Finally made my Illinois hunt ( help needed )
 

2 buddies and myself made our 1st but not last Illionois bowhunt. If it wasn't for a bad shot from myself we would have had 3 Pope and Young's coming home. I was hunting a deer I saw the 1st day only to get my shot on the 2nd to the last day of the hunt. Glad I snapped a few photos the 1st day so I can relive that horrible feeling in my stomache when we were unable to find him. I had moved a stand after a morning hunt but didn't trim shooting lanes because our hunt was coming to and end and I didn't want to make too much commotion in there. The deer came in and bedded up at 12 yards for about 1/2 hour without giving me a shot. Without much notice he started to leave and I had 1 lane that I needed him to walk through and he did and I released. The 1st thing that came to mind was I broke his spine how is he running. The arrow looked like an antenna sticking out of his back. I watched him cross a 700 yard cornfield, walking then jogging and so on. Waited 3 hours, came back and found about 40 yards of blood drops then nothing the rest of the way which we followed his tracks. I stayed and searched till dusk with no luck. Does anyone have any idea where I might have hit and why my arrow was stopped so short? Thanks for anyone help. :( Edited to add the show was 8 yards at about 22 feet high.

RE: Finally made my Illinois hunt ( help needed )
 

Maybe a bone in his back? [X(]

RE: Finally made my Illinois hunt ( help needed )
 

By the way here is a picture at almost 200 yards if anyone wants to cry with me.

RE: Finally made my Illinois hunt ( help needed )
 

A different view, please feel free to score him if you wish. [:@]

RE: Finally made my Illinois hunt ( help needed )
 

how far was the shot?

RE: Finally made my Illinois hunt ( help needed )
 

Shot was 8 yards with a very, very slight quartering away. Didn't look like much penetration at all. It all happened so quick that i replayed it in my mind 1000 times and can't figure out what happened.

RE: Finally made my Illinois hunt ( help needed )
 

You may have hit his shoulder bone.

RE: Finally made my Illinois hunt ( help needed )
 

That's what both of the guys that were with me said. I would be very surprised if that is where I had hit him but you never know. By the way did anyone get a good look at the pictures and tell me what theu believe he would score?

RE: Finally made my Illinois hunt ( help needed )
 

If you think you hit him that high and with the antennae thing, I think you probably hit him above the spine right into his backstraps and vertebrate. That is a thick, dense area right there and I have seen people hit deer there and not get even close to a pass through, but usually because it is hitting right above the spine, it shocks the spinal cord and they have a moment of temporary paralysis. I dont see how its a shoulder if you thought it should have broke his back and was sticking straight up like an antennae. Good side, I dont think they die from those shots.

RE: Finally made my Illinois hunt ( help needed )
 

Ibelieve you may be correct. After sitting in my stand a while andreliving the shot I did comethink that I possibly hit above the spine. Then on 2nd thought it seemed almost impossible to do this being 22 feet up and only an 8 yard shot, the angle just seemed too severe. But I quess with an animal of this size, well exceeding 230, it very well could have happened. thanks for the reply.