Saturday night about 20 minutes before dark I shot a buck at 25 yards broadside. The shot hit right in the middle of the shoulder blade. My arrow penetrated about 4-5 inches is all and I heard a loud crack. The buck tried grabbing the arrow unsuccesfully. He remained in front of me for about 5-10 minutes hobbling and favoring his other legs slightly out of range for another shot. He acted like he wanted to lay down for awhile. He then hobbled over the hill towards a long and thick tree belt, arrow still in him. Waiting to search the next morning, we found no blood,arrow or deer. IS HE DEAD OR CRIPPLED? ANY ADVICE besides don't shoot him in the shoulder next time.Thanks

You've definetly hurt him, but if you hit the shoulder as you suspect then he's laying down somewhere. I doubt that he'll die from it .I'm sorry to tell yoiu the bad new's, but I think he's going to live with a sore shoulder for a while. I hope you can straighten your shot out for the next time.

nubo

Don't you think he would pull that arrow out and bleed out or did it not penetrate deep enough.

I have saw several over the years with a healed over broadhead in the shoulder.usuall that is not a fatial shot unless it get through the sholder and into the cavity.just a bad hit,not fatial.the arrow will brake off and heal over. sorry.beter luck next time.
Just have to remember behind the shoulder with the bow.

Treeclimber 's right ,he might still pull the arrow out or he'll break it off and live with the head buried into his shoulder .But it just doesn't sound like a fatal shot .

nubo

Thanks for the input. I am the saddest bowhunter alive. That was would of been my first deer and it was a quality 5by5.

Ghillie!

This doesn't mean you won't ever see him again ,he'll just be a little wiser next time and you'll have to work even harder to get a shot at him next time. .Just make sure of your shot. Try to catch him with his head up ,this will open up his vital area for your shot , his head down closes the vital area to an extent and make's for a tighter shot. You just keep these tip's in mind for next time.Good luck you just might get another crack at him yet.

nubo

Your best bet on this deer would have been to get on him right away and hopefully stalk him for another shot.

Define "slightly out of range for another shot". Once you arrow an animal, in my opinion if you can possibly get a second arrow into that animal by all means do so.

Your right I should have shot again. That was my gut instinct at first but he hobbled to about 50 yards right when I was going to draw, missing at 40 yards on a different deer just minutes before I felt I may just spook him and cause more of a problem. So many things I should of done, only if I could go back in time.