I have a hard time believing any lost animal would be able to be saved this time of year for the meat. It is just too warm to keep an animal from spoiling, especially after the animal is trying to get away from the danger and moving and being excited from being shot. Maybe I am wrong, but the hide of a deer keeps them warm during the coldest parts of winter, I doubt it is going to let out enough heat to cool off the body when it is as warms as it is the last few days. Hope you find him and I hope the meat is salvageable, but I have my doubts.

At this point I think the meat is gone. I just hope to find the horns and do a mount. It is my first bow buck. I don't hunt for horns, I am just as proud of my does as I am of my bucks, but it would be nice to get something from him.

Everyone, You really gave TEXASFJ some very good advice on the aspects of "lost deer", ruined meat, and trophy suggestions. I am very new to the THF and someone mentioned a "Blood Tracking" Dog listing that may be a "thread" to this site. I don't really understand "threads" and at the same time, I would really like to get on the "LIST" of available "Blood Tracking" DOGS!!! I have these types of dogs and I "take calls" for whitetails during the hunting seasons...
Can someone help me with locating this listing?
Thanks...Mike Fishbeck

Hope you found that buck. Look for buzards. Next morning meat would be bad gut shot. The reason you found alot of blood at first is because you hit the deer it started bleeding before the gut exploded into the body filling the wound full of waste causing the blood to stop pooring out. The waste from the gut works as a plug stopping the blood trail.