Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

I responded to the " Grunting" topic on the deerhunting board and my response brought back a serious adrenalin rush to me.

Last bow season I had a nice 10 directly under my tree and he eventually worked his way to about 7-8 yards from the base of the tree. All I had was a small window of pine branches to shoot through before he was possibly going to go off in a " very wrong" direction. At full draw I let out a quiet mouth grunt and he stopped in this small window and I shot a hair high and dumped him in his tracks!!! WOW...after I quickly put another one in him to expire him, I just stared straight up in the sky and said WOW...Dad, thank you, thank you (he passed on several years ago and was a true hunting bud)

This was a first for me....anyone else ever have this experience with a bow??

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

Yes, I' m sure a lot of us have. Anyone who has ever spined a deer has, and I suspect a lot of us have. I did last year. I hope I never do again. I was not elated at all. I felt like crap about having to put another arrow in him. I would much prefer to shoot them in the lungs and have them run off for half a minute.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

2 spine shots = 2 deer = Zero tracking.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

MOCraig...the second arrow was nearly instantanious and he expired almost immediately. Faster than any other deer I have taken through the lungs and or heart. Sorry if I upset you.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

You didn' t upset me, man. I just didn' t like the experience, and hope to not repeat it.

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RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

I nailed a doe one time between the eyes (not intentionally, she moved her head for you lawyers). She fell over dead without a twitch. Not proud of that one. Just glad it worked out okay. [:' (]

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

the last three deer I took droped in there tracks.two of them were dead in 15 to 20 sec.I mean FAST.the third was expired by the time I could climb down from my tree and get to him.

I will take that shot anytime.[8D]

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

4 for me. I don' t prefer them that way, but it happens and you deal with it as quickly as possible.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

Yup, here' s one of the two I had last year. I' ve had several over the years. It was to dark for a good photo from the tree.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

Two years ago, I shot a buck at 17 and he fell at 19yds. He barely even kicked. I reflected on the shot and was thinking it wasn' t one I' d take again. My brother and his " good ole boy" friend (both gun hunters) were helping out at the meat pole and I explained why it wasn' t a good shot to take and they thought I was nuts. " Now you know what that shot will do in case you ever have that look at a trophy deer, you know you can take him" or something like that. They thought it was great. I said there was too much room for error with the shot.

I think shot placement is something that sets the bowhunters apart. I' d also say it' s up to us to lead the way in this department.

whitetails & muskies- congrats on the kill. Sometimes, " the best shot you' ve got" isn' t one that your concience will be satisfied with taking. Having the skills, confidence, and competency and using the patience to get a " perfect shot" is what I think bowhunting is all about. IMO ;)

-Chief

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

I had 2 last year. The first was a beautiful doe almost straight down from the stand, the spitfire went through her spine and straight down slicing the inside edge of each lung, through the heart and just made it through the breast bone and hide to stop about 2" out of the deer. She was done instantly.

The second was a seven point at 25 yards in NY. It was 1 of those shots that is just perfect, he is completely broadside head down eating acorns, perfectly framed in a clear window. I picked the " spot" and didn' t even realize I had touched off the release and watched the arrow all the way to him. He raised his head for a second and looked around and didn' t even flinch after the arrow zipped though him, then lowered his head to eat another acorn. If I wasn' t looking at my bright red arrow sticking in the dirt on the other side of him I would have sworn I' d missed. He raised his head chewing on acorns and then just kind of tipped over and let out 1 last breath. The shortest bloodtrail I' ve ever had on a non spine hit deer.

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RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

I had it happen again last season. Not something I ever try for, but I' ve gotten unlucky enough to have done it a few times.

When I shot she tried to duck, but wasn' t fast enough. The shot rolled her, and then she bawled and crawled about 20 yards down the embankment. When I climbed down to finish her off, she didn' t try to get away. She curled up, looked at me with those big brown eyes, and her whole face started quivering. ' Bout tore my guts out to see.

I put the second arrow through her lungs, turned around, and took a walk to clear my head. It wasn' t a pretty experience.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

I should have stated this b4...I am in no way trying to brag up this situation, as I agree that double lung or heart is the most humane shot. I guess I was fortunate enough to end it VERY quickly for this buck and did not have to witness the other examples mentioned.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

I hit my first deer, a doe, in the neck at 30 yards. She dropped, and I quickly shot her through the lungs. I haven' t dropped a deer since, but I don' t intend to anymore, as to me it means that I didn' t hit where I was aiming.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

No I haven' t and by the looks of it I hope I never do!

