RE: The Dreaded Void, No Mans Land...????
 

Follow this link.

http://home.mn.rr.com/deerfever/Anatomy.html

It shows a fairly accurate depiction of the insides of a deer. At least of the deer that I've cleaned in my life. There is no void. What appears as a good hit is a marginal hit.

RE: The Dreaded Void, No Mans Land...????
 

The no-man's-land region that I have thought to exist is below the blue line that represents the spine and above the red line that I assume represents a main artery running near the top of the lungs (in the picture). I would think an arrow through the very top extremity of the lung(s), above the main artery would be less lethal than a direct hit through the center of the lungs. I don't think it's too far fetched to think that a deer could live through that if for some reason the bleeding was minimal. The no-man's-land that I have always thought of is most definitely not above the spine. According to that picture, a shot above the spine would be little more than a flesh wound, or a possible broken rib(s).

RE: The Dreaded Void, No Mans Land...????
 

Ditto. I have seen a deer that had a broadhead scar on both sides "in the void". And NO it wasn't over the spine. I believe it exists, regardless of what many say. Thats my opinion.

Maybe it's not really a "void", but more of a highly survivable spot.

RE: The Dreaded Void, No Mans Land...????
 

Yeppers...I have seen it the last 2 season!!

Last year my buddy hit the dreaded spot and seen the deer almost 2 months later.

Year before, I hit one there and the deer was found over 2 months later, although he was dead, he hadn't been dead too long. I believe infection got the better of him once the cold weather hit!!

Not going to argue this thread anymore, I have given myself too many headaches over the last 2 years argueing this thread.

RE: The Dreaded Void, No Mans Land...????
 

I'll jump in on this. I thought that any arrow that went through a deer would eventually kill it. I thought that the "void" was BS. The I shot a small buck high over the vitals. I am not a fan of too much height so there was not much downward angle on this or many of my kills. I looked and looked and trailed that deer for over 200 yds until it crossed a small river onto posted property. I thought I'd lost the deer. Well, that was early October and in late November a small buck, I didn't know it was the same one, came in on another trail on the same property. I drilled it this time and it went down in sight. The previous wound was under the spine. It passed completely through the deer. The entrance wound was completely healed but a small thin scar, like the line of the blades on the broadheads was obvious. There was a bald spot about the size of an apple around the completely healed wound. The exit side had no bald spot but a scab over the same blade patter scar. The same was visable on the inside where the blade passed between two ribs. Just the cut lines no scar or scabs.

So, I guess it could happen. I don't think I checked the lungs for any scarring. I can say I passed through the deer, didnt hit the spine or any ribs, had minimal blood to trail on the first hit, but enough to go about 200 yards, and the deer appeared completely normal the second time around.

For what it is worth.

Greg

RE: The Dreaded Void, No Mans Land...????
 

Deer shot in the spine have lived too. Hmm, intresting topic. Almost as intresting as the ham shot talked about on another forum.

RE: The Dreaded Void, No Mans Land...????
 

Twice in my bowhunting life I have personally witnessed a deer run off with the arrow sticking out both sides of the animal, under the spine, and the deer was never recovered.

The first time this happened I watched the buck (with an arrow protruding from both sides) hang around a doe about seventy yards away in an open field, for at least a half hour to forty-five minutes. He showed no ill effects, never laid down, and was never found regardless of the lengthy search.

It really doesn't matter if a person labels it "no man's land", "Burmuda Triangle", "black hole", or a "void". The latter may not be anatomically correct however the fact remains that there is too much real evidence to deny that a small area exists under the spine, where, if hit, an animal could be lost or survive impact.

If a human can survive a knife being thrust down through the brain, with almost no ill effects, I don't think it is too much of a stretch to believe a whitetail can survive a passthrough in this area.