Damn Caleb , I feel for ya bud. It looks to me like It's a high hit as well, plenty above the spine. Chances are this deer will live just fine but In saying that a guy has got to go out In the morning and do his best to make sure that he Isn't dead. You just never know though! You know that, there's no sense In saying anymore.

I wish you the best In the morning.

Thanks Steve,

I went to youtube and if you do click the "watch in high quality" option the video does shows up much clearer. Everytime i view the video it seems like the deer is running away perfectly fine, which would indicate he only has a flesh wound. Im only down because i know i can make better shots on deer and now i have this wounded buck that im going to have to live with until i find him or see him doing well. In my 7 years of deer hunting i have never wounded an animal and not found it. Both my bow kills went less then 70 yards and both my gun kills dropped on the spot. This is a first for me.

But it all comes around, i mentioned in 2 threads earlier today that we should learn from our mistakes and that everybody ends up with a bad shot every once in awhile. Just didnt think it would come full circle tonight.

That's just It Caleb, It seems to happen when we least expect It to. I've been there before. My one and only wounded animal came about in my 6th year of bow hunting. I shot a bear In the foot. I was pissed, and I'm still ticked about it to this day even though the bear was just fine but that's bow hunting and that's how it goes sometimes. I've been bow hunting 23 years and I've only wounded one animal, the bear I just mentioned but I'm sure my time Is coming once again. One just never knows when It's going to happen. Like I said, this Is bow hunting and this Is what happens here and there.

Keep your head up!

id agree......hit one in the same place 3 years ago.....same deal...alert deer...i watched him duck as the arrow was sailing for his lungs....im 10000% confident the buck i shot didnt die from my broadhead. i looked for 4-5hrs that night and atleast the same the next day...with like 6 buddies...we covered some major ground...leaving no leaf unturned...


just to be sure, id agree with the others and say you aughta do the same(which you said your going back out)


not trying to bust your balls or sack punch you or sack kick you while your down or anything...just a couple things i wanted to point out....

he was 12-13yds and you shot him for 18 or so...not sure what bow you shoot or how fast it is....but, i know for me, 12-13yds is my 20yd pin...same with 22-23yds...not enough of a difference to compensate for....

and the alert deer deal....hard lesson to learn....and noone seems to tell you that till AFTER you live it....live and learn buddy...happened to me....just gotta learn from our mistakes and become better and more educated...

like i said, not throwng salt in the wound...i been there and feel for you....just feel that its gotta be said so you can learn....thats AWESOME you had it on video....really helps us look at it....


good luck next time!! pretty awesome video....hopefully we get to see him dead in the morning or see you smoke another one!! keep your head up!!!

x2

I agree .... it looks like you went just under the skin ..... Either way, if you hit an artery, he is dead and you'll get him, or if you did what I think you did, he will be absolutely fine ....

I'll go the other way ,I say you hit high all right but the exit side looks low enough to get the top of the lung on the right side.He could go a ways to bed but you will find him.
Your not going to find much blood,and what you do find will be up high on brush or even those corn stalks.Be careful and mark a line with toilet paper to keep you on line between blood spots.Take your time.
At that range if you had not hit something substantial that arrow would have zipped right through him . Finding that arrow might lead you to the answers you need.

Good luck,Jim

If you're shooting at an alert deer (which I don't think is a good idea), especially one that's looking at you, youMUST aim a bit low. That deer IS going to duck at least a little bit. You can take that to the bank!I don't think he's dead though. Good luck either way.

Someone may have already mentioned this??
As you mentioned the deer was obviously alerted by something/someone was in the tree...

You can see this as he trots off, from in front of you, to where he stopped and you shot at him.
My experience is that I would have aimed a few inches lower, knowing he will jump to bound away, by his body actions in the video.

Good luck!

Let us know how it turns out. It happens to everyone. If they say they've never lost an animal they either haven't been hunting that long, or they are a liar. Good luck though man keep us updated.


Adam Bowman