Has anyone experienced a similar shot outcome?

[jonhall9]

Had a strange occurence when I shot at a doe last night. I was hunting in a narrow strip (30 yards wide) of young hardwoods separating two tangly, overgrown clear-cuts. I had to choose between sitting in a hardwood in the middle of the strip, or one on either edge. I expected the deer to be cutting across the hardwoods, not moving up and down the strip, so I elected to sit in the middle to try to cover both sides with reasonably short shots. This would come back to haunt me as a poor decision. With the hardwoods being young, and lots of brush still on the trees here in TN, I hunted only about twelve feet up so I had some shooting lanes. Around sunset, I had three does wander towards me following the hardwood strip. They came straight at me, head on. I drew when the first one was probably a scarce five yards from me. It continued moving straight ahead almost under me, so I shifted my attention to trying to get a shot at the second one in line. It too, stayed straight. Now at less than ten yards, it finally turned, giving me the angle I needed. Just as I got my pin lined up and released, the front one must have noticed something amiss or smelled something, and blew and bolted, of course causing the other two to bolt in the process. I saw the arrow do something weird in flight and noticed the fletching laying on the ground about six feet to the right of where the deer had been standing. They ran off normally. In fact, they calmed down and browsed by my buddy out of range, who I had set up a bit farther down in the woods. He said all three were still together and moving normally.

When I got down to find my arrow, it was broken off about six inches down from the fletching. I couldn't locate the other portion with the broadhead. I found no hair, no blood, and there had been no good "thwack" when I shot. I am trying to figure out what probably happened. I would think that if anything, I would have hit it too far back since it bolted to the left (I was shooting at its left side), but this would not explain the broken arrow, as I would have expected it to imbed in the hindquarter or something. A friend of mine suggested the arrow being stepped on, but I have a tough time believing I could have missed so significantly low at a "slam-dunk" range like that.

Just wondering if anyone has encountered a similar situation in which they were able to determine what had happened.

Thanks,
Jon

[dandbuck]

My first guess is a carbon arrow with a crack and it blew apart at the shot. Either that or the arrow is not turned with the bow and was flying downrange sideways and cracked a tree limb and broke. Any chance one of these occured?

[Pa Trophy Man]

Im with Dandbuck, sounds like your arrow broke in flight and went flying off who knows where.

[jonhall9]

I should have mentioned above- I checked, there was absolutely nothing between myself and the deer in terms of obstructions like tree limbs or branches. About the tuning... I suppose this could have been a factor, but I have not noticed anything to indicate that throughout all my target-shooting practice sessions or other hunts. There was sort of white thread/tape spiralling out the broken end of the carbon. I suppose this would be normal for any break, but I wonder if it could have indicated what you mentioned about there having been some sort of crack before flight.

Thanks for the dialogue. I am very curious as to what happened. Strange and frustrating occurence.

Jon

[SignOfTheTines]

With what you describe it sounds like your arrow had a crack or weak spot. Maybe with the broadhead steering from the front fighting the vanes your arrow came apart as the arrow flexed from the drive of the bow.

Did you tune your bow?

Have you tested your broadheads? Do they impact where your feild tips do? Maybe your arrow is underspined?

Test out some broadheads into broadhead targets before heading back out

[jonhall9]

I have practiced extensively with my broadheads (100 grain Muzzy COC's.) They do impact where my field points do. However, in terms of arrow spining and tuning, I don't profess to know a great deal. What steps would you recommend to ensure that everything is flying ok? Should I be shooting some rounds through paper this afternoon? Should that be done with field points or broadheads?

Jon

[gplant]

Shooting that close at a hard angle you may have shot under her and she stepped on you arrow.

[bowman15]

Was it possible that your arrow wasn't sitting on the rest properly? Too much side-ways presure and any arrow could break upon release.

Just a thought.