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.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

Concur. The liver can also be deadly very quickly depending on what gets cut but I think you hit the arteries along the spine.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

From what I have seen of solid liver hits the deerexpire as quickly as lung hits, just in my experiences...that is not always the case though..

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

Not the case all the time Preacher.;)

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

Not true all the time .... there are HUGE arteries running through the liver ... remember, it is a blood filter .....

Now THAT being said, I always wait at least 2 hours on a liver hit...

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

Here is a pic showing the arteries in the liver

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

my qeuss would be it was a rage lol! :D

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

Thanks guys, all your input helps.

Tony, I would say the slice is through the area where the s4 is marked on your photos. But I would also say that the arteries running down below the spine, was probably hit also, because the cavity was completely full of blood when I first cut into him.

Thanks again, guys.

Mitch

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

I have personally been involved in 3 liver hit mature bucks that were alive when found between 7 and 14 hours after the shot. All required follow up shots. All initial hits were center shot livers, verified during field dressing.

On a big deer liver shot, I will always wait at least 8 hours unless I see him go down.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

I have taken a deer with a Liver shot....He ducked my string, and turned on me. Arrow went right through the middle of the liver, and he went like 20 yards, and was dead in under 2 minutes........

In my experience anyways, a good liver shot is very deadly.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

Whole a solid liver hit can be quickly fatal on a high shot like that where you know you were up near the spine I'd be on hitting that artery. Especially since you heard a lot of crashing. With heart shots and major artery shots there is no blood getting to the brain so the deer run into trees and brush a lot while they are kind of on auto pilot before expiring.

I shot a doe last year and severed the main artery in the back and her spine on a high shot. She fell and bled out in 8 seconds as I watched.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

I hit a doe a little far back this year, no liver, somehow snuck it right under the backbone and must have hit the artery right under the spine you guys are talking about. She dropped in 20 yards, and was pumping blood.

This thread kind of answered my question to, on why she died so quickly.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

If i remember my High School Biology correctly there are 2. The Superior Vena Cava which returns deoxygenated Bloodfrom the upper half of the body and the Inferior Vena Cava which does the same for the lower half of the body. I think it is safe to assume it is similar for Whitetails. And as already mentioned, the Liver filters the blood. Also, while I'm boring you with useless information, don't forget that a rapid loss of blood pressure quickly causes loss of consciousness. ;)

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

Kid,

Your bio teachers would be proud.

Solid.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

I am, gonna go with it hit a major artery....instant loss of bloodpressure.

Shane

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

I blew a does liver out opening morning this year and she only went 30 yards. I watched her fall right over. That is the shortest I have ever had a deer go, and Ive put quite a few in the boiler room before.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

Your shot likely included one of the two:

1) Portal Vein which is a vein that takes blood into the liver from hindend. This vein is probably the size of your thumb if not larger.

2) Descending Aorta which is a artery that takes blood from the heart back to the back half of the body. This runs directly under the spine(it is also very large) which several have talked about.

Both will bleed/kill a deer very quickly.

As far as a generic liver shot....If you don't get one of the major hepatic vessels (liver veins) or the portal vein (going into liver from body) or inferior vena cava (leaving liver and going to heart) then it will likely bea slower kill (which some have eluded to).

Hope this helps.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

The liver is highly vascular so there will be massive blood loss that much is for sure, however depending on what part of the liver that you hit determines how fast he will bleed out and that determines far he could travel. Like some of the others stated some deer ran a ways and some didnt that goes along with my experience with liver hits.

RE: Why did he die so quickly?
 

Aortic artery was severed along with a good portion of the liver, would be my guess.

Spined my buck in 2006, not severely enough to immobilize him permanently. After 20 seconds of thrashing, he got up and blazed trail. Walked to the spot where he was hit and saw a clear two-foot wide blood trail leading through the timber. Gave him plenty of time to expire, but it was unnecessary. He bled out in under a minute.

Not a shot I was proud of, by any means, but it definitely put him down quickly.