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

did this year but not a spine shot. had a good clean broadside shot at 40 yards.Got clean pass through deer just looked at the ground where the arrow hit .stood there a minute then just laid down,never took a step. The odd thing is there was three other deer with her and they never even looked up I watched them for anouther 30 minutes

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

I had alway considered that an " ideal shot" because of what I had seen on TV and on videos. But the other day I saw a little bit different of a shot on video and it didn' t look so pleasent, from 100 yds...

I' m thinking that with the size of the animal that the emotions would increase for a person to (not cause it' s logical, it just seems like it would affect us more), but I got spine shot on a rabbit one time with a high powered bb gun and it wasn' t a pretty site at all. He fell and then crawled with his front legs for about 10-15 yds...

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

My last 3 deer I have taken in archery I have spined! One doe I went for the spine the others were not on purpose! My 8-pointer I had come to 20 yards & I had to lean out of my stand & shoot under a branch. I almost stepped off the platform. Anyway I shot under him. He turned & ran about 20 yards back the trail he came from and stopped. He then started to work a scrape!! I could' nt believe my eyes when I seen him do that[:o]. After about a minute he started back up the trail to where I missed him. When he got to the same spot I held a little higher & released! My arrow hit right where I held it in the spine. I quicklly put a 2nd arrow through the heart. When I missed low the first time I thought he was farther than 20 yards. That' s why I held higher the 2nd time when he was really 20 yards out. I think that when I almost stepped off the platform & sooting under the branch & the adrenaline rush is why I missed!!! Anyway like I said my last three were spine shots. I had a few more over the years.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

It has happened to me just one time. Spine shot. I re-think the shot over and over and all I can think of is, I misjudged the distance and he ducked at the same time.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

With a 30-06, but not with my bow.............................

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

This last season I was rifle hunting for deer, it was getting late and I started to head back towards the camp... I was crossing a field and saw a coyote headed towards the farmer' s cattel... I took aim with my .270 and BOOM, shot him right in the spine. Needless to say it broke his back, it wasnt an instant kill like I would have liked to have gotten, as the animal Im sure suffered very much. I can honestly say, I would never like to get an animal in the spine again, with a rifle or bow. [:' (]

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

I hit one in the spine a few years back and dropped him there. After he burned donuts for a few seconds with his front legs he settled down behind a branch leaving me with no choice but to get down and finish him off. He was bleeding pretty well so I gave him a while to expire before doing so. While I watched him, he just laid there helpless looking around in a very calm matter. Needless to say it killed me inside so I got down and double lunged him. I did not try to hit him there and I will never try to either!!! If it was a shot that would have expired him quickly I would have felt better about my self. I am out there to harvest these animals as quickly as possible keeping their suffering to a bare minimum.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

I' ve had two, and I felt sick about both. Although they expired fairly quickly, I didn' t enjoy watching it. Both times I felt like I didn' t deserve to kill that deer, it was just luck that I hit the spine and not one inch higher. I would never intentionally shoot for the spine. Except for the most extreme angles, there is always a better option. Congrats on the kill.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

I spined a couple, both were good bucks, and after the initial relief and happiness of knowing they were mine - they both turned out to be terrible experiances. Both fell in areas to thick for a second shot, both from climbers so I could not get down quickly. I had to get withen a few feet of both of them to finish them off - a couple minutes after the hit.

