Had a bad shot placement.

[Angus 1895]

Yesterday I had 8 different bucks at 35 yards or less.

There was two that I wanted to harvest. They were both within 25 yards for several minutes.

Man did I get to shaking……I had three smaller deer within 15 yards also.

I had just the day before added camo burlap to my box stand……it helped immensely.

Finally they were moving uphill and were coming into a shooting lane at about 27 yards.

I took aim, and I hesitated a moment amazed at how almost all the aiming reticle circles were in the deers chest area.

Well I didn’t try to stop the buck, I shot at it while it was walking, plus my hesitation…..I hit the buck four inches distal behind the front leg.

The buck ran , stopped, hunched up, started mouth breathing and continued walking to the jack fence. It stood for like an eternity, it was with several deer along the fence.I started accumulating my gear, watched some more deer, looked back and it was gone.

I gave it approximately 6 hours before I went in. I saw nothing…..found the bolt.Not much on it but a little grease.

I went home, told the wife and I let my dog smell the bolt. My dog got very excited! So we saddled up , put the dogs ( Twigs) tracking harness on and off we rode. It got windy, my wife’s mule was agitated and she was not in the greatest of moods. She doesn’t like this part of hunting at all. I dismounted to bring the dog to the last place I saw the buck. My wife’s hat blew off , she rode into a field on the other side of the fence. I tried to go through the fence, my right leg cramped up, I felt defeated.

I walked around the fence , picked up her hat, and I went through the gate. There was my dog standing next to the buck. I had to put another bolt into the buck to end it. ( I actually put two in) If you look at the entrance hole of the initial bolt you can see how close it was to the front leg.

The deer had traveled under 300 yards.

Hats off to my dog , my horse ( first deer packed) and my wife!

 

[Mortenson]

Cool hunt. Congrats! Nice deer.

 

[SwampCat]

Nice deer. Where was the exit? Did it bleed very well?

 

[Angus 1895]

It exited the opposite side ( broad side).

I found no blood. Just like the bolt ……….

Without the dog……I might still be looking…….for magpies!

 

[SwampCat]

That is crazy. Sometimes high shots dont bleed well. That shot is not far off what I would great shot placement. What broadhead are using

 

[Angus 1895]

I know, that’s why I shared…….the guts aren’t that far away from the front leg.

100 grain, three blade, Trochar tip. Complete pass through……it was about 2 inches stuck in the alfalfa field after it went through the deer.

 

[Skeeter]

Definitely nice to have a good dog. What did the innards look like when you gutted it?

 

[fishin coyote]

Mainly a liver hit or did you clip a lung also?

 

[Buckly]

I know there’s going to be disagreement on this. I’ve ran into looking at too many pins before and who knows what your mind processes with all that info and what your mind does is unknown. Completely different from range to hunting stress situation. I’m a big fan of a single pin, dot or circle.

 

[Angus 1895]

Mainly a liver hit or did you clip a lung also?

I don’t know as I had to put another bolt into it. I didn’t take the time to dissect it properly.
I definitely believe the diaphragm was involved due to its exercise intolerance and mouth breathing.

It had extensive peritonitis, and lots of ingesta was free in the abdominal cavity.

I can’t explain why the bolt that went through him was so blood free.

Especially if liver/ lung was involved.

 

[fishin coyote]

Well strange things happen, I’m glad the outcome was favorable for you. It looks like a good hit in the photo but may have been a bit low for the lungs. Description of shot and the timeline for the follow ups says liver but lack of blood on the shaft is a puzzler. I hope the pup got an extra treat.

 

[Angus 1895]

I kept the diaphragm to cook up for the pup.

There was a lot of fat attached to it ventrally. I think it went through mostly fat. As fat is very a vascular.

When in doubt…..back out.

That’s why in summer type weather……mornings are better…..evening time you have a much harder time tracking until, morning comes.

 

[Angus 1895]

I know there’s going to be disagreement on this. I’ve ran into looking at too many pins before and who knows what your mind processes with all that info and what your mind does is unknown. Completely different from range to hunting stress situation. I’m a big fan of a single pin, dot or circle.

The scope on my raven r 9 is offensive. It’s so busy it is at best distracting. It draws my eye away from the target. But it holds zero so well I have not replaced it.

I think this near miss…is going to be the catalyst to change it.

 

[Catscratch]

Great job! It happens a lot when blood loss is responsible for the kill. You found it AND kept your wife happy! Congrats!

 

[Angus 1895]

I believe the rumen lies directly against the diaphragm on the left side. The liver is on the right side, between the diaphragm and the intestine.

So perhaps I hit the diaphragm and the fat and the rumen , then it angled behind the liver through the fat and intestines.

 

[SwampCat]

I know there’s going to be disagreement on this. I’ve ran into looking at too many pins before and who knows what your mind processes with all that info and what your mind does is unknown. Completely different from range to hunting stress situation. I’m a big fan of a single pin, dot or circle.

He was shooting a crossbow with a scope so dont think pins were a problem, and I wouldnt say range was mis-estimated - if placement had been two inches left, it probably would not have gone 100 yards.

ravin scopes are very “busy”. Crossbows shoot pretty flat, which means the aiming circles are close together, if you are shooting at a deer thirty yards away, the 20, 30, and 40 yard circles will all be on the kill zone. All the circles are the same color - which does not help.

On deer and bear sized game, where I hunt, I believe expandable broadheads provide an advantage with a crossbow because bow poundage is generally high enough to drive even a large cutting surface through those sized animals

 

[356]

From his nose it looks like you got some lung. Congrats on the harvest and recovery.

 

[bueller]

Congrats on shooting and recovering that buck! Shot looks low right all day to me. Smart that you gave him time.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

Congrats, I think you've got the first bone head here on the season.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Glad you were able to make the recovery. That is odd. You must have been just behind the heart. Everyone has their own preference, and I am not knocking anyone for their choice on broadheads, but there is a reason I like the 2 blade Rage ever since it came out. Massive wound channel. Most deer I have shot looks like someone hit them with an axe.