munched on my critters or the meat gone bad...

One of my earlier bucks I hit a little high. The landowner talked me into looking for it that night instead of waiting till morning like I wanted too. We never recovered that deer and the landowner got upset with me about it. My last 3 Bucks that I shot, I had to wait overnight to track them for one reason or another. All 3 Bucks were recovered with no predators getting it, and the meat was still good on all of them. Eack shot is different and it mostly depends on Instincts and experience on when to start tracking. Main thing is not to rush out there. Give em time to Harden Up. Here is this years Buck I had to leave overnight.

[fister]

Hunting with my dad last year late season on MLD tags in Feb, he got a big doe and we waited about 20 min and went out and found it, just out of view from the blind maybe 100 yards from where it was shot. Had to wait for someone to come out with the truck so we left it knowing the truck would be there in about an hour and half and went to get somewhat warm in the blind. By the time we went back to the deer, a buzzard had already started to eat the *** out of the deer. When I hunt there I always drag the deer back to view now.

[charrell71]

If I see it pile up, I wait about 5 minutes. If it runs off, I wait about 10 minutes then go look at the arrow or the site where I hit it. If it all looks good, I usually only wait 30 minutes. I am extremely impatient!

[tex_n]

The land I hunt is also used by cows. There's no ground cover, just big oaks and gentle hills. I can usually see from my stand about 35 yards in every direction. After a shot, I sit for about 10 minutes, and ease down to retrieve my arrow. Once I'm nearing the ground and on the ground, I can see about 100 yrds every direction. I look at the area and stand at the base of my tree for about 10 minutes looking in the direction I think it went. Several of the times, other deer have alerted me to where it finally made it's last thrash. They usually at least alert to it. So from time of shot to actually getting arrow, about 10 minutes. From shot til actively following blood about 30 minutes. Of course as I'm looking for blood, I'm scanning 100 yards in all directions for movement. Works for me.

Don't know how I'd be able to handle the waiting if I had limited visibility because of ground cover. If it's starting to get dark, I pretty much follow the same routine.