Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Sign up

Ideas in what may have happened?

I said he gave me a good shot. I thought I made a good shot. Obviously that may not have been the case. I asked about the brisket shot because red cloud thought that it could have been low. I am just hoping it was a non fatal shot since I can't locate him.
 
I had a pass through on the brisket about 10 years ago. Bled like crazy fro about 100 yards and then nothing. Searched the next day like you did today...nothing.
2 weeks later a kid shot him on a drive during gun season. I was hunting the same stand I shot him from, the kid ended up dragging him past me. I asked if I could look at him as I knew it was the buck I had shot. Sure enough, entrance and exit holes healed over about 2 inches too low.

That is a lot of fat on that arrow. My guess is that deer is alive and just sore.
 
Low shots typically bleed a good deal at first then peter out as it clots. With snow, I'd expect to find some blood on a low shot. Who knows... Even when you see the arrow, it doesn't always hit where you think it did.
 
RedCloud said:
Usually they live and heal over. Buddy of mine did this last season or 2 seasons ago and we found the arrow and it was covered with blood and fat. We could not find much of any blood on the ground and never found the deer. We think we found it in the spring while shed hunting but the yote had it pretty tore up and we couldn't be 100% sure it was the buck he shot in the previous fall. If it was he lived for a while and made it about 3/4 mile from where he was shot but would have looped around making it a couple miles to where we found this dead buck.

Looking at that arrow I would say it is a brisket shot deer. Buddies arrow looked identical to that arrow. Fat clogged the holes and he is either filling up inside to die slowly or he will heal and be just fine. Hard to say but with that much fat, your not going to find any blood trail.
Click to expand...
I believe your right it looks like a a low brisket shot. A buddy shot one way low and hit below the vitals a handful of drops of blood and that was it. He watched the luminoc fly low and stick just below the ribs and his arrow was all fat with little to no blood. This would be my guess anyways.
 
They can also fool you because they are going thru muscle. You see bright red blood from the muscles and get excited. Look for air bubbles as well. Bright red blood AND fat on the arrow isn't always reassuring. Add in white fur and it adds more doubt to the shot.
 
Lots of fat on that arrow. You likely clipped him on an edge, bottom of chest, forward of the leg, even backstrap, somewhere in the jiggly fatty bits.
 
Jackalope said:
Lots of fat on that arrow. You likely clipped him on an edge, bottom of chest, forward of the leg, even backstrap, somewhere in the jiggly fatty bits.
Click to expand...

Yep. A brisket hit is most likely IMO. Always looks like you smeared the arrow with lard. The no blood is strange, but the snow didn't help in that regard...
 
I'm gonna go against most opinions here and guess a back strap hit and not a brisket hit. Both areas will show fat on the arrow this time of year, but most brisket shots I've seen leave at least some sort of a blood trail, with bits and pieces of cartilage mixed in.

Either way... It sucks.
 
I'd agree it was a near miss, meaning the arrow just sliced thru a fat reserve either near the brisket,sternum or back strap. I'm leaning toward backstrap like JB due to the fact the deer was nervous before the shot thus making it likely he dropped or jumped the string at the shot causing a high impact hit. Plus there is enough cartilage,bone and fat near and around the BS to cause this arrow to look the way it does in the pic. Just my opinion.

Don't beat yourself up over it and just learn from it. IMO, the deer will probably survive from this as well. Hope you get another crack at him or the big 12. Good luck!
 
Thanks for the supportive comments. I Seem to be in a slump I can't get out of. It's not like I can just go shoot a doe and gain some confidence. I have hunted hard since opening day and have had 3 opportunities spread out over 3 months. I practice several tImes a week and shoot great groups out to 40 yards. Both shots I have taken were 20 yards or under. It is in my head now.
 
The winner is high blackstrap shot. I am embarrassed.
image.jpg
 
This is why I think lighted nocks would be good. Cotty bought a pack and when Klay shot his buck it didn't light so Cotty tried his and his didn't light. I called factory and lady apologized and said to send them back and she sent 2 more packs and Kody shot new ones and work great I guess first pack was bad.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.