nybowhunter

Sorry this is so long....here it goes. I am looking for answers and hope somebody can help. I had a nice 5 point at 20 yards on Saturday at 11:45. Standing broadside, I wait for the buck to move his left leg forward so I can get a clean shot at his vitals. As soon as he takes the next step, I shoot and hear a very loud whack! YES…I think nailed him. Being 48, my eye sight isn’t that great and I have a very hard time following my arrow (even with both eyes open). At this point, I know I hit him, just not too sure where. He ran off about 20 yards and laid down for about a 1/2 hour. I’m watching him with binoculars the whole time. His head is going up and down like he is going down. I thought he was dying!Shortly after he gets up and slowly limps away on three legs. Left leg is in the air. I couldn’t get another shot because he was way out of bow range at this time. So I waited another half hour before I get down looking for blood and my arrow. I did not find my arrow, but there is blood. I mark it and l then head back to camp to get help. Fast forward 2 hours later. Buddies posted around the property and three trackers. We decided to look for the arrow and go to where he was first laying. I go back into my stand to direct them. My arrow is no where around the area and there is very little blood. The blood was dark red. After about an hour of circling, one of the trackers kicks him up and off he runs off the like nothing is wrong. I could not believe it as I watched him run straight across our property. We check where he was bedded and there is NO blood. Even where he was running there is no blood trail. I am using a 2 year old Diamond Triumph bow at 60lbs draw. My arrows are Beman ICS hunter 400 with a brand new 100 gr. NAP Crossfire fixed broad head. We searched the rest of the area to see if he bedded again but never saw him again. Also, I searched Sunday for a couple hours for my arrow without any luck. I didn't realize an arrow would not penetrate the shoulder....at least that is what we are figuring.Has anybody had this happen? Any suggestions?

KodiakArcher

"Hard sayin', not knowin'..."

May have hit the apex of the shoulder or just the leg. They can be hit pretty hard but still run off like nothing happened when motivated.

DaRookie

I'm thinking perhaps you hit the leg below the shoulder causing a more superficial wound that bled initially but then clotted. Then again, with the loud smack and all...(?)

There's no telling really. One of those things I guess...

GMMAT

Sept. 12, 2006.....I'll never forget it. I shot at and clipped a good buck. I watched him leave my set with his right front leg held high like it was broken I would have sworn I smoked him.

I searched until 3:30AM with my son and a friend.....and looked the next day and the next in the pouring rain. Nothing.

The night he was clipped.....he made a big circle and we could follow a sparse blood trail until it ran out. Then....nothing.

I saw this deer that same year.....day after Thanksgiving.......looking no worse for wear. I killed this same deer last year as a 4.5yr old. He's on the wall, now.

I hope yours has a similar ending. Keep your head up.

rybohunter

Are you sure the buck you saw take off was the same one? To go from sounding very badly damaged to running like nothing wrong...could be a different deer.

As you've learned, and this is more for others reading this, NEVER figure on a head penetrating a shoulder... yes sometimes they do, but enough times they don't.

Matt / PA

For future reference.........a loud WHACK!! is not a sign of "I nailed him".

Were you purposely aiming at his shoulder?

NChunterman

If the Whack comes from the offside shoulder, I'd think you nailed him, right? I WHACKED my buck this year and he barely made it 50 yards and it looked like he had dipped his nose in red cotton candy. Just to clarify, not arguing.

Matt / PA

When you hear the Crack of hitting the nearside shoulder blade you won't confuse the 2.

NChunterman

I'm a novice only taken about 20 or so deer with a bow, but stupid question, is there a distinguishable sound from the two? I'd assume much louder since all the KE is being delivered to the impact point(front shoulder). Just curious, b/c when I shot my deer this year it sounded like someone smack a 2 x 4 from 33 yards and I'm not going to lie I was a little worried until I topped the hill and there he was, THANK GOD. Obviously a complete pass through would be ideal, but when the arrow hits the offside shoulder, unless it lodges in, would it not do more damage as it grinds in the chest cavity of a well hit deer as her runs (I know we could argue that a well hit deer wouldn't hit the off side shoulder)? Causing more damage to major organs and arteries until it's pushed out or breaks off. The only bad thing is that it doesn't leave a very good blood trail. Please Matt don't think I'm looking to argue, just a mere discussion that I intend on learning from. Thanks in advance.

Oneshot7

Matts got that one right, I whacked my buck in Illinois and never found him, I smoked my doe this year. THere is a huge difference in sounds. I dont know how to explain it without it actually happening.