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A missed shot - or a recovery operation?

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A missed shot - or a recovery operation?

Old 09-18-2007, 10:00 AM
  #1  
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Default A missed shot - or a recovery operation?

Guys, I would appreciate any and all input.

Last night, I believe I missed on a nice doe at 30 yards. It was about 30 minutes before legal shooting time ended. I put my twenty yard pin on her a little high and released. I didn’t see the arrow hit but she did jump and/or arch her back. She whirled quickly and ran off, making a shrieking sound I’ve heard deer make when I’ve accidentally spooked them before, sort of a warning call of sorts to the other deer in the woods. Then she circled back, waving her tail and slowly watching in my direction from about 75 yards off. At this point, it’s too dark and she’s too far to see if there’s a point of impact.

So I go back to the house and come back with my 15 million candlelight flashlight and light up the woods. No blood, no arrow, nothing. If it was a clean miss, like I assume it was, the arrow would have likely sailed into the slough about 25 yards behind where she was standing at the time ( I was in a ground blind), so I may not find the arrow until winter. So I slowly canvassed the woods following the path I saw her take and nothing. I didn’t hear anything moving or getting up and running either. I went in after about an hour as it started pouring raind and did a quick hike though the woods before work again this morning. Nothing.

I’m thinking it was a clean miss or worse, a gut shot. However, wouldn’t the arrow normally pass through the guts? It all happened so fast, all I saw was the deer jumping and whirling and bolting. And then coming back slowly to check me out from a distance. She wasn’t acting hurt, just rattled.

I do think I’ll take off early from work tonight and go out for awhile again just to make sure. Any thoughts? Similar experiences? Also, if I did gut shoot her and she died overnight, is finding her this afternoon in 70 degree temps too late to save any of the meat. Regardless, I would tag her and accept what happened out of respect for the deer.

Thanks in advice for any insight and the occasional insult I will expect with a potential recovery thread like this.
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Old 09-18-2007, 10:08 AM
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Default RE: A missed shot - or a recovery operation?

I gut shot one last year and it was pretty warm. We went back the next morning and found him. The backstraps were fine. I wasn't about to cut the deer open though. Gut shot and warm temps don't mix well but the loin was fine.
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Old 09-18-2007, 10:11 AM
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Default RE: A missed shot - or a recovery operation?

Go back and look for that arrow a little more... I say you missed hear or at the very least just nicked her... Try looking for that arrow again... That will tell the whole story... A gut shot deer does not usually circle around and blow at you...
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Old 09-18-2007, 10:12 AM
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Default RE: A missed shot - or a recovery operation?

It sounds like to me it was just a clean miss? But your doing the right thing by checking out the area and making sure.
As far as finding your arrow? There is no telling where that thing landed.
A gut shot deer does not usually circle around and blow at you...
Exactly!
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Old 09-18-2007, 10:19 AM
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Default RE: A missed shot - or a recovery operation?

I think you had a clean miss and you just spooked the heck out of her. She would not cirlce back around and come back to a similar general area if she was shot, especially if it was a complete pass thru gut shot. I would bet you just missedher and she was trying to figure what in the heck just happened, that's why she came back. I would not take off from work early, not unless you are planning on hunting.
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Old 09-18-2007, 10:55 AM
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Default RE: A missed shot - or a recovery operation?

Thanks for the replies guys. I will plan on looking for that arrow again until I find it. I didn't think a wounded deer would react that way either, coming back to check things out.

Regardless, is that what you call that high-pitched shrieking sound? Blowing? It's sounds like someone scraping their finders across a chalk board.
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Old 09-20-2007, 03:06 PM
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Default RE: A missed shot - or a recovery operation?

Update. So I found the arrow last night or at least half of it. It was snapped clean off right below the fletching and the broadhead end nowhere to be found. So I did another sweep of the slough, which isn't very thick and the neighboring properties but nothing.

Could an arrow snap in half from impact on a rock or collision with something else? I know the other dreaded possibility is that the other half was inside her or at the least it was hanging on to her and that she had not dislodged it yet. Still, where the arrow half lay was directly behind where she was standing and she bolted in another direction after the shot before circling back and blowing at me. So I doubt she would have broke it off at that spot. Plus I know now I aimed to high from carefully measuring the yardage. The arrow should have theoretically grazed her back.

I'm going to look one more time this weekend with some friends but I'm thinking all is well. Perhaps I'm too optimistic. On another note,I went and bought some of those arrow knocks that light up when fired and glow afterward to I'll see where they hit and find the arrow more quickly the next time. And I'm going to look into a range finder. Right now I am pre-measuring yardages from my stands with a rope and markers.


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Old 09-20-2007, 03:15 PM
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Default RE: A missed shot - or a recovery operation?

"MY" take....

First....I'm not being critical...just offering advice.

#1 - Finding the arrow in a timely fashion is PARAMOUNT to knowing your next move.

#2 - I think you would have seen the arrow sticking out of her if it had stuck in and been broken off.

#3 -
Could an arrow snap in half from impact on a rock or collision with something else?
YES! I told Rob I was glassing the other night....and saw something in a tree about head high. It was an arrow. I INSTANTLY knew the story of it. Last year....before I took the buck I just got back from the taxi....I had a shot at him (Thanksgiving Day) at 30yds. It was dusk....and I didn't see a small limb in front of me. I release my arrow and it sounded like an explosion. New lumenok.....gone. All I find is the fletching end. I didn't even look for a black shafted arrow with no markings in that brush. But....now I know where it is! I'm going to take a photo of it in the tree.....as soon as I get that far into my woods on a day hunt. But to answer your question.....most definitely a limb can do that to an arrow.

I'd say you missed....but I can't express how much that arrow will tell you....and I'd do everything in my power to find the arrow before I did ANYTHING else (in the future).

Good luck
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Old 09-20-2007, 03:16 PM
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Default RE: A missed shot - or a recovery operation?

An arrow can and usually does snap when shot off into the wild blue unknown. All it has to do is glance off something to turn it a little off pure flight and if it smacks a small limb, sapling or whatever... it's toast... especially alluminums. How far from where the deer was standing did you find the arrow. Was it in a path directly behind her or was it off on the trail she ran? It's always a bummer to find an arrow that way because you don't know. I never had it happen like that in all my years bowhunting. I mean found a half and not had evidence of a hit....., but I've busted them in practice stump shooting when I tried to squeeze one through a hole. Because of the way the deer acted I'd say you missed or maybe tangled one up in her lower legs when she lit out. I'm almost certain from what you describe... you missed, but without the rest of the arrow or the deer we won't know.
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Old 09-20-2007, 03:41 PM
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Default RE: A missed shot - or a recovery operation?

I break arrows like that all the time when shooting 3ds if I slip or miss judge a distance and it hits a stick thendeflects in to a rock or something was there any sound of the arrow breaking when you shot? and if you didn't hear it its probly cause so much other things are going on i know when i see a deer my heart is beating so hard im afraid the deer will hear it.
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