Good blood, then nothing

[4wanderingeyes]

I shot a decent buck about 3:45, 20 yard shot. I shot, I hit his shoulder, the arrow only went in about 4 inches, I saw him take a few steps, and the arrow came out. He limped off, with his left front leg being held up, totally limping like a dog would limp with a sore paw. It bled a lot, like cup fulls every 10 feet for about 100 yards, where a couple spots within 50 yards he stopped, which I visually saw, where he bled 6 inch wide, 2 feet long spots. Then about 100yards, it started to get smaller, like 1-3 inch spots every 10 feet, then 1 inch spots every 20 feet, then it was gone. We went about 200 yards before we lost blood. I let him sit from 345 until 5 before I left stand, and I only walked to the arrow, and looked at it, then went and got some help. I never saw any hair, the blood wasnt pink with tiny bubbles, just red blood. Never say and fat chunks.

My question, is 4 inched deep enough to hit the heart? Is it a mere flesh wound, that just bled a lot? He went towards someones land I dont have permission, so I stopped for tonight, with plans to ask permission in the morning. Just kicking myself, not being able to find it tonight. The wolves, and coyotes have been thick around here lately, and I even got a picture of one while we were tracking.

 

[Tree Spud]

If you hit the heart, you would have found him. Good chance arrow penetration was stopped by other bone.

 

[Buckly]

That would be very typical of a shoulder hit. Lots of blood and then nothing. If he didn’t bed down within 200 yards it doesn’t look good for finding him. All you can do is track by hoof prints and direction of travel. If he isn’t able to escape the wolves and coyotes you might find sign of him later on. I have seen shoulder hit deer die though but, with much more penetration and they can easily cover 800 yards.

 

[buckdeer1]

Deer hit only in the shoulder wont die unless by infection or predation.I have seen several lick all the hair off that spot and be chasing does a week later.Did broadhead break off?Was it really 4 inches or did it break off at broadhead or was there alittle blood up shaft?

 

[4wanderingeyes]

The broadhead did not break off. The blood is 4” on the shaft. When I hit him it stuck in him, he ran through some trees and knocked it out.

The thing that gets me, when I hit him, he didn’t run, slowly limped off, holding his leg up.

 

[Crimson n' Camo]

He's most likely ok......This is the most common tracking call during bow season....The majority of them show right back up on camera.....Every now and then one goes against the grain of what should happen but the odds are heavily weighted towards it just being a flesh wound

 

[Hoytvectrix]

I'm kind of stumped on what bone it could have hit at just 4 inches. I'm guessing it went though the edge of the scapula and just lost a bunch of momentum? If that's the case, it's strange the arrow didn't break.

I'm guessing fat and muscle plugged the wound.

 

[Garrett S]

I’m a bit of a nerd with terminal performance, blood tracking, etc.

Agree with all of the above and while nothing replaces being there and seeing things in person… he’s likely sore and living life as normally as if he was gored, hit by a car, ran into a stick, etc. The will of a whitetail to survive is as impressive as their ability to do so after being injured.

Shoulder hits happen. They suck and they’re a probability that while somewhat easy to avoid gets most of us at some Pt. Deflections can also happen which alter the outcome data pool.

I wanted to comment on the heart shot comment too. Of course everything we are saying is speaking in generalities which can be deadly. Heart shot deer can live longer and go much farther than people would ever think. Like hundreds of yards and maybe an hour… all varied with the wound, etc. one thing I have never really seen or heard of though is a heart shot deer( even a just an entry side wound) not leaving a notable blood trail.

Don’t know the guy, but a good cheap reference is Finding Wounded Deer by John Trout Jr. John Jeaneny (sp) and others also have books out there. I use this book a few times every season and have reread it a few times.

 

[Bill]

Sounds like a good muscle cut. Darn it!
Hopefully I’m wrong and you find him this AM.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Thanks for the feedback. I tried last night, and this morning to get permission to track. I can’t get ahold of them.

