2 years ago, I shot a medium sized doe from about 8 yards. I was at full draw, shifted my weight, and the stand squeeked. The looked right up at me and I released. Luckily I was able to center punch the lungs. That deer ran 200 yards, with a blood trail on both sides a blind man could follow. It only took about 15 seconds before it crashed though. Deer are incredibly fast and hardy animals.

This past season I was hunting at a friends property and shot a nice 8 point from 30 yards with a rifle. The deer jumped at least 6 feet in the air after the shot, and ran down a hollow, across a stream, back up the other side and died on the 4 wheeler trail . Upon field dressing (I figured heart shot because it jumped), I discovered that a obliderated the lungs, and the heart was intact. The lungs was nothing more than a blood clot. Hunting in a wide open woods, I could see that it took that deer almost 2 minutes (I was timing) before it finally fell to the ground, shook for a few seconds and was done. It was resting itself against 2 trees though, so I know that it was getting tired. I think it mainly depends on the adrenaline, and pure fear.

My bow kill 7 point this year, was spined and dropped instantly, however was still living. I put another arrow through the center of the lungs, and he was dead within 30 seconds. However, I would imagine the sheer panic of not being able to stand and struggleing to get up caused this deer to use up the remaining oxygen very quickly and just "pass out".

Either way, I think its amazing that they live as long as they do. It just goes to show their will to live and their incredible toughness.

I've taken a number of deer with heart shots--nearly every one dropped with-in 45 yards and in sight. Most of the lung shot deer went down with-in 100 yards or less. However, I have had a couple that were center shot double-lungers go for up to 500 yards. My broadheads are maintained in perfect razor sharp condition and penetration is near 100% on pass-thru's. Sometimes conditions and certain deer just aren't "convinced" as quickly as others.

BTW--As to the lung shot being better than a heart shot . . . a heart shot <u>has</u> to go through the lungs unless it's straight down--and even then, you'll probably clip at least one edge.

AK, you better not be messin' around. That wife of yours will smell that perfume in a heartbeat. Or if you do, stay down wind of her until you get a good shower.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Edited by - davidmil on 01/23/2003 09:47:41

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DaveH - I have to agree with SJHunter. I have made many heart shots that failed to hit lung. Whether or not the lung gets hits depends on a number of variables. Was the lungs fully expanded with air, or did it just exhale? Was the head down, or up? It makes a difference in regard to the lungs position relative to the heart at the moment the arrow hits.

A number of my heart shot harvests, both bow and muzzleloader, have been directly below the &quot;mushroom cap&quot; line at the artery end. No lung damage. My experiences = less than 30% have hit lung w/ heart.

Conversely to the scenario I posted about my buddy's heart shot 12 in Alabama, the last heart shot I made was a large 6-point in 2001. 100 gr. Vortex dead center through the heart at 22 yards; took a couple of steps, laid down, then fell over on his right side when he passed-out. No lung here either.

That shows me the contrast in how different animal react in varying situations.



Shoot often - Hunt always

agree-several heart shots with nothing else. heart shot is about 2&quot; from a miss..

always thankful

This past fall I shot an adult doe at 18 yards. I thought I had a perfect double lung hit, but she ran about 350 yards out into a field, and I saw her bed down. I snuck out, and came back an hour later. She was dead where I last saw her. There was a terrific blood trail. When I field dressed her, I saw I had hit only one lung and the heart. I have never had a double lung hit deer go further than 60 yards. A deer can go a ways on a single lung or heart shot.

&quot;Playing under the table and dreaming&quot;

Thanks for the replies guys. It is indeed hard
to fathom how an animal can live more than a
couple minutes with a hole through both lungs.
I cant say for sure if it was a double lunger
but I saw John McClellon in Awesome Bulls II
video a huge bull that he had just put an arrow
through. You can clearly see the hole in its
side but the bull was trotting as if nothing
was wrong. Is it possible to hit above the heart
and miss the lungs?

stickerpt,

I thought I had hit a small deer above the heart and below the lungs without having a fatal shot. But looking at the deer anatomy pictures on line I wonder, there doesn't seem to be any way when shooting from the ground.

http://home.mn.rr.com/deerfever/Anatomy.html

I was shooting Bear razorheads and got a pass through about 4 inches above the bottom of the deer - well front of center. I was only about 15 yards away but my nock had slipped.

People have five lobes to their two lungs. Is hitting two lobes in one lung a worse hit than hitting one lobe in each of two lungs? Maybe there is more to this than just hitting both lungs?

beprepn