Half expected an email from Doc this morning

[willybepop]

So last night I shot my first feral pig with my Horton Legend Ultra Lite crossbow (sister crossbow to the TenPoint we have in the game). I gave the hog some time to expire and started to track it. I only found a broken arrow and no blood. Searched for an hour, but wasn't able to make any headway. I'm sure if I had a real life huntersmate I would have found the pig. Since this was the first pig I shot I was really disappointed that I didn't recover it. Still afraid to check my email incase Doc was spying on me.

[tbug]

So last night I shot my first feral pig with my Horton Legend Ultra Lite crossbow (sister crossbow to the TenPoint we have in the game). I gave the hog some time to expire and started to track it. I only found a broken arrow and no blood. Searched for an hour, but wasn't able to make any headway. I'm sure if I had a real life huntersmate I would have found the pig. Since this was the first pig I shot I was really disappointed that I didn't recover it. Still afraid to check my email incase Doc was spying on me.

Did you find any tracking domes?

I’m sure Doc will understand. He must be a really laid back guy. Some of the things I tell him to do would be physically impossible but he seems to take it in stride.

[Tanngnjostr]

Why didn't you put up a tent, access inventory, get your scent hound and let it track the pig?

Well, makes no sense looking for the hog any more - can't harvest on the second day!

[Longmann]

With no blood a scent hound wouldn't have helped at all. Well, maybe one could feel happier seeing a pretty playful doggie running around and help him to forget the missed/wounded/lost pig. [emoji3]

[InstinctiveArcher]

Did you go back in the next day? Sometimes you just have to do a body search. Where did it look like you it?
Sometimes with bow shot animals, the bleeding is very scarce for the first 50-75 yards if there is no exit hole and the arrow is blocking the entry hole.

[willybepop]

I did go back the next morning. Still couldn't locate any blood. I'm thinking I hit it further back then I thought. The arrow was broken and have a thick dark sticky fluid. I'm think it was an intestine shot.

[InstinctiveArcher]

I did go back the next morning. Still couldn't locate any blood. I'm thinking I hit it further back then I thought. The arrow was broken and have a thick dark sticky fluid. I'm think it was an intestine shot.

Was it blood? Dark blood usually means liver. I don't have much experience with hogs, but I know that 9 times out of 10 a liver hit deer will only go a little ways before bedding down, and if not bumped early, will die within a short distance from where it was shot

[caliber420]

I usually look for carrion birds circling if I can't find any sign, or my arrow. I had a shot at a bull I called in on sept 1st, but I didn't have time to range him and I picked the wrong pin. Put an arrow over his back, or got him high in his straps. spent 6 hours gridding the area looking for any sign of a hit, or my arrow to verify a clean miss. Crawling looking for specks of any blood, but there was nothing. It was sickening, I had to back out due to a thunderstorm and went up the next day. I was going to fill my tag on him if I could find any sign of him being mortally wounded. My worst fear was seeing vultures circling the area I last saw him. There was...

I hiked up the ridge and when I came around the bend to the corpse.. it was a cow another hunter had killed. Such a relief. But i still question if he has a broadhead stuck in his backstraps.. I know I didn't artery if I hit him, but it was still gut wrenching not being able to find the arrow, or bloodtrail.

Carrion birds are key in scenarios like this though. I've found other hunters gut shot animals from glassing vultures then hiking to them.

The hit definitely sounds like a paunch shot. Can sometimes take days for them to die. Gutshot animals pretty much always expire, they often go to water in an last ditch attempt to stop the insatiable thirst until they die. If you can find water you'll probably find the pig. But sometimes birds and coyotes gotta eat too...

[james990]

Did the same thing on a sambar deer here in AUS 2 weekends ago with my mate. Friend shot her with 30-06 180 grain at about 40m, followed her for 500m before losing her tracks there was only a a few drops of blood say every 25m. We were both spewing as it was out first deer hunt together. We probably didnt give her enough time to settle and was a poor shot even though she jumped 3 feet in the air and tumbled on her backside before taking off.