No sleep last night for me, beating myself up over it. It wasn’t because I took a dumb long shot, or bad angle. He was walking broadside though, and if I didn’t take the shot when I did, he would have been in thick stuff, so I took the shot. I would take it again.

I know when I shot, the arrow didn’t pass through, and I figured it was a little too much forward of where I wanted it. But the reaction from the deer, and the amount of blood it left for that first 100 yards, I would have thought it would be laying behind the next tree.

After over analyzing it all night long, I think what happen, I was high in a tree, a 20 yard shot, I think the arrow went in the shoulder and hit the sternum, then he ran through trees and it came out. The arrow probably went through its shoulder, and that was why it had its leg up, and was limping so bad. It probably left a nice hole in its arm pit, and that was where all the blood was coming from. I watched it limp off for the first 50 yards. I didn’t hear it or see it after that. I left stand at 5, verified blood on the arrow and went back and grabbed help to track. At 5:17 I had a picture of a coyote in a food plot about 40 yards from where the blood trail was. I am thinking that coyote got on its trail and the deer ran then, which would explain no more blood. Suppose to get lots of rain starting this evening.

Either way, if I can’t get permission to track it any further, it is all moot. This may just push me to hang up the bow, and go to a crossbow.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

What is your arrow and broadhead setup?

 

[4wanderingeyes]

What is your arrow and broadhead setup?

They are Predator arrows, with Rage broadheads.

 

[Bill]

This may just push me to hang up the bow, and go to a crossbow.

I know some of the purists hate Xbows. I switched to one after 35+ years of a bow I won’t go back as long as their legal. The buck I killed in September was a pass through on “both” shoulders.

Won’t argue with the purists either. It is easier, it is less challenging. But at the end of the day it’s legal and my goal is to put one on the ground, not hold onto a tradition.

 

[yoderjac]

I shot a decent buck about 3:45, 20 yard shot. I shot, I hit his shoulder, the arrow only went in about 4 inches, I saw him take a few steps, and the arrow came out. He limped off, with his left front leg being held up, totally limping like a dog would limp with a sore paw. It bled a lot, like cup fulls every 10 feet for about 100 yards, where a couple spots within 50 yards he stopped, which I visually saw, where he bled 6 inch wide, 2 feet long spots. Then about 100yards, it started to get smaller, like 1-3 inch spots every 10 feet, then 1 inch spots every 20 feet, then it was gone. We went about 200 yards before we lost blood. I let him sit from 345 until 5 before I left stand, and I only walked to the arrow, and looked at it, then went and got some help. I never saw any hair, the blood wasnt pink with tiny bubbles, just red blood. Never say and fat chunks.

My question, is 4 inched deep enough to hit the heart? Is it a mere flesh wound, that just bled a lot? He went towards someones land I dont have permission, so I stopped for tonight, with plans to ask permission in the morning. Just kicking myself, not being able to find it tonight. The wolves, and coyotes have been thick around here lately, and I even got a picture of one while we were tracking.

That buck will likely live if you hit the shoulder. I've butchered many deer with old broadheads embedded in the front shoulder. That deer will live baring predation.

 

[yoderjac]

I know some of the purists hate Xbows. I switched to one after 35+ years of a bow I won’t go back as long as their legal. The buck I killed in September was a pass through on “both” shoulders.

Won’t argue with the purists either. It is easier, it is less challenging. But at the end of the day it’s legal and my goal is to put one on the ground, not hold onto a tradition.

Same arguments were made back when compound bow came out... Inline muzzleloaders vs traditional... same arguments...Smokeless vs black powder... same arguments. The funny part is that many guys putting down crossbow hunting have no problem hunting with a .30-06 and scope a few months later.

