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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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

<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