What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Ok here is the deal. I was posted up on the edge of a field right before sunset.I saw 5 bucks that afternoon the biggest being a big split brow tine eleven point,but could not get them close enough for a shot. Anyway right before shooting light dissapeared I had a nice 7 or eight point come out in the field about 60 yards away. I grunted at him and he started walking directly at me, head on. I came to full draw and he stopped at about 25 yards away. He was slightly quartering and I knew that I had to shoot before it got to dark or he busted me. I aimed right behind his shoulder although it was almost a straight on shot. i let the arrow go and he jumped up and ran off about 30 yards and just stopped. Just then i heard a bubbling/hissing noise and figured it was his lung deflating. Suddenly he started making what sounded like a choking noise and he kept moving his head like crazy. He walked around in a 20 foot circle for 5 minutes and it looked like he was going to collapse, he looked to be limping. he kept making that same weird choking noise and moving his head back and fourth. He then slowly walked away and at 50 yards i could not see him anymore because it got to dark.I waited an hour and found my arrow. Here is where it gets weid. No blood on the arrow and no deer.I am so confused, this deer acted crazy I figured he was definitely hit. What do you guys think happened. I had to miss if there was no blood, right? Why would he act that way? Is there any spot like the neck or esophagus that would not leave blood? please help me.

thanks


Thanks

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

You know what......I had a response typed out, but nevermind.....You hit him to be sure.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

A straight on shot????? I hope you are ready to be torched!

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

is it possible that the arrow hit him cock eyed, and maybe hit on the side of the arrow? follow me here, did you ever get the wind knocked out of you or hit in the throat, that`s about what that sounds like. as far as the hissing sound goes i`m stumped......

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

All I have to say is watch out for Atlasman.lol Wait I think I hear him comming now.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Did you inspect the arrow well? I mean check out the broadhead or thespace between the arrow shaft and the flecthing. It really sounds like you hit him but you have me stumped as well.

Check that arrow again and let us know.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Trust me I have passed up shots that are to far or are not good shots. remember i said he approached me straight on and then ended up quarteringat mea bit. This was a 25 yard shot and i am pretty dead on at 35 yards, and that is why i shot. Please do not torch me as I am truly a responsible hunter and i posted this for help on what to do at this point.

Thanks

Anyway, sounds crazy right.I checked for blood everywhere smelled the arrow even took a white tissue out and ran it up the whole arrow, nothing! No hair either. I cant even really search for him becausethere is no blood trail. We did a huge grid search but came up empty handed. This has really got me twisted.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Did this happen this evening?

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

I guess you didn't hit him then. Thats one heck of a coincidence though.

Does Jimmy Houston hunt in that area?;):D

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

No the night before last. Saturday night to be precise.I am thinking in a few days i can walk through the woods and try to smell him. if it was not small game season i would bring my dads Jack russel out there to find him.

I mean wouldnt a deer run away after being shot at, not to mention while he was walking around in the field I was pacing around on the phone with my brother in law. i though for sure he was dying, he really had trouble ven walking, his legs kept looking like they were giving out.

Crazy, crazy, crazy

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

I'm not even going to tell you what I think. I smell troll. After all the threads we have had lately, no one could be that st...... oh, nevermind. Have a nice day.[:'(]

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

OK....so you shot this deer 2 days ago......you've done a "huge gridsearch"........you've done all you can do at this point.....Learn the lesson here.....

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

My buddy said this, tell me what you think. He said since it was almost dark and I grunted him in, maybe the deer did not know what happened but he did think there was another buck there. maybe he was showing some sign of aggression towards me the other "buck". Make no mistake though, this was not an alarming snort to warn other deeras i have heard them before.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

I repeat.......

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Thanks for all the help, I appreciate all of you. even you Davidmil.

BTW what is the lesson?

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

You're kidding me....right?? If you can't punch the vitals of the deer, DON'T SHOOT!! I don't care how "dead on" you are at any yardage.....If that deer isn't giving you at a shot at it's heart/lung area....no matter how excited and jacked up on adreanaline you are, don't flippin shoot!

