Why is it that everyone assumes a bad shot was taken?
Uh, because you are not an experienced bowhunter, and it shows because you didn't make the shot dude and blamed it on the broadhead !
I've made the same shot when I was inexperienced, except at about 25 yards. The shot hit high, right below the backbone. The deer ducked I am assuiming, bled for a ways and that was that. Poor shot selection ? A bit yeah, but more a failure in me putting the arrow through the lungs. The choice of broadhead means NOTHING if you hit shoulders and backbones. !
You were fortunate that there were no tiny branches out there to deflect your shot.
You don't know there wasn't with fading light and that distance - another indication of a not so perfect shot.
badshotbob - If the guy can make the shot, take it, I'll be the first to say that. My initial reaction though is a rookie bowhunter at dusk taking a 35 yard long shot at a deer thats been hunted for the past 5 months and is probably wired. That equals a lesser chance for success. But even at that, DO NOT BLAME the broadhead for failure to put the arrow in the lungs of the deer.
Bottom line, the arrow he shot did not hit where it was suppose to. Maybe not a terrible shot - but definitely wasn't well executed.