Both of them watched me - and I will never forget.

put the bow down for a better part of a year after the second one.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

I had a spine shot on a 3 year old 8 point last season.I had been on a heavy dose of steroids for poison ivy and did not realize till i was in my tree that they cause muscle to shrink.well it was the first afternoon in a well placed stand and i knew it would be productive so after i tried to pull my bow i decided i could get the job done.He came in at 4 o' clock right in my shooting lane 15 yards and stopped to eat.I pulled on the string and couldn' t beleive i could' nt get it back.I refused to give up and put all i had into it and got it back, by this time my strength was spent and i was shaking like a drunk with DT' s.MY shot was high and left and i spined him. He went down like sadams bunker on the eve of the war.He started to crawl with his front feet and was blowing and huffing I took another shot when he was directly under my stand and missed by an inch.By the time i had another arrow knocked he was 5 yards out . I put the next arrow in his neck top side and although i appeared to hit an artery he was not going quickly enough for my peace or his.Now i am out of arrows. I climb down and retrieve an arrow from the ground and finish him off with a double lung at 5 yards while he was still and watching me. It was on par with a sick puppy i had to dispatch. I felt sick about the whole thing and had to put my mind on auto pilot to get the job done.Thankfully after the first shot i had no trouble pulling my bow i guess adrenaline must have taken over.That was one strong deer and i am sorry i took him at all.[:' (]I won' t hunt if i am not up to it ever again.Even in the best of circumstanes an arrow can be unpredictable so we do the best we can and learn from our mistakes and others.Thanks for the thread,lot' s of good info has been shared.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

A good number of years ago, a friend invited me up to his families place during the late season to help thin the herd of some Does.

I' d never hunted there before, so he set me up in one of his fathers ground blinds he used for rifle hunting.

After getting seated, I drew my bow and swung a wide arc to check for clearance problems. Cool! Nothings in the way!

After about a hour I watched a lone doe meander down a shooting lane directly in front of me. She came in with-out a worry in the world, and began browsing on some old sugar beets about 15 yards out broadside. I waited for her to drop her head and when she did, I drew and released.
At the same time the bow jumped and I heard a wierd WHACK.
Next thing, much to my horror, I see my arrow flying wildly off course and impacts the Doe high, just in front of her hips. The Does rear legs immediately fold under her, and she is now dragging herself by her front legs blatting.
My stomach knots and a sick, sick feeling envelopes me. I stand quickly nocking another arrow, step out of the blind, line up on the heart and let it fly.
It hits home. It' s quiet now.
I return to the blind, sit and gather up my nerves. What the hell went wrong I' m saying to myself. I draw the bow again, and swing around, nothing. I relax the bow and follow the arc back, and sure enough, the lower limb gets brushed by a branch protruding back from the front of the blind, at the exact spot where I had released...

That was the last hunt of the season for me, and the whole incident has haunted me since.

In fact, right now, there is a tremendous heavy feeling tugging at my soul from recalling that day when I took things for granted, and didn' t pay attention to the small stuff...

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

Yes. Actually, two of last year' s three does taken with my bow dropped in their tracks. One was a high spine shot and the other went through both lungs and clipped a piece of the heart. The third one was hit above the shoulder but closer to the neck...a bit far front for my personal tastes but what would probably be considered a linecutter " 8" on a Mckenzie deer target. It actually dropped but then ran a bit and dropped again. I had to put a second arrow into it.

You will not hear any complaints from me about not having to track one...;)

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

Twice for me. 1 doe in the spine and 1 head shot/double lung shot!! I had the doe under 10 yds, broadside. I picked my spot and released. A split second befors I released she turned her head towards her hind quarter. The broadhead went through her skull and through both lungs! The arrow stuck out about 4 inches on the opposite side.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

I will grunt some times to get them to stop when they are walking. Its awsome. I have yet to have a deer drop in his tracks. They all seem to run a little then drop.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

I dropped one that I hit much the way PABOWhntr explained his. The arrow stuck right in the middle of the spinal cord where it comes down between the shoulders. The four point was angling away a little. I hit a little forward clipping part of a lung but the deer never moved a muscle. I hit it again through the lungs to make sure it was just shocked. I could not get my arrow out until I cleaned the deer and it still took some doing to pull it out then. By the way I was on the ground walking to the truck when this deer ran right up on me at about 10 yards. I had missed the same deer from my stand about 45 minutes before that but he never knew what it was that spooked him. I could not believe it.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

About 25 years ago I was in a ladderstand in a cluster of large pines to hunt Deer feeding on falling apples under this huge apple tree. I had a large doe come in and stand broadside 15 yards away. I put a cedar shaft arrrow with a Bear Razor insert broadhead clean through both lungs. The yearly that was with her heard the string and jumped. The doe who was munching on an apple stood there, looked at the yearly, never moved an inch, not even a twich form the impart or cutting arrow, than after a few seconds just dropped dead in her tracks.
If I had not clearly seen the arrow hit her I would have thought I had a clean miss.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

nothing better than a spine shot hunting in the early " warm" season esp in the evening. no tracking required and dont have to worry about leaving it because of the heat.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

