SouthernMDArchers

Well it seems you learned one of bow hunting hardest lessons. Keep at it, I really doubt there is a hunter here that has not lost a deer. Like I tell my boys "it will happen eventually, let us just try to limit that possibility". Keep practicing and gaining knowledge.

Have fun the rest of the season.


Dave

Kathwacckkk

Deer are tough and can recover from less then perfect hits. I actually shot one that had a broken piece of arrow inside the shoulder. I would keep after it. Also, how far from the initial impact was the last spot of blood you found? Brisket hits are tough to figure out, especially if the deer kicked like you say. Everyone on here tries as hard as possible to make clean ethical kills, but it does not always happen. If it was easy, everyone would do it and it would not be called hunting. Try to think about what you can do next time out and tweak your methods. Every moment in the woods is a learning experience.

virginiashadow

I once heart shot a deer that sharply turned when I shot. The arrow broke in half just like yours. I found a spat of blood here and there due to no pass through and a high downward angle hit. I found her 50 yards away dead as could be.

Jasonlester

I shot a big buck in MD one time. I had him slightly quarted away and when I released I hit a limb. It deflected enough to stick him low in the neck. I found very very little blood over the next 100-150 yards. The truth was I didn't kill him. I looked for 3 days. I ended up finding the arrow a year later.

If you did hit him forward like that (unless you hit an artery) he's fine. But Take time to mark your trail where you have blood and then try to determine the direction of travel the buck took. Then even though you don't have blood walk that derection for a while checking for more blood. If there is even the slightest chance the hit was in the chest you owe it to the animal to look more. See if you can find someone who has experence tracking. Or better yet someone with a dog who can trail it.

badassbowtech

Yeah I just got back from looking again for him. I try to be ethical, and feel like crap that I made a shot like that. I'm going out in the morning to go hunting and I'm going to look again for him after I get done hunting in the morning. Who knows......