Hindquarter-Shot Deer: When to Wait and When to Call a Thermal Drone

You saw the arrow hit too far back and too low for the vitals, or the buck hunched, kicked a back leg and tore off with its tail clamped. When you walk to the shot site, the blood is there, maybe a lot of it at first. Then, somewhere past the first fifty or hundred yards, it starts to thin out. That's the classic hindquarter hit, and the next few hours decide how it ends.

This post covers what a ham or hindquarter shot usually means, how long hunters commonly wait, and when it makes sense to call for a thermal drone search instead of pushing on into the dark.

The hindquarter is mostly heavy muscle and bone, with one big exception: the femoral artery runs along the inside of the hind leg. Where the arrow or bullet went relative to that artery changes everything.

• Femoral artery cut. Blood is often heavy, bright and sprayed to both sides of the trail. A deer that loses that much blood may not go far. This is the best-case hindquarter hit, and the trail usually shows it early.
• Muscle only. A hit through the ham or rump that misses the artery can bleed well for a while and then taper. These deer often bed once they feel safe, and many survive.
• Bone. A hit that breaks the hip or femur can leave a deer limping badly with modest blood. It may bed sooner, or it may keep moving on three legs.

The hard part is that the first fifty yards of a muscle hit and a femoral hit can look alike. The sign further along tells you more.

Before you take a step off the stand, mark where the deer was when you shot and the line it took. Then look at:

• The arrow. Dark red blood with no bubbles and no stomach matter, often with tallow or muscle on the shaft, fits a muscle hit.
• Hair. Note its color and length and take a photo. It can help confirm where the hit landed.
• The trail pattern. Steady spray on both sides points toward an artery. A strong start that thins into drops points toward muscle.
• How the deer left. A hunched run, a dragging or kicking hind leg, or a deer that stops and looks back are all worth writing down.

Drop GPS pins at the shot site and at your last blood. Our guide to GPS marking your last blood for a thermal pilot explains why those two points give a pilot a much better starting area than a description of "somewhere past the creek."

There's no wait time that guarantees anything, and experienced hunters disagree on the details. Common guidance goes roughly like this:

• Heavy, sprayed blood that suggests the artery. Many hunters give it a shorter wait and follow carefully, because a deer losing blood that fast often doesn't go far.
• Muscle-hit sign that's thinning out. Many hunters back out and wait several hours, and plenty prefer to wait overnight in cool weather.
• Any doubt. Waiting longer is the more common advice. A hindquarter-hit deer that's jumped from its bed often finds a second wind, and the trail can quit entirely after that.

The biggest mistake isn't waiting too long. It's walking in too early, bumping the deer from its first bed, and losing the trail with it. If the blood has run out and you're unsure, our post on what to do when you lose the blood trail covers how to stop, mark, and avoid ruining the sign that's left.

A thermal camera picks up heat. A deer bedded in open timber, a CRP field, a fence line or a cutover stands out as a warm shape against cooler ground, especially at night or early morning. That's why a thermal search can help with a hindquarter hit in particular: these deer often bed up, sometimes not that far from where the blood quit.

What a search can tell you:

• The deer is down. The pilot can guide you in on a direct line to recover it.
• The deer is bedded and alive. You know where it is, and you can make a decision with that information instead of guessing.
• The deer is up and moving well. That's useful too. A hindquarter-hit deer that's walking normally may well survive, and knowing that can save a long, fruitless night.

We never flush, push, drive or bump a deer with a drone. If the deer is alive, the drone keeps its distance and the decision about what to do next belongs to the hunter, inside the state's rules. Our post on when to call a thermal pilot goes into timing.

Honest limits

• Dense canopy. Thermal doesn't see through thick canopy. Heavy cedar, pine, honeysuckle thickets or tangled bottoms can hide a deer completely.
• Heat and sun. Warm afternoons and sun-heated rocks, logs and ground make the picture busier. Cool nights and early mornings usually work better.
• Time. A deer that's been down a long time cools off and becomes harder to pick out.
• Access. The pilot has to be able to fly the area legally and safely, and you need permission to recover on the land where the deer ended up.

For a hit that's similar in some ways, see our post on the shoulder-shot deer and when a thermal search makes sense. Shoulder and hindquarter hits share the same problem: a good-looking start and a trail that fades.

Drone game recovery is regulated state by state, and the rules change. Here's what three state wildlife agencies say, checked Oct 28, 2026:

• Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's General Hunting Regulations say "UAVs / drones may be used to scout or recover wounded wildlife on private property" and "Hunting is prohibited in the same area on the same day the drone is used." They add that "hunters must notify the local game warden before and after the search and record the flight," and "If the animal is alive the game warden must be notified, the drone must land immediately, and hunting may not resume for at least 4 hours."
• Missouri: The Missouri Department of Conservation's recreational drone flying page says drone pilots need a special use permit to operate a drone at an MDC conservation area, with this exception: "Drones may be used to recover wounded black bear, deer, elk and turkey with prior authorization from a conservation agent." That exception is written for MDC conservation areas. The same page says "Drones may not be used to pursue, take, attempt to take, drive, or molest wildlife."
• Arkansas: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission regulations, as listed in the AGFC's hunting guide announcement, say "It is unlawful to hunt, drive, herd or harass wildlife by unmanned aerial vehicle (drone)."

Hunting in another state? Check your state wildlife agency's current regulations, or call a local game warden or conservation officer, before anyone flies. Separately, the pilot has to fly under FAA rules; our post on why Part 107 matters explains what that means for you. This is general information, not legal advice.

• A hindquarter hit can be a fast recovery if the femoral artery is cut, or a long one if it's muscle only.
• Read the arrow, hair and trail pattern, and pin the shot site and last blood.
• When in doubt, back out and wait. Walking in early is the most common way to lose the deer.
• A thermal search can find a bedded or expired deer in open cover, or show you it's up and moving.
• Know your state's drone recovery rules before the drone goes up.