Don't know what to do.... Needs some thoughts fast please.

Nephew just shot his first deer. When he shot the deer jumped straight up and jumped the fence into a wheat field and ran about 50 yards. Deer started walking and limping very noticeably along the fence line. I told them to get another one in him but he jumped the fence again and disappeared into the trees. I am positive he is hit but I don't know how good. He shot it at 125 yards with a .243. What would yall do?

Sit and wait. 30 mins. to an hour. Then go in with as many lights as you can muster.

Find blood to try to determine where he hit it then decide when to start tracking

Is the fence a property like?

No

Only hair where he shot him. We did find a puddle of dark red blood where he jumped the fence where we last saw him. He shot he deer just after 5.

could you tell if limp was from front leg or back leg?

Just found some blood but also scared a deer and don't know if it was him or not.

How much blood? Drops? Puddles? Tissue? Color of blood?

Mark the blood sites with tape, clothing scraps, etc. Mark the last place you remember seeing the deer. Back out of there for a couple hours. Clear your heads and fill your bellies. Could get back out there with lights tonight but run risk of pushing him. Get online and find a tracker with dogs and arrange to have em come out first thing in am.

If you go the route of dogs, then avoid disturbing the area and contaminating the blood trail -- this can make the dogs job a whole lot harder.

Good luck!

Red gave some great advice. I would pull out and let it wait until morning whether you call in a dog or not. Then, if you jump him, you at least might get a look or possibly another shot off. At night, it is going to be tough. If he isn't hit in the vitals and you push him tonight, your chances drop in recovery. If you let him be, liable to get stowed up and not move much.

Good luck

And hope it doesn't rain there.

We backed out after we scared the deer. There was one puddle of blood and then a few drizzles. The deer has traveled a pretty good ways from where he was shot and we are only on 100 acres. I think we need to get some more lights and go back and look though because we are supposed to have rain tonight and tomorrow. It has already started to drizzle a little. I really don't like our chances of finding him.

That sounds like a leg hit to me. More than likely the deer is still very mobile and I don't think you will track him down without dogs.

What color and length of hair? Sounds like he grazed the underside of his brisket. Lot of hair on these shots and some blood that gets very dim after a bit and quits. They limp a bit from this if you just nick a leg also. My guess is you will see this deer again.

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That's the biggest spot of blood we found and it was a pretty good ways away from where he shot it. The hair was white and probably not quit an inch long.

Did he stop there? Looks like a brisket shot. You will see blood spots like that when they stop and stand. Hair sounds like brisket also.

Yes he did stop there.

X2...that blood on that rock to the right side of the pic looks like muscle blood to me. If you didnt find any bone(leg shot) near the place of the shot, that deer will most likely be seen again.

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That's from when he jumped the fence the second time.

Can you tell if the blood in in the middle of his tracks or off the the left or right of his tracks?

That last pic of watery looking blood is more low brisket or in front of the legs brisket.

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Also found that. Have no idea what it is and probably isn't even from the deer but it was right around where he was standing.

Don't know on the track rtp. We actually pulled out after we spooked that deer to try to make a game plan and decided we would look for it in the morning. I know our chances are good at all in recovering him but need to do it.

The deer was limping really bad. So bad I thought he was going to fall a few times.

I would back out also. Are you sure the deer you jumped was him? Did you go in and look to find the bed that deer jumped up from?

Yes we did go to that spot before we got out and saw no blood.

Do not know for sure that deer was him but it was right in the area of where he jumped the fence.

If it was the deer he had been there for about 40 minutes.

Best thing is to back out like you did and wait till morning. Can you see the search area from the blind? If so, be in it prior to first light. Everyone always says to look for buzzards but I also tell people to pay attention for any coyote movement in your search area as well. If you see coyotes from the stand they will show you the direction the carcass is if you have a dead deer. Good luck in the morning.

This is what I would do also. I listen for coyotes also. If they are on the deer you will here them. You might get lucky and he will chase a doe back or follow one in. Seen it happen on a rare occasion and still get the buck.

Not really. We can only see where he jumped the fence. We were hunting the corner of a big wheat field with a feeder in the tree line. When he jumped the fence he was going from the wheat field into the trees.

He came in this morning as soon as the feeder went off and came back in this evening as soon as the feeder went off.

I would still be in the stand for the first 45 minutes to 1 hour to observe what is going on. Heck who knows maybe if you just got muscle he might be back in the a.m. If not, it gives you a chance to look for coyotes and buzzards from a concealed elevated position.

Btw, good luck in the morning and let us know how it goes.

I will and thank y'all for the help.

If you don't find him in the morning go to the nearest water source,stock tank,wet creek,and look very good around that. Many times a wounded deer will go to water for some reason. A lot of times they will actually jump in. I have found two or three wounded deer dead the next day in a pond or deep hole in a creek.

I was thinking that lastnight. He wasn't far from a tank when we last saw him. In the blind now gonna sit until about 8 and go look.

Good luck!

The tank and the area around it are your best bet. Good luck!

Any luck around the tank? Really hope you guys can find the deer!

Well we looked and other than the blood we found lastnight didn't find anymore. I really think the deer is still alive but if he is dead it's not on our place. Like I said we only have 100 acres out there and it has 3 wheat fields and 2 tanks. Also has a stretch down the middle of it that is about 40 yards wide that is thick with brush and trees with a couple other smaller tree lines around the place. We covered it all with no sign of anything. I appreciate everyone's input and encouragement. That's the first time I had been on a hunt that I knew the deer was hit but didn't know if the shot was fatal or not. We will get back after them next weekend.

Thanks for the update and I bet you are right that he has lived to see another day. I hope he shows back up for yall later. Those wheat fields are awesome places to be as the season goes on. I feel bad for your nephew though as I bet he is down in the dumps today.

I was thinking the exact same as rtp...muscle blood. Deer obviously injured but lives to see another day.

If he's still alive, and I'm betting he is, my money says you'll see him again

I would also tell your neighbors. Most folks are very sympathetic toward kids and lost deer.
Good luck!

I would put up some TC on the feeders or trails into the wheat. I am betting with the rut, he will be after does.