Shot a Deer? Here’s How Long to Wait Before Tracking!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.พ. 2025
- A well-placed shot on a deer leads to a quick and easy recovery. But like most things in life and art, bowhunting doesn’t always go as planned, and arrows don’t always hit where you want them to. This is where patience and experience come into play. What you do after the shot will largely determine your success as a bowhunter.
Wildlife artist Ryan Kirby uses his white-tailed deer anatomy art and breaks down everything you need to know about a whitetail’s vital organs and shot placement. Ryan focuses on how to identify the hit on a deer by looking at the arrow and what to do after the shot.
All of the art and information is from the popular “Anatomy & Physiology of the White-tailed Buck” paper print, available at RyanKirby.com.
Our best selling print bundle: ryankirby.com/...
The Art of Hunting TM
Copyright Ryan Kirby Art & Illustration LLC
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I have no idea how I ended up on hunting TH-cam. I´ve never been hunting in my life but I find these videos super interesting.
Sameeee
Same here! Though I wanted to hunt since I was young, but don't think I'm physically fit for it
@@maxonwolf5841 is that a fellow furry I spot 👀
I play hunter call of the wild every once and a while but that’s about it 😂
@@maxonwolf5841 Well if you were born in 1941, guess your past the walking stage. But If you know how to shoot your grandson can drive you to some place you can hunt
Made a scapula shot with a crossbow on a nice 3 year old 7 point four years ago. Followed a fair blood trail for over an hour and a half covering 150-200 yards then nothing. Last spring I stumbled across the broken bolt and broad head on a trail that I was tracking him the few years before. I found a fully bleached skeleton this spring in an area I decided to place a new stand, just 100 yards from where I found the broken bolt the year before. The antlers were fully intact and made for a nice find but it was a bitter sweet experience.
Wow… amazing story. Im dang near speechless. Hope you Got that as a trophy for yourself.
Thats crazy you found him, ive been in alot of dense areas where 100 yards might as well be another county.
In 62 years of deer-hunting, I haven't "seen it all", but have seen a lot. From early 1960's>, went thru hearing that anything from front shoulder to hind-quarter was "a gut-shot", "you won't find him".( my dad/grand-pa/uncles were "neck-shot-only"( true meat hunters/you either miss him...or drop him) My hunting experiences taught me that MOST hunters, even today, don't kno deer anatomy( thanx 4 vid). I focused on learning. I became the "go-to" guy for tracking by family/neighbors/friends, so, yeah, I saw a lot of wounded/dying/dead deer. I will say this: If, IF, "hunters" spent as much time learning about deer anatomy, AS THEY DO TELLING "TALL TALES", THEN... they would have more ACTUAL TALES to tell about successful hunts. Just sharing.
Great info. This video should be part of bowhunter Ed classes.
Appreciate that 👍
I 100% agree. Very detailed info and exp.
Not bad info for rifle hunters, either. Especially in areas that prohibit lead ammunition.
i agree 💯
Should be able to take a class like this in school
Maybe this was mentioned by one of you guys, but as a 52-year-old we didn’t always have phones. But with phones, I’d say take that phone out after the shot and speak and walk yourself through the entire shot. Talk about every tree and stick and where the deer ran so you have a complete video of what happened and where the shot took place. You can always watch that again as you walk to the place where you shot and really pin down where that hit took place and where a deer ran.
I've done some very good tracking jobs that I was proud of because they were difficult. It's a lot of back breaking work that can take hours. So, I have learned to really wait to get the best shot possible.
Hands down, without a SINGLE doubt in my mind, the BEST comprehensive video on this topic I've seen to date. I found this video looking for content to share with youth hunters in my class. This will absolutely be the capstone. I don't think it could have been explained any better. I need for you to know, that which you set out to accomplish by making this video, far exceeded your expectations. Excellent job. Top shelf!
We appreciate that! It can be a lot of work to produce this stuff and glad it helps 👍
Very good video. One thing that is not covered here if you have a hard time finding blood and you know they jumped a fence or down a creek bank check where they may have landed at the landing spot. They tend to start bleeding in the landing spot or the blood trail is heavier in the spot they land. Great Art. You have a talent for sure.
