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RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

I had a shot deflected by a small branch. My arrow hit the deer in the back leg/ham area. The deer dropped within twenty yards. Must have hit a major artery. My brother has also gotten a deer with the arrow in about the same spot. Dropped in less than forty yards.

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

The majority (if not all)of "Marginal" hits that result in quick deaths revolve around arteries.
You hit a major artery ANYWHERE in a deer and a quick death is a certainty.
A friend hit a doe last year square in the hindquarter after his arrow deflected off a limb.....the result? The bloodiest shortest trail he's ever had.
These arteries travel throughout the deer's entire body and some pretty weird hits can take one out. The bloodiest trail I've ever had was on a doe that I hit the artery running along the spine......the animal ducked at the shot and I caught her high. I NEVER saw blood spray like that in my life, and the deer went 20 yards.
Obviously the other "Marginal" hits that can result in quick death are in the central nervous system, especially the brain.

But of course everyone knows that these shots should not be attempted on purpose.....but they CAn happen and you asked. :)

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

Dog - I'll share the only shot I've had that immediately felt bad about. The middle of gun season in 1999 I have a big doe walk in to me. At fifteen yards I draw as she stood broadside looking away, when I hit the release, she jumps forwards. I can only watch the arrow flight and see it go in way far back just in front of the left rear hip. That is the only deer I've ever shot outside of the chest cavity.

I was instantly in panic, but her first leap after being hit left a scarlet trail of blood streaming to her tail. She fell within 20 yards and within 30-45 seconds shivered and it was over. Thank God the broadhead severed the fem artery at the point where it splits.



Shoot often - Hunt always

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

The ones I have personally heard of are the fermoral artery in butt/back leg hits, neck hits that cut the jugular, head hits, and that artery that runs down the length of the spine. Pretty much what everyone else has said.

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

The very first deer I shot with a bow was a spike that came in a little too far to my right. I drew my bow (still sitting) and when I tried to bring it around I had to really strain to get my upper body around far enough. I'm sure my form was screwed and when I released, I hit him square through the stomache. I was on the edge of a cut corn field and instead of him making straight for the woods which was what I expected, he ran straight out into the field about 60 yards and stopped and looked back. He proceeded to stand there looking back toward me for about ten seconds. Then he turned like he was going to walk off, wobbled a couple of steps and just keeled over.

I walked the same path he took into the field and never found a drop of blood or stomache matter. Had he taken to the woods it would have taken a while to find him. I still have no idea why he went down so quick.

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

The three most common "oops" hits that I've seen (but not necessarily made) result in short, quick recoveries...

Femural artery. Think "femur", or thigh bone. There's actually two of them. One in each hind leg. If one gets hit it'll leak like a cut garden hose.

Aortal artery (sp?). The artery that comes off the top of the heart, runs along the underside of the spine, then branches out to the two femural arteries. Pretty much the same effect as the femurals.

Spine. Needs no further explanation. Often requires a finishing shot, but no tracking's involved.

JRW

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

Anthony draws, aims and releases, the doe jumps the string (at least that was how I saw it) and he got her square in the A-hole.

It is not unusual to hear of a short trail with a "Texas heart shot" (term used in WI don't know who started it and I don't mean anything derogatory). Accidents happen to nearly everyone. Generally the back ham shots bring a short tracking job. Hopefully these only happen rarely. Glad you had a short track

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

I shot a 7 point a few years ago that was a marginal hit. The deer was quartering away when I released and he jumped the string. The arrow entered mid-ham and burried up to the lungs. The pentration was outstanding considering I was using 2.5" Vortex broadheads and carbon arrows. The femeral artery was severed and just the back edge of one lung was punchered, but not cut with the blades. After a 2.5 hour wait thinking a gutshot....I climbed down and slowly stalked on the heavy blood trail. 35 yards later he was down.

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

<font color=red>&quot;It is not unusual to hear of a short trail with a &quot;Texas heart shot&quot; (term used in WI don't know who started it and I don't mean anything derogatory).&quot;</font id=red>

Fred Bear jokingly coined the term many years ago when he butt-shot a deer in Texas. Hence, the term &quot;Texas Heart Shot&quot;. <img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle>

JRW

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

My most effective &quot;ooops&quot; shot was on a small six point at 4 yds....yep, 4 YDS!

I had held the bow back for hours (ok, 45 seconds but you know what I mean) and when he finally stepped out from behind a tree I didn't even line up the peep or the sights, I just let it fly. The arrow passed thru just below the spine and in front of the back legs....I WAS PISSED....The deer ran about 60 yds and dropped stone cold dead....I WAS HAPPY.

When I field dressed it, I discovered my arrow went straight thru the liver. I wish I was good enough to pull that shot off every time, very effective.
<img src='http://communities.msn.com/_Secure/0KwAAADsOaDdtgkcDr1nY4RcAK6lPF*ayvmG!e6*iM1LTmQvlc 54Zk6fPpfu!2ro8DHlXdaP1DG0/4pt.jpg>

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

I had a buck come in very aggressively to a rattling sequence a couple years ago, and I had perfect preparation time and everything. The deer's standing 20 yards out, slightly quartering away. I come to full draw, relax, aim, squeeze... and Plop!, he falls over in his tracks.

