Slo-Pitch

What are the odds of a deer surviving a shot in the No Man's land Area?
Had a doe come out last night bout 6 perfect 20 yard broadside shot. just before I released my elbow hit a branch I had not trimmed and the shot when about 6 inches high. and it looked to me like it went in between the vitals and the spine just behind the shoulder. anyway. I saw her run into the woods with both sides of the arrow sticking out of her. (that really bothered me didn't want someone to see that) anyway I snuck out and returned this morning. followed minimal blood for about 75 yards then it stopped. Backtracked out to the field and found my broken off arrow broke off just below the fletchings so I found the majority of my arrow and the broadhead with nothing but fat residue on it. So this tells me that she came back out to the field to eat last night. what do you guys think?

rybohunter

I think she'll be fine as the arrow passed though her backstraps and never entered her chest cavity.

Charlie P

There is no such thing as no man's land.

huntingson

If you hit under the spine she would be dead and there would have been a lot of blood on your arrow. You hit above the spine and went through the backstraps. It may have hit the fin type protrusion from the vertibrae that stick up a little, which would have slowed your arrow enough to not get a pass through. If your arrow is out of her she should heal fine. If there is some still in her she will be lucky to not die a terrible slow death from infection.

BobCo19-65

I don't believe you hit vitals. I also don't believe in no-mans land. Since there was a lot of fat on the arrow, I also don't believe you hit above the spine.

goherd1111

Yep sounds like you hit above the spine through the backstraps. If you would have hit below the spine behind the shoulder you would have a dead deer (Lungs).

huntingson

Why not? There is a lot of stored fat around the backstraps above the spine.

Slo-Pitch

Thanks for the quick replies guys. I may have very well hit above the spine... like i said there was minimal blood and fat on the arrow. No mans land may not exist I don't know, but i didn't think about the backstraps as up higher than the spine.

goherd1111

The spine actually runs lower through the deers body than what alot of people think. There is more room than what most people suspect between the top of the back and the spine.

BobCo19-65

I guessit would depend if you would call it membrane or fat. FWIW, this deer is hanging with it's head down. You can see where the concentration is.