Very informative. There are so many different variables that can affect the distance a deer may travel. The last 2 deer i shot were within 10lbs of each other, same double lung with heart shot. One sropped 40 yards from my stand, the other went 150 yards. Difference being i had to stop the one for the shot, it looked right at me in the tree. I believe this is why that deer went 3 times as far as the other one, its adrenaline was pumping and it wasn't stopping!
11/10 video. Anyone considering hunting should watch this because it is critical information that can be the difference of a good or bad first experience.
Great video. I’m 46 and hunted for 30+ years. The one muscle shot I didn’t hear was the loin. I used to be horrible and judging distance Too high. Still think about that one. Thx buddy
This has to be the single most informative video I have ever seen on deer and shot placement....I have hunted for many years but I still like to reeducate myself every season to become a better hunter....Thanks for this great content from the deep woods of the North Carolina mountains
I agree and love this video. Been BH for 45 years and learned through trial & error. If I don't see it (yes see, not hear) go down, I wait a minimum of 1 hrs. Even before I check my shot and look for an arrow. It may have died in 15 seconds, but I try not to bump it for sure.
Another tip I learned from Chuck Adams years ago when we used dinosaur bones for arrows. When shooting from a TS - DO NOT drop your arms onto the target, always bend at the waist for level plane. Physics 101 and it works for modern bows as well. I even do it when using a pendulum. Because of my eyesight and depth perception between the pendulum and "bend" my kill rate went up exponentially. IMHO.
I don’t hunt. But this was pretty interesting and It was educational. You never know when you need to know this information.
Awesome video as always! Your series was an amazing help for my mom on her hunts as she's new to the sport. I'm so proud of her! Her second ever hunt and she got drawn for moose! And she bagged a nice 3 year old bull!
Thanks for sharing! We put out a lot of content like this and it's good to know it helps. Tell your mom congrats for me 👊
@@RyanKirbyArt I am a hunter education instructor. I’m just wondering if i can have your permission to use this in my class.
Thanks,
Chris
Going on my first solo adult deer hunt this season, videos like these are AMAZING! Thank you.
Well done Ryan. Been hunting for years and still found your overview well spoken, informative and loved the drawings. Very talented!!!
Great video sir … this bow season I had my target buck come past my ladderstand towards bedding at first light … I’m 16 ft up and he came walking past at 5 yards left to right basically a nightmare shot at lowlight … I took the shot and caught one lung and heart luckily he ran behind me approximately 175 yards and died on a wide open trail road …
I don’t think in over 50 years bow hunting I’ve ever taken such a low percentage shot .. waiting any longer would have made it difficult with cottonwood canopy to my right
Clean pass through and the arrow broke striking the ground ….
I’m getting old there’s only so many sits left ❤
The most constructive video on hunting ever!
Well done! Thank you! Greetings from Sweden
I’m also from sweden
Extremely informative! I've been toying with the idea of bow hunting and this info was exactly what I needed. Thank you sir!
One of the BEST hunting videos I’ve seen on YT! 👏
Very helpful, 10/10 would most definitely recommend! This has helped me a lot. This year will be my first season carrying a bow and now I know what shots will look like! Thanks a lot dude!!
Wow, there's so much crap out there, and then I found this! I've taken quite a few deers with arrows, and still, I learned a lot in this video. Amazingly impressive! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, not only for the sake of us hunters but also for the sake of the animals.
Most definitely recommending this video to any hunter. Such a very informative video 10/10
My grandma won’t get away next time thank you
shikanoko will never die
Wow man, amazing information and even better art! Great work!
This vid should be shown to every hunter ed. class across America.🦌🏹👍🏻
This video was phenomenal. The artwork is beautiful also
This is such good info I’ve only ever done sport shooting with a sniper, getting into bow hunting and this is such valuable information thank you so much
Dude your channel is top tier content. Thank you for this video I learned a few things.
Be hunting 54 year shot many deer and video was spot on and not to old to learn new stuff thank-you
this is a very good video for first time hunters. Does not just apply for bow hunting but also for rifle hunting. So good and well explained that honestly think this could be used as a introduction video for hunting classes
Wow, I know nothing about hunting, but this was really well made. Very informative and interesting to hear that you shouldn't immediately go after a deer that you've shot.
