What would you have done?
01-22-2003, 03:33 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Gurley Al USA
Posts: 14
What would you have done?
While bowhunting last Monday, I had a large doe approach between 20 and 25 yards. I pulled back and waited for the deer to enter a shooting lane. I shot when the deer entered and paused within my shooting lane. I thought the deer was broadside or maybe slightly quartering toward me. The sight picture was perfect. The shot felt good and arrow looked good. The arrow sounded like it hit a hollow log. The deer turned and ran with its tail down. I could only see the deer for around 50 yards before I lost sight of it. Then I heard a loud crash followed by another loud crash less than a second later, then silence. I waited for around 30 minutes, then got down to find my arrow.
I found my arrow, stuck firmly in the ground. To my disbelief, it had a watery substance on the fletchings, and a green foul smelling substance on the shaft and toward the broadhead, indicating the arrow passed thru the stomach. I also noticed some white hairs on the ground. I replayed the shot in my head again and again and felt certain I had made a good shot. There is no blood visible from the spot I am standing where the arrow landed (within 5-10 feet).
What should I do now?
I found my arrow, stuck firmly in the ground. To my disbelief, it had a watery substance on the fletchings, and a green foul smelling substance on the shaft and toward the broadhead, indicating the arrow passed thru the stomach. I also noticed some white hairs on the ground. I replayed the shot in my head again and again and felt certain I had made a good shot. There is no blood visible from the spot I am standing where the arrow landed (within 5-10 feet).
What should I do now?
01-22-2003, 04:50 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Gurley Al USA
Posts: 14
RE: What would you have done?
I shot the deer at 8:30 in the morning and the temp was around 30 degrees with it warming to mid 50's during the day.
I did recover the deer, but just presented this to make people stop and think.
I did recover the deer, but just presented this to make people stop and think.
01-22-2003, 05:11 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Oakland OR USA
Posts: 2,929
RE: What would you have done?
Well you have at least made us curious ,but maybe not think because you had already posted twice .We won't have to play the sounds like game.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
01-23-2003, 05:35 AM
#6
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Gurley Al USA
Posts: 14
RE: What would you have done?
This one really threw me off for a little bit, because the signs at the arrow did not match what happened in my mind.
The arrow entered just behind the front shoulder and just clipped the shoulder blade. It sliced the top part of the heart, got one lung, the liver, and then just got the end of the stomach before exiting just behind the ribcage where the white and dark hair meet.
I'm not sure if the deer was quartering more toward me than I thought or if the contact with the shoulder blade made the arrow deflect.
Anyway, I decided to check the first 20 or 30 yards where the deer ran to see if I could find some blood or more clues. A heavy, and I mean heavy blood trail was found with bright red blood and red blood. Blood was splattered on trees and one vine, close to where the deer went down was covered in blood. That was the first crashing noise I heard. The deer ran a total of about 100 yards. There was a two inch hole where the arrow entered and almost as large of one where it exited. I was using a muzzy broadhead which does not have that large of cutting diameter.
I was confused and sick until I found the blood trail, then I knew the deer didn't go far and that where I heard it crash is where it died.
Just to look at the arrow alone would not give the indication that the deer was hit in the vitals. Now that I know the whole story, it all makes sense.
The arrow entered just behind the front shoulder and just clipped the shoulder blade. It sliced the top part of the heart, got one lung, the liver, and then just got the end of the stomach before exiting just behind the ribcage where the white and dark hair meet.
I'm not sure if the deer was quartering more toward me than I thought or if the contact with the shoulder blade made the arrow deflect.
Anyway, I decided to check the first 20 or 30 yards where the deer ran to see if I could find some blood or more clues. A heavy, and I mean heavy blood trail was found with bright red blood and red blood. Blood was splattered on trees and one vine, close to where the deer went down was covered in blood. That was the first crashing noise I heard. The deer ran a total of about 100 yards. There was a two inch hole where the arrow entered and almost as large of one where it exited. I was using a muzzy broadhead which does not have that large of cutting diameter.
I was confused and sick until I found the blood trail, then I knew the deer didn't go far and that where I heard it crash is where it died.
Just to look at the arrow alone would not give the indication that the deer was hit in the vitals. Now that I know the whole story, it all makes sense.
01-23-2003, 07:16 AM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Almost Heaven WV
Posts: 649
RE: What would you have done?
<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
The arrow entered just behind the front shoulder and just clipped the shoulder blade. It sliced the top part of the heart, got one lung, the liver, and then just got the end of the stomach before exiting just behind the ribcage where the white and dark hair meet.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>
Sorry, but there is just no way possible for this shot to have clipped the top of the heart if it hit on the angle you describe. You had to do that with your knife while field dressing.
~Will Hunt For Food~
The arrow entered just behind the front shoulder and just clipped the shoulder blade. It sliced the top part of the heart, got one lung, the liver, and then just got the end of the stomach before exiting just behind the ribcage where the white and dark hair meet.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>
Sorry, but there is just no way possible for this shot to have clipped the top of the heart if it hit on the angle you describe. You had to do that with your knife while field dressing.
~Will Hunt For Food~
01-23-2003, 07:21 AM
#8
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 19,137
RE: What would you have done?
Two seasons ago I had a deer come in and stand broadside,I aimed and let loose.Watched the deer drop within 60 yards I figure perfect shot,right?
When I got down and walked up to it.The arrow had gone through the neck between the shoulder blades and took out the heart.I hit what I was aiming at but I didn't hit what I was aiming at. I still try to play back that shot in my head and can't picture that deer spinning on me.
When I got down and walked up to it.The arrow had gone through the neck between the shoulder blades and took out the heart.I hit what I was aiming at but I didn't hit what I was aiming at. I still try to play back that shot in my head and can't picture that deer spinning on me.
01-23-2003, 10:35 AM
#9
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fredericksburg Virginia USA
Posts: 13,672
RE: What would you have done?
cyclone, I have butchered a lot of deer in my day and depending on how the deers shoulderblade was positioned I could see this happening if it deflected off the inside of the shoulderblade, but to be honest an arrow can do some crazy things once it hits bone!
The Tazman aka Martin Price
Proud father of a Devil Dog
The Tazman aka Martin Price
Proud father of a Devil Dog
01-23-2003, 10:51 AM
#10
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Almost Heaven WV
Posts: 649
RE: What would you have done?
<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
cyclone, I have butchered a lot of deer in my day and depending on how the deers shoulderblade was positioned I could see this happening if it deflected off the inside of the shoulderblade, but to be honest an arrow can do some crazy things once it hits bone!
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>
Not the way described here, no magic bullet or arrows..."behind the front sholder" quartering to...no heart there...
Now if it had read, "Hit the front point of the sholder" or "went in in front of the sholder blade" I could believe it..
Behind that sholder blade on a quartering-to shot and you aint gonna hit heart.
~Will Hunt For Food~
cyclone, I have butchered a lot of deer in my day and depending on how the deers shoulderblade was positioned I could see this happening if it deflected off the inside of the shoulderblade, but to be honest an arrow can do some crazy things once it hits bone!
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>
Not the way described here, no magic bullet or arrows..."behind the front sholder" quartering to...no heart there...
Now if it had read, "Hit the front point of the sholder" or "went in in front of the sholder blade" I could believe it..
Behind that sholder blade on a quartering-to shot and you aint gonna hit heart.
~Will Hunt For Food~