One deer and one elk, both with spine shots. Got nervous on the deer, my first muley, and put the 20 pin on the spot, but he was just 14 yards out, The elk caught the movement of the bow limbs and ducked down and back surprisingly quickly. Was able to get to each of them very quickly for a finishing shot to the heart, so can' t complain, but wouldn' t try to hit one there on purpose.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

I can' t say that I' ve dropped any right in their tracks, though I did shoot a small doe through the liver once that took one hop, looked around for a minute, became wobbly, fell over, and died within a few minutes.

I' ve shot a few through the lungs that dropped within sight (~25 yds), and much prefer that to worrying about an impending tracking job.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

Well I did spine shot a buck last year and I didnt want to tell the story for fear of giving the antis ammo against another bowhunter, but its all hear already so Ill tell my story. I saw the buck coming through the goldenrod and he stepped out onto a mowed path at 30-31 yards and I was shaking some with the curse of buck fever I drew and released and the arrow hit the spine in the half way down his back. The buck dropped in his tracks with all four legs sticking out straight. I thought to myself there is no way I killed him with that shot. Well the buck layed there for 20 to 30 seconds and then tried to get up and started flopping around on the path so I put another arrow in him as he was flopping around to try and finish him off, this arrow entered above the heart and traveled down to the shoulder. The buck then rights himself and is sitting up and starts to drag his backend like a dog when they rub their butt on the ground, so I knew his backend was paralized. I stood in my stand and watched as the buck drug his backend out of my sight , I stood there in disbelief and pondered what to do next, I could still hear the buck dragging himself through the goldenrod so I decided to climb down from my stand and walked to the spot where the buck entered the field of golden rod and was astonished to see the width of the trail of mashed down weeds left by the bucks hindend and the quaity of blood in the trail, the amount of blood was stagering. I stood there staring into the goldenrod continplating whether to go after the buck and try to finish him off or wait and let him lay down and hopefully expire soon.I wasnt sure if the shot would cause him to bleed out even though there was a ton of blood since I had never spine shot a deer before I didnt know if I had hit an artery running down the spine or not. I decided to go after the buck and finish the job. I followed the path left by the buck into the goldenrod and then down the ridge for a total distance of about 60 yards and found the buck laying in a slight ditch that borders the clover plot. I stood at 20 yards from the buck as he layed there looking me straight in the eyes and I knew what I had to do, I didnt like it but I had to do it . So as he watched me I drew and released a arrow straight into his heart he took a few deep breaths and then 1 long breath and as he exhalded I could hear the gurrgle as the blood filled his lungs and he exhaled one long breath as layed down his head and died. This was the worst experience to ever happen to me in my bowhunting years and one that I pray will never happen again.This was not the good clean quike kill I had practiced for.
I will practice day after day to insure that I never sucumb to buck fever again, and pray that history will not repeat its self again.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

I shot a deer in the neck with my 243 and dropped him. He expired without a sound and within a few minutes.

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

They don' t typically die right away, but are instead paralyzed and require an additional shot. In my case, and a detail I did not add before, the buck layed on his side like a dog, and watched me draw and shoot him again. I was still in my treestand, but he caught the movement and saw me.

It was not a pleasant experience, and any bowhunter who claims to not be bothered by it is probably just putting on a " tough guy" act. I won' t name names. [:' (]

RE: Have you ever dropped a deer in it' s tracks?
 

Twice with a bow.

One was a spine shot doe which was my bad experience in bowhunting, much like other experiences already described. It took a double lung shot to finish.

The other was my very first deer ever with a bow that I jumped on a windy day in a grassy field. The deer spooked but to my surprise stopped, turned her head over her back and looked at me already at full draw at about 10 steps. I shot her in the femoral artery and she fell right there and was dead in 10 seconds. This was a 95 lb. (field dressed) Whitetail doe. Now that I' m more experienced, I probably would never take that shot, but man is it deadly!!