It's not about easy/hard or modern/traditional. It is about enjoying the outdoors, staying within the bounds of the law, making choices consistent with your ethics, recovering the game you shoot, finding a level of challenge that you enjoy, and sharing your enjoyment with the next generation of hunters and sportsman.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I know some of the purists hate Xbows. I switched to one after 35+ years of a bow I won’t go back as long as their legal. The buck I killed in September was a pass through on “both” shoulders.

Won’t argue with the purists either. It is easier, it is less challenging. But at the end of the day it’s legal and my goal is to put one on the ground, not hold onto a tradition.

I have messed up shoulders, so a part of this may be my bow is turned down to 55#. But because of that, I limit my shot to 30 yards or less. A cross bow would help a lot with that. Right now, still no permission from neighbor, and right now, I have no want to go back out bow hunting.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Since the crossbow thing came up - I think you'll find a lot of people who aren't fond of crossbows in the archery season are more against the regulation aspect than they are an individual hunter's decision to hunt with a crossbow when legal.

I've got not a single negative feeling towards able bodied men choosing to use a crossbow over a vertical bow when legal because it's a more effective tool for killing. Same as having no negative feeling towards someone using the most reliable and accurate rifle setup over one that is less so.

Back on topic - sounds like the bow/arrow setup didn't have much momentum and coupled with a mechanical broadhead was more likely to have penetration issues. Not saying a fixed head would have blown through the heart of the shoulder which seems was likely hit in this case though.

 

[SwampCat]

I picked up a crossbow three years ago because of back problems/surgery. I have killed far more deer with a compound bow in my life than all other weapons combined - probably over 60. In the three years I have hunted with a crossbow, I have killed one - not because I havent had the chance, but just because I am more selective - WAY more selective. The crossbow in my hands has actually saved a lot of deer

 

[yoderjac]

I picked up a crossbow three years ago because of back problems/surgery. I have killed far more deer with a compound bow in my life than all other weapons combined - probably over 60. In the three years I have hunted with a crossbow, I have killed one - not because I havent had the chance, but just because I am more selective - WAY more selective. The crossbow in my hands has actually saved a lot of deer

I'm in a similar situation. I lived in a county where firearms are essentially prohibited and was over run by deer. I killed many more deer in my younger days with a compound bow over the years (Before crossbows were legalized in my state) that any other weapon. My first crossbow hunting occurred when the legalized them in the state. I'm a Hunter Ed instructor so I needed some practical experience in order to feel comfortable teaching. I still primarily hunted with a compound bow until my arthritis gat bad enough. I then slowly transitioned using a compound in early season when it was warm and a crossbow later when the cold affected by ability to draw.

There was a lot of animosity amongst bowhunters in our state when crossbows were first legalized. The common complaint was that non-bowhunters would invade the woods with crossbows during "my season" and kill many more deer because crossbows are "easier". That did not end up being the case. Crossbows have no more effective range (actually less) than a compound in the hands of a skilled shooter. There was a rise in bowhunting license sales at first as gun hunters thought they could extend their season. That fell off after a few years when many learned that did not harvest deer. Why? Bowhunting skills are much more than shooting. Getting a deer inside 20-30 yards is completely different than skills needed to gun hunt. The rise in archery harvest largely came from existing bowhunters who decided to use a crossbow. They already had bowhnunting skills and for them, the harvest advantage was not needed to draw in the presence of game.

This actually really helped bowhunting in general. First, it kept many older folks in the sport that no longer felt comfortable with a compound because of arthritis, shoulder issue, strength, vision issues, and many more. On the other end of the spectrum, it gave many more youth and opportunity to develop general bowhunting skills before they had the physical abilities to dray a bow. Many of them went on to be come compound or recurve hunters as they grew and wanted more challenge.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Bszweda]

Rages have horrible penetration...I shoot them , just cause they fly well and give me the hollow point factor . I had a similar experience two years ago. I never found my arrow but I knew the penetration was bad. I ended up finding him dead next year spring turkey hunting. Why not get a crossbow and see how you like it. Killing mature bucks is hard enough.