Tough one to swallow...

[bowhunter1023]

Thanks Brock. I know one thing, what happened was not what I expected to happen and it the lesson I learned was not to assume any shot is a perfect shot unless you see them drop. I've made far worse shots than what I did Saturday and yet, the deer dropped in sight. The buck I shot in 2010 was a piss poor shot in my book, but he dropped dead after running 50 yards...

 

[brock ratcliff]

Took a pic of an old polaroid... I'll post it. Funny you say that, Jesse. The same year, my brother shot a buck. The hit appeared to be too far back and high, angled forward slightly. That deer blew chunks of lung all over the 60 yard blood trail.

 

[brock ratcliff]

Blow this up and look at the "11". It looks to be slightly farther forward than it was, they do that when you gut 'em and hang 'em upside-down as you all know. This was the entrance, exit was nearly in the same place. Shot around 5 pm, still alive 10:30 or 11 the next morning.

 

[brock ratcliff]

The one Sean shot a day or two after he shot him. The deer was around for a few days and then disappeard. I assume he finally croaked as he broke of 16' of arrow and carried it with him as far as we could tell. He reacted the same as the doe - 100 yard run, stopped looked back and walked into another woods.

 

[rgecko23]

I cant imagine that deer still being alive, that shot is a dead deer the way im looking at it. Crazyness....Hey man, blow it off. If shes alive, she will just be that much easier to kill another day.

 

[Big_Holla]

I let my daughter take a slightly quartering towards shot last year as the deer was only at about 15 yards w/ the crossbow. What I failed to notice was the near side leg was actually back as well as the quartering towards, which put the bolt back more than I had thought. To where only one lung may have been hit but likely more liver. Will never know as we lost that one as well.

 

[bigten05]

just get back up in a tree and plow the next one too come by, it happens too everyone.

 

[Rutin]

If you look at the doe I shot in the bloody arrow thread, the shot is exactly where you hit. I was using a slick trick grizztrick 2 and it clipped her shoulder and deflected out the back side of her liver and guts. Exact same shot and yardage as you. Hitting a little bone or deflecting off a rib can change EVERYTHING. I saw her go down in the beans but had I not seen her go down..... my god I would have had a track job. Only blood coming out was from the entry which was minimal bc her should bone was covering it. I felt your pain... chin up and kill another!

 

[Dannmann801]

Jesse,
it's crazy for sure. When I saw the rough drawing of your angle it's the same as my shot on my 2010 buck.
Difference is I was shooting slightly uphill.
The exit wound is behind and LOWER than the entrance wound, and I found the arrow laying on the ground 10 or 15 yards uphill

Looking at the entrance/exit wounds, I think I got real danged lucky....real lucky

Entrance wound

Exit wound

 

[at1010]

doe I shot last year that lived, she ran like I smoked her almost hit her head on a gas well, but did not die.

 

[at1010]

sorry its so small, I was above her a bit, I think I hit her shoulder maybe, and it popped out over her lungs only hitting them a bit, not enough to kill, not sure but she lived!

 

[finelyshedded]

I agree Jesse, just move on buddy. Shit just happens even on good shots sometimes, just don't beat yourself up over it. I remember a guy out towards AEP land shooting a huge buck just above one of the rear hoofs on a terrible shot and it bled to death very quickly.
Just hop back on that horse buddy, she might still be ok and the season is still very young.

 

[at1010]

I agree Jesse, just move on buddy. Shit just happens even on good shots sometimes, just don't beat yourself up over it. I remember a guy out towards AEP land shooting a huge buck just above one of the rear hoofs on a terrible shot and it bled to death very quickly.
Just hop back on that horse buddy, she might still be ok and the season is still very young.

Nice post! I was sick to my stomach about shooting that doe, and not finding it I thought I was a bad tracker, etc. I then realized it lived, and drilled a big doe the following weekend it ran 40 yards and piled up!

 

[brock ratcliff]

Jesse,
it's crazy for sure. When I saw the rough drawing of your angle it's the same as my shot on my 2010 buck.
Difference is I was shooting slightly uphill.
The exit wound is behind and LOWER than the entrance wound, and I found the arrow laying on the ground 10 or 15 yards uphill

Looking at the entrance/exit wounds, I think I got real danged lucky....real lucky

Entrance woundView attachment 9977

Exit wound
View attachment 9978

Dan, your arrow cleaned out a lot of vital stuff. That's a long cut through a lot of blood-rich flesh. The shortest trails result from the longest cuts. That is why a quarter away shot is the absolute best, go behind the last rib and out the opposite shoulder you won't have to look for long!

 

[Gern186]

Ive had that happen a couple times also Jesse.....you swear you made a perfect hit, yet they keep going...next thing you know you are 1/2 mile away and still tracking.

Sometimes it's just a matter of a fraction of an inch that determines death versus life.

Keep plugging away.

 

[Buckmaster]

I concur with Chad. It's happened to me a couple times. My largest archery buck of all time got away due to NO MANS LAND. Welcome to the club by the way.

Say, shooting the crease is for guns. Shoot the ribs during archery season.

 

[Dannmann801]

Dan, your arrow cleaned out a lot of vital stuff. That's a long cut through a lot of blood-rich flesh. The shortest trails result from the longest cuts. That is why a quarter away shot is the absolute best, go behind the last rib and out the opposite shoulder you won't have to look for long!

Yeah, he didn't go far. I just thought it was strange that the impact point was a little higher than the exit but I was shooting uphill.
Maybe he kicked up?
I'm just glad he passed in short order and the tracking was very easy.

 

[brock ratcliff]

Yeah, he didn't go far. I just thought it was strange that the impact point was a little higher than the exit but I was shooting uphill.
Maybe he kicked up?
I'm just glad he passed in short order and the tracking was very easy.

I'm guessin he was angling down the hill? Meaning his butt was higher?

 

[Dannmann801]

I'm guessin he was angling down the hill? Meaning his butt was higher?

Nope. Walkin a flat trail with me below him.

 

[brock ratcliff]

Funny things can happen with arrows.