I held right behind the shoulder of this 6 point at 33 yards. As I released he turned away and took off. I saw a big spot appear right behind the shoulder where I was aiming. I watched him run thinking he'd drop at any minute. He went out of site about 125 yards away down off the ridge. I was shocked. Well, I got down and couldn't find the arrow(probably a good thing or I would have misinterpreted the results). Anyway I followed where he ran but there was no blood. Just a speck or two. I went to the tree he went over the hill by. It was steep and you could see he piled up and slid the whole way down. I walked down to the pile of leaves he created at the bottom and found a couple specks of blood. He crossed this little creek in the bottom.. I found a couple more specks. He went up the equally steep hill on the other side. You had to pull yourself up on trees growing. I'd find a speck here and there. I got to the top where it flattened out into a shelf about 200 yards across... big open hardwoods. I glassed it really well, nothing. I decided to wait and have a smoke. I'm trying to get the lighter lit in 30 mph winds when he jumps up from behind a log 15 yards away. He takes off but is falling and staggering. I run after him like the keystone cops. He stops after floundering 50 yards and sees this idiot trying to catch him. He lights out but is still having a hard time. I watch him disappear off the far side of the shelf. I sneak up as quiet as I can and glass the side hill and gully below. Nothing. I took one step and he jumps up from 60 yards away and staggers to the base of the next hill. I sit down. He stops. I watched him for 1 1/2 until he rolled on his side, his tail quivered and he died. Inspection revealed the arrow hit right behind the shoulder, but as he turned it missed the vitals, broke the bottom elbow of the shoulder and exited in front of the shoulder between the brisket and the shoulder bone. I had just knicked the leg artery but it took him a couple hours to die. There was a massive blood clot about the size of his liver between the shoulder and the chest wall. Very little blood ever made it to the ground.




Edited by - davidmil on 11/13/2002 16:02:56