This is the perfect video and exactly what I was looking for to show new hunters. Thank you and I will be sharing and buying that print for the camp.
Thank you for taking the time and effort to share this info. Many of us came to hunting late in life and education like this is priceless.
Great video. Made me realize I pushed out a couple I just needed patience on. Had a little chuckle when you said neck shots rarely bring a good kill, I had a miracle shot a few years ago at about 50 yards. I heard the pop/pressure noise but seen my nock in the dirt, the deer still reacted as though it was hit. Ran about 75-80 yards erratically towards the corner of the property and a creek, I fixated on where it entered, heard a small crash just after. I was pretty sure I had missed but the behavior and crash kept me optimistic and I decided to pursue a few minutes after. Hand sized blood spot where it was when I shot, light blood trail all the way to the tree line, then I seen a decent amount of blood right before the tree-line. There is only 8-10 yards of trees before the creek, when I approached, there he was, bedded amongst some brush and a downed tree. I had grazed its throat with the broadhead. I don't know if I flinched or the deer did, but it made a bad shot a perfect kill.
Love your style of presenting Sir, thank you for your time! Liked and subbed.
Great video. Making all the young men in my Family watch this!🙌🏽
Great video and thank you! I hunt in Southwest Oklahoma where it can be 80-90° in early October and into the 80s even into mid November. I generally cut my hunt off when the temperature rises above 70°, but for most of the year when I let an arrow fly into a deer, I immediately start to prepare for my descent from the tree, and get to work on tracking so that I can get the meat off the animal as quickly as possible. I always chuckle when I see recommendations to wait an hour or longer to start tracking the dear. Great idea for up north. But I do not have that luxury. I have to deal with the simple reality that I had better make a darn good shot or I am most likely going to lose the meat of the animal altogether. Definitely a different ballgame here. I do track very cautiously and with his little noise as possible because sometimes he downed animal might get up and not bolt. Then I will back out, but be careful not to wait too long. I have purchased a Garmin crossbow scope with the range finder on it. Some call it cheating, but I do not care. I am more confident than ever of making clean kill shots.
I watch this video all the time because it’s so helpful
You just earned a subscriber. Fascinating information. Thanks for the video!
Definitely a great video. Should be shown in all hunters Ed courses. Very informative.
Good info. I would just add, as someone who owns a tracking dog, if you think you’re going to need a dog then do not stomp all over the woods. Keep first and last blood marked and stay out until the dog gets there.
I've never hunted a deer before but thanks for the heads up
Thanks so much. I'm new to bow hunting and this video explains what I was doing wrong. I was clueless until today. Thanks again, blessings
Thankyou much! This info will lead to much greater recovery success
Double lung is the most plausible shot. The single lung is absolutely an issue and you can’t tell from the blood alone which it it.
I have believed for a long time that the steep angle out of a tree stand makes a single lung hit more likely so I bow hunt exclusively from ground blinds to have that flat angle.
I'm not a hunter. And I found this insanely fascinated interesting and informative. But I am thinking about picking up hunting
This was best video so far!
Great information. Only once did I leave a deer overnight and when I tracked it in the morning I found that the coyotes had beat me to the deer.
Thank you for putting this together ❤️
Beautiful illustrations and great explanations, amazing video
Great video, I’ve made these mistakes over the years. Wish I had this information 45 years ago
Excellent video. Very informative and very well done. Loved the illustrations and explanations. Thank you for taking the time to make this. It’s especially useful for new hunters like myself.
Best video I’ve seen covering this topic!
Im new to hunting and just bought my first compound bow. I love this explanation man. Keep it up! btw and randomly asking here, what mic stand are you using there? Got the same mic as well.
I hunt axis deer on Maui. Thanks for the great information I can apply when hunting them. However I use a rifle but the examples you describe are pretty much same..
So true on bumping the deer out of his first bed I've made that mistake watched him get up and go on no trespassing neighbors land wish i would have waited longer great advice
Great info and brought back super memories.. used to hunt rifle and Bow.