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

You see this is why people stop participating in these forums. Who leaves it to you decide whether or not I had a shot at his vitals. Are you gonna tell me that a deer that is quartering towards you offers no shot at the vitals, that is a bit ridiculous. I offered an honest post on here in order to get some friendly advice. The deer offered me a decent shot at his lungs, not a perfect shot, but a decent one. Your logic would lead us to believe that we should only shoot a deer if it is completely broadside. in fact we should not bother hunting if the winds exceed 3mph as that would alter arrow placement. Most shots are calculated risks and no shot is 100%. Not to mention most of the shot success ahs to do with the hunter and his ability. mant pros practice thousands of off angle shots all year. in fact I am sure many forum memebrs do as well. why is that?

Listen i am not looking for a fight here.I come to this forum because I enjoy it. I see to many judgmental people ruining that for others.I guess you may have taken this as i took a hail mary shot and maybe that is my fault in the way I posted the story. Just to set the record straight that was not the case at all. lets not argue, I am trying to figure this puzzle out.

thanks

thanks

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

My apologies...to be honest, I thought you were making it up. But I still say a deer quartered TO you offers no good shot at vitals.....think about it...if a deer is quartered AWAY, what do you do? You shoot it farther back so the arrow slides up into the vitals, right? Well, if it's quartering to, just the opposite is true. The arrow is going PAST the vitals and coming out behind them.......Unless of course you hit the thing in the neck....

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

To quote your direct thread, you made a very poor decision on a terrible angle and now don't want to hear about it. Your changing your story slightly when people jump you about taking a poor shot. No we were not there to see the exact shot angle but almost straight on is a horrible shot to take. Mobowhntr is correct in his assessment as I read your thread.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Once again, thanks for all your help on the subject. I see where you are coming from Mobowhntr and i guess you had to be there. You do have a valid point.

BTW Rob/PA Bowyer as a moderator i expected moreI just wanted to thanks you on helping me solve the realproblem here. I see you are one of those peole that adds fuel to the fire as opposed to putting them out.

Thanks you are the best. I think my timeat this forum is short lived anyway. It is like everybody here wants to start an argument. Three responses on helping me and seven ridiculing me. come on.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

All the negative comments here. I would be willing to bet that there is not a person out there that has not at sometime taken a shot that they wish they had not.
Anyway, in regards the question. I was lucky enough to take a really nice 8 point this year on veterans day. He was out in the field cruising for Doe's when he came in broadside at about 25 yds and I got a good double lung on him and he ran off aobut 110 yds. OK So your asking what does this have to do with anything? After I settled down from the excitement and took a minute to Appreciate my day outdoors and my fortune. I began to really give this deer a once over and noticed a funny mark on his neck. Upon further inspection he had a clean pass through of a 3 bladed broad head right through the middle of his neck from someone else. I mean within the last couple days, no blood, but it had not scap'd over. You would have never know seeing him out the feild chasing Doe's. It was just amazing to me to have seen this deer not 10 minutes earlier out there like nothing was wrong. All the while he had a big hole right through the middle of his neck. I can't explain no blood on your arrow, unless one blade may have sliced his neck and then when it buried in the dirt and you pulled it out and didn't find blood. Maybe it was just not deep enough to major blood, but enough to slice his esophagos. Just a thought. They are amazing animals.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Amazing and thanks for your encouragement.That is what i mean, maybe not the best shot but i was honest to post exactly what happened. Funny you shouldsay that. I also thought that exact scenario. Something did something to the deer for sure.

