Why did he die so quickly?
 

Ok well, I have a question on the deer I shot last week. I shot him at 35 yards on the ground, and he ducked a little bit and the arrow was a bit back but not too bad. I was using a rage 2blade. I watched him run into the trees, and heard him crash about 10 seconds later, then I heard him crash again about 15 seconds later. I waited an hour and went to the last spot I saw him, and there was great blood the whole way to the deer. He had only went about 35 yards from when I last saw him. My question is this: When we were gutting him, we saw that the broadhead had entered the highest point it could have and still be in the cavity. It had put a perfect slice through the liver, and also caught part of the vertebrae but not the spinal cord. I have always heard that a liver hit needs to go at least 4-6 hours, and I believed that. So why did this deer die this quickly?

Just looking for some knowledge for the future. Thanks in advance guys.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

Maybe it hit something else that made him die so quickly. At least he did die and not just get wounded.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

There are major arteries the run along the spine, it is very possible the you hit one of those as well as the liver. Ive also seen deer with liver hits only go 50 yards or so, it just depends on the damage the broadhead does.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

Thats one thing about liver hits, you just never know how long they will live for. I shot a doe about 5 years ago dead center through the liver. She was still alive yet the next morning. We finished her off. I've also had liver hits go 100 yards and pile up within 20 seconds or so. Like I said, you just never know with a liver shot.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

Main artery along the spine. Similar to the femoral artery along the back leg. Hit one there a few years ago, and I literally could see and hear blood spraying as he took the first 3 bounds.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

I liver my buck last weekend and he only went 75 yards and was finished after an hour. I must have hit a major artery because he was pretty bled out at that time.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

The one I hit in 06 was hit high and a little back as well, took out the liver on a quartering away shot, the buck only went 50-60 yards and piled up, not sure why else he went down so fast.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

A solid liver hit will kill VERY quickly ..... partial liver can take a long time

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

Artery??

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

A liver shot will not kill a deer that quickly. As mentioned, the aortic artery runs just under the spine, at the top of the body cavity. Just as lethal as any lung shot.