Okay here is my problem. I went shooting today and took an shot at a jackrabbit at about 20-22yards. It was partly hidden in a small brush but i could still make out its outline by the way the ears were positioned. A large clumb of brush was about two half feet to my right. I lined up my pin on where i figured the body was and let my arrow fly. My arrow hit down low near the dirt(at bottom of the rabbit) and large cloud of dust flew and the rabbit bolted into the larger brush. I could hear it crawling through the brush and it was making alot of noise as if my arrow was in it. I looked at where the rabbit was and couldn't find any blood but i couldn't find the arrow either. I couldn't track him down because of how thick the brush was. I looked all around for my arrow and couldn't find it. Does this sound like i may have hit him but in an non vital area? I am going to go out there tomorrow and see if maybe i can find him or at least look for more evidence. If I in fact hit him, it would be my first bowkill. What is everyone's outlook at this? Hit? Miss?

brush can deflect an arrow big time if the arrow hits it right. i would suggest having a clean shooting alley next time.

I don't want to trivialize the rabbit compared to a deer, but please don't shoot thru brush with a bow at a big game animal. You have seen the result on a rabbit, choose your shots wiser next time.

No worries on me shooting at a big game animal through brush.

Going out later to see if i can find him or my arrow. Its really bugging me because i have yet to have gotten a kill with my bow so getting some sort of closure on this would be nice.

Regardless of weapon or means used, just to kill is not what hunting is about. If you had killed and recovered the jack, or if you do, how you accomplished the kill (brush busting) would have made the kill just a lucky occurrence and nothing more.

If you find the jack, which if wounded or killed I doubt that you will before the 'yotes do, I would just leave the rabbit for the predators and let the subject die away.

Okay its all good, i understand what you are saying, and with all due respect i know what hunting is all about and its not about killing. I know its about being out there and having fun regardless if ever taking a shot or not. However, the reason i would like to find out what happen is because I have had my bow for while and gone out numberous times without an successful shot. I am going to out to shoot some more in the area so i can find it or my arrow and recover it, all the better because due to not working right now, i have four good arrows and no money for more at this time. (just been out of work for little while but gotta love bills).

my roommate shot a couple of rabbits while we were hunting at the range one time. the one was 27 yards in the grass and he nailed it. it went completely through with a field point and hardly had anything on the arrow. i watched him shoot from start to finish and it was a good hit. the arrow had minimal blood on it and it booked it and went back into its hole. So yes, you could have nailed it and gimped its way back to the hole. he shot another one similar situation and it booked it even with the arrow in it. so you prob feed the coyotes, big deal. i would have been out there shooting with you. i know it helps sometimes to have closeure on a situation like this but sometimes it happens and runs into the hole. my bet is it died. good luck recovering one next time!

I went back yesterday and found my arrow within 10 minutes. It had some blood on it so i know i hit the rabbit. I also found what was left of the rabbit, the 'yotes sure did a number on it so it was hard to say where my arrow hit.

I think there are too many people who are anal about people taking bad shots and not recovering game right away. theres a discussion going over in deer hunting forum about this i think. Some stuff that you shoot is gonna get away, the odds of it happening are pretty good. sooner or later you're not going to find a deer or rabbit or elk of whatever it may be. for me, it was my first. it happens.

congrats on the kill redhawk

slayer

Keep taking shots like that and see how long you have 4 arrows. If I only had 4 arrows, I'd be shooting at a multiple spot target.