Thump, mule kick, no pass thru, no blood
#1

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? 


#3

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.
#4

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!
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Dark Side of the Moon
Posts: 406

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.
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 141

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.
Waiting on pics.