I remember one deer.. i came face to face had a bead on the middle of the chest Maybe 20 ft. As I released he stepped sideways a bit and the arrow buried into the area of the rear hip joint. He ran off but left a pretty good trail of blood. We let him lie for an hour or so. Figured I hit the femoral as was easy to track the blood. Found him within 150 yards.. my first white tail with a bow.
Don't hunt anymore.. personal choice loved the hunt, comadrie being outdoors.. just decided i did not want to kill anymore.. birds too. Still have all the gear. Would just as soon take a quiet walk in the woods. Or poke holes in paper at the range.
Call me a wimp but that's me. I still enjoy hearing of others hunting adventures and knowledge sharing.. keep up the ethical hunt to all you guys and gals that are still out there.
This art is beautiful omg
Solid. Thank you.
Aaaaand subscribed. Appreciate the lesson!
Great informative video. Nicely done!
Amazing work!
Excellent and informative video. Thank you!
Really good content. I've never hunted in my life, but this was an interesting watch.
Great video ! Must video for new bow hunters !
Great video and explanation brother ! 👍🏻💪🏼👍🏻💪🏼🇺🇸
Best educational video.
Outstanding information.
Great stuff, thanks and all best from Poland
Thank you for the great info.
Wow amazing help. Thank you
Awesome knowledge thanks for sharing, this will help alot of hunters 🤔 veteran & rookies , ❤️🙏🏻🤠
Good info.. i must sub👍🏽
I got a criis and compound bow u been eager ro to hunt with!
Great video, and you are an awesome artist.
Great artwork
Excellent videos !!!
This is great video. Thank you.
Amazing video
Very good video 👏 I'm 16 I'm growing up in a village in Bulgaria I know about framing gathering mushrooms and Berrys.
Also we have been watching all kinds of animals from chickens to cows and rabbits what I'm trying to say is that we have been doing everything except hunting 😅 and I really wanna be a hunter as a hobby I love more exotic meats like rabbit for example taste very nice or a pheasant as well, I think this video is very useful for people like me who are interesting but have no experience thank you for the good information and deep research we appreciate that ❤️
I'm not gonna start with deer 🦌 because in my area there isn't many and there is all out of illegal hunters without license very common here but here it's fullll of pheasants and they are esaer to hunt and are no where near as cautious, last summer I was playing soccer in our local soccer field at our village they were bushes and I went to take a leak and not even 2 meters from me there was a pheasant I moved and that scared him 😆 so around too 2 meters max for pheasants Wich is way closer than deer I have seen dear when we go for mushrooms with my dad and we are quite far away but if they see us and we move towards them and the movement is sharp and quick they get scared and run away so pheasant is a wayyy better start ❤️
Excellent
thanks for the great info on this video! excellent presentation!
Great break down.
I was out hunting roe deer in august. Not with a bow and arrow (illegal to hunt with here), but a .308 rifle.
I had a buck showing up at a very steep angle but I decided to take the shot anyway. From what I was able to see, it was a gut shot and it manage to run away. So I called in a tracking dog as it ran out of my sight and the sun was setting fast.
When the dog showed up, it found the deer fast. It had ran about 50-100 meters into the forest and fallen over. It didn't live for more than a minute or so. It had hit the lungs, but also passed through the guts due to the angle. Had also hit the liver as we found blood from it.
All this to say is that having a tracking dog is always a must when hunting. I can have spent the whole night looking for that deer for nothing, while the dog found it as soon as we released it. Trust the doggos. They truely are mans best friend for a good reason.
Awesome video bud
I felt as if I just came out of a college course very very nice.
Tremendous information
Great video
Thank you
I agree for the most part, but I’ve witnessed shot placements that I thought was too high and watched the blood gushing out more than I’ve ever seen. A perfect example is a TH-cam video labeled Gusher | 8.5yr buck at 20 yards (Graphic Warning)
Great video
Thx for the video😊 Good Information, very useful😊 keep up the work😊 waiting for further videos. Greetings
Awesome video 👏🏽👏🏽
Great information
This is amazing information
Excellent video!
Outstanding video
Thanks for the info
I've seen deer survive single lung shots
for a month max though
Great Video, thanks