Thump, mule kick, no pass thru, no blood
 

My first pin on sight is set at 20 yrds, but this morning I had an unusual shot at about 15 feet from stand at 20 feet high. Shooting the new 3 blade Rage and put first pin about 8 inches below vitals and released...good thump, huge mule kick, and he ran like he was lost. Crashing into about every sapling and not really jumping while a deer usually runs. I climbed down and no arrow to check for blood color, no blood on ground, and I had an opportunity after shot to watch him run 50 plus yrds out of sight and never heard him crash. I waited a good bit and started to look in the path he ran, but not a drop of blood, and no arrow knocked off as he was running into trees and running like he was drunk. I am about as lost as he is right now, so I am going to wait it out until about noon (shot was made about 7:30 am). Any suggestions as to why I would get such a good reaction like his high mule kick, no pass through, with such an obvious thump as he was hit? Think I got his opposite shoulder? Why not a drop of blood when I watched him obviously wounded good running the way he was? Any suggestions? :bash::bash:

At that angle, without an exit wound, his chest cavity will have to fill up before start bleeding out. Sounds like he's dead to me

Just very surprised that he made it so far out of sight the way he looked mortally wounded and was running like a fullback at the goal line. Its in low 40's now so Im gonna hit the woods and will post result. At that angle I am surprised it didn't spine him or blow out the other side, unless its lodged in sternum and good heart shot...still made it a long way for a heart shot. Ive seen them drop in 15-20 yrds with a heart shot.

As pjhunts said, at that extreme angle, unless you have an exit wound, you won't see much blood at all. That rage ain't gonna penetrate as much as most broadheads...not even as much as the 2-blade rage. Probably caught up inside of him. Sounds like a mortal wound, just going to have to do some grid searching to find him, likely, if there's no blood to be found. Good luck!

I have had the same shot and was surprised how far they can go. Mine took a chunck off the hear, but only got one lung without an exit. Sounds like a solid hit, so I would bet he is dead. I have rarely seen broadheads fixed or mechanical that pass easily through the sternum, especially on a direct hit from above. That is a big tough bone. Good luck.

My advice is your going to have to look really really good for very little blood with the wound on top of his body.

My opinion of why? 3 blade rage broad head is robbing peter(penetration) to pay Paul(big cut)

IF the arrow is still in him it again reduces the amount of effect. If it's plugging the hole then it helps keep the chest cavity pressurized a bit better so he may run a bit longer.

Keep us posted. If that arrow and broadhead is lodged in his chest cavity then it is just ripping things apart as he runs, though it makes sense that you won't see much blood. You did good to give him time, sounds like you should have a dead deer waiting for you.

Waiting on pics.

I'm hooked, I keep checking back to see if you found him.

I shot last winter in some indoor 3d shoots at ridiculous shot ranges, 3ft - 30ft......
Sight pins ranged from 75 yrds to 2" low at 10yrds.....my sight pins are on the 5's ...25, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85. Hope you find him.

RECOVERED

This buck ran 300 yrds with the new Rage 3 blade entering right behind his left shoulder and splitting his sternum...oh, and his shoulder was shattered. I held off until my 9 year old mini hunter daughter got home and we did a grid search towards a bedding area I know of, since I had the convenience of a 37 degree day today. I had my chocolate lab and her head straight where I saw him head to until he was out of sight, and as we approached the power lines where I know he was heading, my daughter had picked up a trickle of blood and then my arrow...minus a foot of it...and then she yelled that she had found him.

People, this is why you start your kids in hunting and fishing early. When she was 5 she could sit for several hours in a blind with me and can handle a 410, and a marksman with her 10-22. She actually helped me gut him there, which Ive seen grown men puke doing, and we drug him until I could get the ATV to get him back to the barn to skin and quarter.

This broadhead did extensive damage, as soon as I opened his diaphragm every bit of blood in his body poured out. I ended up getting one lung and bulls eye on his heart, after it exploded the top of the shoulder. I haven't been on here in a couple years here, so I don't know if my pictures will be deleted, but I wanted to show just how much a 9 year old beauty queen loves to hunt, and actually can carry her weight when it comes to cleaning the harvested animal. If anyone thinks Im wrong for doing this with her, as a father, you have no clue the joy and pride in watching your child have a passion that you can share.

DO NOT EVER GIVE UP! Special thanks to Robs post, but with an obvious mule kick and no blood or arrow, you have a mortally wounded animal, so give it time, and do our hunting privilege the courtesy of getting the harvest. And take your kids hunting with you, they might enjoy it as much as you.

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Sweet shot. Congrats on the recovery!

Congrats on the recovery! I also take my 7yr old daughter along on occasion. She started climbing into tree stands with me a couple seasons ago. Can't wait until I can share a harvest with her as well.

Good stuff. Honestly, I've never seen one hit, mule kick, and crash out of there the way you described and not be dead in pretty short order. Sometimes they can run a good distance, and with no exit hole, blood can be almost non existent and they can be a tough find sometimes.

Nice work, and awesome job by your little helper. I have one too...she's probably helped me cut up at least 20 deer. She's been out with me since age 5, and helped to gut and drag with me a bunch, and actually got her own first buck last season at age 12. Lots of fun, congrats!

Thanks and can relate with the daughter. Did she get her buck with bow or gun? I got mine a nice starter compound (pink of course) but she cant get enough pull weight for me to feel comfortable letting her shoot at big game. I was at my favorite archery shop and saw the new Mathews Craze (I think that was the name) that had adjustments from like 25#'s to 70#'s and a wicked range of draw length that I may invest for her. This bow was unbelievable...I could even hunt with it! Does your daughter bow hunt yet?

I have to agree. A steep angle, no exit wound. Depending on the actual shot placement you may have only hit one lung which would allow him to run a good distance - especially if pushed. He is likely dead. Now you just have to find him.