My first Bow Hunting experience
 

Hi All,
It is my first time that I went hunting with a bow. I have a raiders @ #65 and 29 inches carbon Eastern arrows with 100grm Spitfire broad heads. I shot a deer in a distance of 15 yards. I shot it on just a little bit left of the front foot and ~3 inches higher, I know that I was not dead center on the vital area but a little bit higher. The deer snorted and started running. After 2 hours I decided to go and track it down. I found the arrow broken, 3 inches of the arrow plus the broad head stayed inside the deer. I spent more than 4 hours trying to find it to no avail. I found a minimum amount of blood drops but then they disappeared. My hunting partner told me that he saw the deer running with the tail up approximately 300 yards away from the spot that I hit it. In his opinion if the tail is up the deer was not shot in the vitals.
I am trying to do the aftermath and see what went wrong and such an animal got to waste. I am very surprised on how the arrow did not penetrate the deer in such a small distance. Could it be the broad heads that I was using? Maybe they did not open up and somehow got stuck inside? Did anybody else had a similar experience?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

John

RE: My first Bow Hunting experience
 

Hate to hear about the loss, there is always a argument on which broadhead is better or worse, had two friends shoot big bucks last year the arrow went through the deer and the broadhead didnt open up, i like a fixed broadhead not a mechanical but each to his own, maybe she will live and i hope this helped, but the the broad head and a piece of arrow are still in the deer it probably wont

RE: My first Bow Hunting experience
 

grkhunter - wow, I know how bad you must feel.

Last year I shot the biggest buck (gun season) I've ever seen in the woods during hunting season. Just under 100 yards with a Remington 7mm/.08. Immediately after the shot he went down behind a log. I was ecstatic. Then he got back up and went through some thick brush. 3 hours later I went to the spot where he went down. The blood was "wrong", and I found a chunk of bone - I hit his leg/shoulder - and it wasn't the gun, it was definitely me. I thought it was a good shot (or else I wouldn't have fired).

We followed very minor blood drops for an hour or two, but then it stopped bleeding.

Everyone told me "it happens", but it still makes me sick.

RE: My first Bow Hunting experience
 

How unfortunate. I to know how you feel. This has happened to me.[:o] What I did was I decided not to wait and pick up my bow 2 weeks before the season. I now start shooting in March or April. I used to be satisfied with hitting the pie plate (9 inches) and thought that would be “good enough”. No more. Now at 40 yards I can get those 4 to 5 inch group pretty regular. That said I will limit my shooting at deer to 30 yards.

This is what worked for me and it may or may not work for you. I am in no way saying you are a bad shot. I just feel that for some the more you practice the better you will get. Mistakes will still happen. That small twig that you don’t see that deflects the arrow ever so slightly. That I thought it was 23 yards and it was 29. All anyone can do is their best. Nobody is perfect. Keep your chin up and good luck next time.

RE: My first Bow Hunting experience
 

A bit left of the FRONT FOOT????? What do you mean?

I think you need to get back out there and search some more. If you lost blood get some buddies and grid search, check all areas of water.

RE: My first Bow Hunting experience
 

Sounds like you hit the shoulder blade and the arrow did not penetrate. Penetration is determined by speed and arrow weight and type of broadhead. If you did hit the shoulder blade it is very hard to get good penetration unless you shoot high poundage and beefy arrows with a strong fixed blade head. You need to practice shooting behind the shoulder on a 3D target.

RE: My first Bow Hunting experience
 

well if you are hunting in new york the season dont open until oct 15 southren tier and spetember 27 northern tier. if this was last year then you need to tell us better where youu exactly hit the deer.

RE: My first Bow Hunting experience
 

I hunted in NJ with an non-resident's license. The opening day was September 11th. If you implied that I hunt illegaly please clarify. The way that I saw the shot I was 99% sure that it was a lethal shot and I was pretty sure that I would find the animal laying down not far from my stand.
I did call my hunting partners and we covered a lot of ground without any results. I believe that I did everything possible to my knowledge to try and recover the animal.

RE: My first Bow Hunting experience
 

I too nbelieve you sunk a broadhead into the deers shoulder blade. I did the same exact thing on my first deer. You need to know the vitals better. Practice on a 3d target if you can, one with the vitals marked, from all different angles. If you did hit the deer in the shoulder, I think it will smart like hell, but theres a descent chance the animal may live.

RE: My first Bow Hunting experience
 

grkhunter,

I'm sorry to hear of your unfortunate hunt. I missed two Sunday morning. I even had a range finder. This is my first archery season. And I was so nervous you'd think I saw the biggest two bucks of my life, but they were two does and the first miss was about a foot high. The second time the doe dropped below the arrow.

Better luck next time for both of us.

David