Thanks again, you were very helpful.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Thats what happened .......... what happened AFTER I dunno, I wasn't there

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

longisland, don't get so touchy. Rob beat me to it. He only quoted your exact post. Obviously what you describe is odd and by your description "almost a straight on shot" most experienced hunters would consider this a foolish shot. What are you expecting? Everyone to say you did good or don't let it bother you? Sorry. Isn't going to happen nor should it. But take it for what its worth and it is worth something. Sometimes its better to let off and let an animal walk than to take a marginal shot. Try it sometime. You might enjoy it. Now you can get mad and go away or you can stick around and participate. Nobody's saying leave. Stick around and good chance you learn some really cool stuff and maybe even share some. Good luck.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

I made a direct assessment on what you wrote, being a moderator doesn't exclude me from the obvious and you haven't been here long enough to make any kind of assumption of who I am.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

that shots very deadly if you hit them right, i dont know what the big deal is

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

I'll just walk away from this one..:)
wait ! I just remembered I read on AT. the same thing about a deer choking doing the same as you said ! no crap ! could of been anything the deer was fine after the fact.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Uh, yeah, apparently so.....[&:]

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

well he obviously missed the vitals which you could do with any shot, if he wouldof hit him inright spot on its bodythan it would of died just as quick as a lung shot, some people purpously go for a neck shot even if the deer is broadside, this could of happend with any shot, its called a miss.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Which is why we need to take the high percentage shots and not let our emotions control when we shoot.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

People are trying to tell you in not so many words that you made a very bad decision to shoot. You were motivated to achieve your own goals instead of thinking of the best interest of the game that you were taking.

The people that have "flamed" you are trying to make you a better, more ethical hunter. Take it for what it's worth.

Tom

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Did it make the sound of an allerted deer that has spotted you in your treestand? What was the tail doing when it was circling you? Was the arrow found? If it was did it appear on track as if you missed?

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Sounds like a cut windpipe, not much there to bleed. Hopefully somebody takes him before old man winter does. Broadside or quartering away, to my mind, are the only shots to take. Live and learn. Bummer situation any way you look at it.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

I am not going to comment on your shot selection. Live and learn on that one.

I posted about a doe I shot recently and ended up being lucky.
My deer was quartering away and the shot went a little high. It looked to be dead on. I was hunting from the ground and ended up shooting her in the neck. I found the arrow but it did have blood on it. She ran like the dickens and I didn't find blood for about 70 yards I think and then just a drop. I kept trailing her and finally found more about 20-30 yards further. I could hear her gurgling and coughing further in and waited for awhile. I ended up finding her another 30 yards away.

My point is ....... you very well may have neck shot it but the absence of blood or anything puzzles me. May have deflected off the neck and just karate chopped it in the throat causing it to try and catch his breath. Who knows.

Good luck in the future.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Your hunting NYS lol??

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

The only question I have is When he was standing out there and walking in a twenty foot circle for five minutes why didn't you renock an send a better shot on the way when he was broadside? Alot of times a deer will bolt about twenty yards and stop after being shot. I always renock and have one ready for just that reason. I bet I have put a second arrow in a dozen deer over the years. Just food for thought. Chris

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Well ive had some pretty weird occurences but ive at least found alittle blood, But you'd think there would be at least hair even if you just grazed his neck .
I dont know about this one

[hr]

retreval is the key to Happiness

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Sounds like you nicked the windpipe which isn't too far under the skin in the throut area.The deer will be very uncomfortable if that is the case.

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Wind pipe - or nose maybe even.

I don't understand the "wobbling legs" more than the lack of blood though.

Weird for sure.

FH

RE: What the heck happened? I am really confused!
 

Well found my the deer this morning, alive and kicking about 80 yards from where I took the shot. He looked fine and was just grazing until something spooked him and he took of.I have done some research and it seems to me that the noise i heard was definitely an alert to other deer in thearea.I found a website where a hunter hadbeen busted bya doe and it made a very similiar noise. I went shooting last night to resight my bow and found that my mid range pin was slightly loosened and had moved. All my shots were low.

BTW. I never took a second shot because I figured he was hit and I was waiting for him to drop. I did not want to push him out of the field and into the woods and by that time it was laready past legal shooting light. Anyway I got a nice look at him. I know it is the same deer because he has a really cool tall rack. Probably about 10 inch spread but g2 and g3 are like 9 - 10 inches. I will continue to persue him as well as the other 11 point brute that I have seen.

I have given much thought to what many of you have said and that maty not have been thebest shot to take butprobably not as bad as many of you believe. Either way, lesson learned and both hunter and animal will be better off the next time.

Thanks