RE: Okay, I'm pissed......
 

35 yds in woods is way to far, especially at dusk. Everybody I hunt with stays under 20 to 25 yds.

RE: Okay, I'm pissed......
 

I'm with Stealthy... even though I don't like mechanicals. It's tough to say what happened. The extra loud WHACK tells me you missed the spot and hit some bone. As far as BACKING out. Most states dictate that a broadhead have a back plane on the blades that is either at a 90 degree from the shaft or less so that it doesn't have a barb effect. They want it to back out or come out in case of a bad hit. EVEN my reveered Thunderheads will come out or the arrow will break off. BUT, if the arrow is in the right place it won't matter... the deer will be dead within 100 yards. You say this would have been your first deer with a bow. Well, when you get several dozen under your belt you'll say, "I screwed that one up". To rephrase... or imply a different meaning... "It ain't the message.... it's the messenger"!!

RE: Okay, I'm pissed......
 

hope you dont get upset but it was a bad hit!!!!!!! i hit a deer in the shoulder with fixed blade and did not get the penatation....

RE: Okay, I'm pissed......
 

I'm gonna have to take stealthy's side on this.

RE: Okay, I'm pissed......
 

;) Sad, but true. 35 yards at dusk is just asking for trouble. Learning a lesson like last evening will bode well for your future. Take your lumps and promise yourself that under similar circumstances you will never again let an arrow fly. We owe it to the game we hunt to only take shots that are within our realm of feasability. Have a long talk with yourself. Please do so and then your future hunts will not be fruitless.

RE: Okay, I'm pissed......
 

i use rocket broadheads are those bad to use??

RE: Okay, I'm pissed......
 

I had the same thing happen to me--sounded like i hit a tree from about 35yards away,i went over there and found the deer 45 yards from where i hit her.The only difference was that i used muzzy 3-blade 100gr. and went completely thru--never did find the arrow but did get the deer.

RE: Okay, I'm pissed......
 

"Damn mechanicals..."... Gee's another top notch archery that has to blame the tip of his arrow for his bad shot. I got news for ya. If you had put a broadhead in the same bad place you would have the same problem. there isn't a tip out there that can make up for a bad shot. Just hitting the deer is not good enough, you have to place the arrow in the correct place and have the arrow path go through the vitals.. If you had done your part the broadhead would have do it's part. When it happens to me I always feel Like I failed my broadhead...

RE: Okay, I'm pissed......
 

Blaming equipment for a bad shot is a cop out.

Make sure you shoot those new broadheads before you go back into the woods.

RE: Okay, I'm pissed......
 

I must be Illiterate, no place did I read Groundhunter took a 35yd shot! He never mentioned how far the shot was, unless he re-edited it. Only wrote he found his arrow after tracking the blood 15yds. He also mentioned he waited 1 hour before tracking. Although his shot placement does seem questionable, and possibly hit bone. He obviously got some penetration, because he had decent blood. So from my experience if his arrow did in fact stay in the deer it'd probably done more damage. I once hit a deer in the lower shoulder by mistake. My fixed blade head penetrated enough, and remained in the deer long enough to tear up her insides from running. Unfortunately we all make an occasional bad shot, it happens in bowhunting. Sometimes because of circumstances beyond our control.
My only question for Groundhunter is why weren't you able to pursue the deer longer. Why was the adjoining property off limits? I don't giveup until all possibilities are met.