A friend shot a spike at 32 paces. The spike was standing broadside, quartering slightly away, friend was on the ground. At the shot, the arrow did not penetrate more than 6 inches, he saw it run off with the arrow. He said he hit it immediately behind the front leg.

We looked very carefully for the rest of the day, not finding a drop of blood, a piece of hair, or the arrow. Did circles about 500 yds or so out, nothing.

I told him that because the deer was quartering forward, that he may have missed any vitals and hit the leg or shoulder.

Any thoughts on whether this deer might make it, what could have happened or anything would be greatly appreciated. He is pretty disappointed in what happened and I would like to have some insight into what happened.

Thanks

If the deer was quartering away and the arrow hit directly behind the front leg it hit vitals (heart/lung). I would bet that you didn't find blood because there isn't an exit wound and the arrow is plugging the entrance. I shot a buck a couple of years ago like this. There was only a drop of blood for 300yds. Fortunately I was using the game tracker string at that time and I was able to follow it straight to the deer. I would bet that your buddy's deer is dead. Sorry you couldn't find it.

When he first started relating the events to me, I thought the same thing. But the fact that the arrow penetrated so little makes me think it hit something early in the penetration. I am wavering on whether it may have lived or not, thinking probably not, but hoping that maybe it will. I am thinking that the lack of penetration might mean it struck bone early and didn't get to any vitals. I just spoke to him about it again and he told me the arrow penetrated maybe 4 inches...I think very little. We are going back at the end of the week, hopefully we will see him again...

Any additional info or thoughts will be much appreciated.

Maybe he hit the shoulder blade! That would be good news. I would imagine the deer would live as long as there isn't any infection.

Hard to determine the exact amount of penetration from a shot but if he is saying 6 inches then that is enough to make it through the chest cavity or at least most of it. More than likely hit shoulder or rib on the opposite side and left no blood trail because of lack of exit hole. Would guess the deer is down and gone by now but may have been able to travel quite a distance.

" Anyone can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a Dad"

bjk with only 6 inches of penetration it sounds like he must have hit a little further forward than he thought and wound up hitting the shoulder blade and/or possibly even the leg. hitting right behind the shoulder would be all rib until it may have hit the far shoulder. I wasn't there and neither were you so who really knows. Hopefully it hit the shoulder blade and deflected away from the vitals and he will make it. How long did you wait before you started to track him? The reason I ask is maybe he only caught one lung and if you all pushed him to quickly he may be piled up in the next county.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

We waited about an hour, maybe a little more. I thought this would be enough time, but now am not sure. If we pushed him, I did not notice him moving, but who knows. I did not notice any deer moving in front of me while looking, or hear any crashing or running.

We will be back up there at the end of the week, I hope we see him again.

Thanks for all of the replies.

shoulder blade...been there done that...no dead deer.

Yep - shoulder blade - steeper angle than he probably thought. If you've ever examined the shoulder blade of a deer, there is a spline of bone that splits it across its center to give it lateral strength. A broadhead hitting there at an angle will get poor, and often deflected penetration. I'm betting the deer will live, though its unlikely you will be able to confirm it.

I once hit a doe square on the spline of the shoulder blade, and only got about 6 inches of penetration - but the blood trail was immense, and she only went about 20 yds before falling. Upon inspection at butchering, the broadhead only passed about 2 or three inches through the bone, but with a sharp broadhead firmly embedded 2" into the lungs, every bound she made cut the lungs to shreds, and down she went. I'd say this did not happen in your buddy's situation.