Since it's definitely not my first bow-killed deer, I know something's obviously up. I strained for about thirty seconds looking at what I saw before me until I spotted the arrow shaft sticking straight up between his eye and ear. I re-traced the flight of the arrow until I noticed a miniscule broken twig between us.

One of two extremely short tracking jobs I've had (in other words, they dropped in their tracks!). The other, a huge doe last year, droppped in her tracks, and I really don't know why. I caught her a tad high in her shoulder from a pretty high perch, but yet she just crumpled on the spot.

Probably all that kinetic energy being produced by the ol' Mathews! <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Discipline -- not desire -- determines destiny.

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

This happened years ago when I was just a kid and I would not take this shot now so dont rag on me too bad.

I was sneaking down an old logging road and saw 2 spikes angling towards me about 50 yards away. They looked like twins they both had 6&quot; spikes. I got down on one knee and got ready. There was heavy brush between the deer and me and I could not get a clear shot. When the first spike finally cleared the brush he was only about 10 yards away. Just as his head was going behind a tree I drew and he stuck his head out and stopped in his tracks looking right at me. All I could see was his head and neck. I was holding back my string thinking just one more step. He was not about to move and I could not hold back any more and I knew if I let my string back down he would be gone. I held my pin on the white spot on his throat and let it fly.

At my shot he spun around and then ran away from me about 30 yards and stopped. I could hear the other deer running off. The spike just stood there looking in the direction of the deer that ran off. He never even looked back at me. I was thinking how did I blow that shot when the deer stuck his nose on the ground like he was smelling something then he took off ran about 10 yards and fell flat on his butt then got up and ran off. I went over to where the deer fell and there was blood all over the place I mean splattered for a 5 foot circle. It was the easiest blood trail I ever tracked he went about 70 yards.

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

A friend took his first (and largest) buck through the kidneys, with an ill placed arrow. Very little blood trail, the deer went 30 yds, casually looking around, and fell over dead. He though he'd gut shot the deer, and waited 1/2 hour after watching it fall, for fear it would get up and run off. It turned out the deer didn't last 20 seconds after the hit. Weird one.

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

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

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

Shot a big doe in the kidneys, she went about 80 yards.
Shot a nice buck right behind the ear, he went about 50.
Hit two in the ham, one went less than 100, and the other we recovered in the morning, still alive, my pop had to wrestle him down, lucky he was only a little spike, but I was sure glad he did, it was my first deer. I was 10yrs old, and though, Wow, I hope it isn't always this tough to kill one!
Saw a fella in my club last year hit a nice 8pt at the top of the front leg from about 10yds about 20ft up a tree, below where it meets the body, and the bullet exploded and went down the leg, the buck dropped. Hard to believe, but I was there when they skinned it. No other holes.



&quot;In heaven, even the fish have antlers&quot;

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

Last Saturday as I was about to draw on a large doe right under my stand, a smaller doe came trotting in from the opposite direction with an arrow hanging from the middle of its body. The wound looked like it was going to cause the deer a slow death. I decided pass on the doe under my stand to take a very difficult shot at the wounded doe, feeling that any other hit in the deer would most likely help to finish it more quickly or at least add to the blood trail to aid in the other hunter's recovery of it. My arrow struck the ham, severing the femoral artery and causing the deer to die in 90 yds.

As it turns out, the other hunter (never did run into him, despite waiting and yelling out for him) hit the deer as it was quartering strongly away from him. His arrow struck in the vicinity of the last rib and skidded down the outside of the ribcage before lodging in the back of the deer's shoulder. The arrow never penetrated the chest cavity, but it did create an 8&quot; long x 2.5&quot; wide gash in the animal's hide, exposing the rib cage to the elements. There was no blood trail prior to my hit, and I suspect it would have died of infection eventually. The blood trail was fair after my hit and the doe died quickly in a small creek.

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

AK,
Totally off topic here, but I have to say from this stroty and others you've posted I've been thoroughly impressed with your prowess with that &quot;Little Stick&quot; of yours!!:) And I always enjoy the good pictures....good show ,nice shooting and nicer ethics.
You're a feather in this message board's cap.

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

I made two bad shots over the years , unfortunately I never recovered either deer<img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle> I have had buddies tell me about poor shots they made and recovered their deer , nothing like salt in a wound<img src=icon_smile_blackeye.gif border=0 align=middle>
The strangest one would have to be one of my buddies early bowhunting days. He was hunting with an old recurve and spotted a doe around 30 yards out. He drew back and let the arrow fly. When the doe heard him shoot , she lifted her head to look at him and just as she did the arrow caught her right smack in the head and dropped her right in her tracks<img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle>

<---Doug---<<<

RE: Marginal hits that resulted in quick kill
 

I got one high and slightly in front of the shoulder,The deer ran and dropped within 70 yards and died. Upon field dressing I reached up in the chest cavity to cut the esophagus and found that my broadhead had already almost completly severed the esophagus.