cant stand the wait
 

Well,
slipped into the swamp stand behind the house, about 45min before dark Mr. Big boy comes through (8-10) at what I thought was 30 yards (ended up being 35yds, a 6 inch drop on My bow), held him up with a grunt and let it fly. Saw the arrow going low, He snorts, and takes off up the oppposite hill and stops looking around for 15 seconds, then slipps off.
I lost sight of the arrow and did not hear a hit, "looked" like it may have been low. Climbed down after 1/2 hour and went to where he stood for 15 seconds, large blood area, I followed the trail back to the hit, and found 1/2 of the shaft (blade end) stuck in the ground at the angle of flight from My stand. Blood splattered there, so the blood started right away.

I walked back up to the house, that was 3 hours ago. Unsure of the hit, and do not want to push it, but it will only go down to 58 tonight.

Odd how the arrow broke clean and continued on its flight and stuck in the ground, bright red blood, but not gushing like a slug gun (2nd year bow)

RE: cant stand the wait
 

Was he quartering away? Still sounds like a good hit from what your saying. Good Luck on the recovery

RE: cant stand the wait
 

dead broadside,
could not ask for a better setup,
broadside, head behind a tree, very light wind blowing in My face.

I just "miss under estamated" the distance by 5 yards.

My bow is flat out to about 25 yards, then it drops like a rock


Slack

RE: cant stand the wait
 

good luck finding him. where the heck were you aiming to STILL HIT HIM though if you got a 6 inch drop from 30-35??

i think you need your bow looked at!! flat clear out to 25...but 30-35 is a 6 inch drop??? just doesnt seem right?? an arrow should have a definent flight and not drop like a rock. your pins should all be gapped the same distance...unless im wrong? my bow only shoots 260fps...from 15-25 and 25-35 my pin gap is the same..and if i use my 25yd pin on a 35yd shot i think im roughly somewhere around 5-6 inches low.

but either way...good luck finding him...sounds like a good hit..sounds like the arrow stuck in him and snapped when he ran off. maybe only got 1 lung from angle and low hit..but should got the heart too with any luck. did good backing out since you were unsure though...

RE: cant stand the wait
 

OK here is the deal. You had a good shot. You took a shot but missed the distance a little bit. BUT, you still connected, and got blood immediately. You did not push the buck, so he is not in a hurry. You are doing great so far. Give him time, and follow your senses. I predict you will bring him home.

Good luck to you Slackdaddy, and keep us posted.

I'll be here all day tomorrow, checking back for an update and pics.

Good hunting and be safe.

God Bless

RE: cant stand the wait
 

Well, no joy!
Waited till morning, Found the blood puddle no problem,He headed strait up the hill (thick laurel) and bedded 2-3 times at the top, each bed had 1' round blood stains (not puddles), following the trail was no problem, good sized drops and plenty of them, "thin" red blood, but plenty of it.

He went up hill about 100yds, bedded a few times, then dropped of the side into another bottom, then the blood slowed way down and was a drop every foot or so, then had about 20 feet of real heavy thick red blood, then nothing, finnaly foud one drop about 30 feet away, but nothing after that, spent a few more hours tryng to pick it back up, but heseems to have "clogged up".
I believe I went through the brisket (outside of the ribbs)
I paced off the shot, 42 yards, I was way off, thought it was about 30-35.

Judging distance is My main goal to work on now.

Mauser, I shoot 1 pin(dot), it is zero'ed for 20 yards, at 30 yards I am 4-6 low, at 35 yards I am 8-10 low, 40 its in the ground.
I never thought the shot was 40+, I would not have taken it.

Slack

RE: cant stand the wait
 

Yeah but the drop of you arrow wouldn't make you hit it further back. Get out there and look some more. Maybe you caught the liver. Start looking in brush piles and doing grid searches.

RE: cant stand the wait
 

Um? If your zero'd for 20....if a target is 30 yards you have to aim high with a 20 yard pin. What are you doing again?

RE: cant stand the wait
 

Get out and look some more. You have a dead deer. Do like the others said and start a grid search and check brush piles and such. Don't give up yet.

Good luck.

RE: cant stand the wait
 

Sounds like you missed below his heart, cause it seems like you'd have found him if he died with a heart shot.