I NEED HELP!

[mamenninga]

I shot my first bow buck yesterday, but the shot was a little high. I gave it an hour or so before I went after it and I never found it. I found the arrow on the trail, which only 1 of the expandable blades was open, but the blood just totally stopped about 100-150 yards from my stand. There wasn't a ton of blood, and I don't know how to read the blood on the arrow. I also went out this morning for about an hour and search high and low, but no luck. Any thoughts on what I could do or could have done differently, besides make a better shot?

 

[DOUBLE LUNG]

I myself have tried the mech broadheads and had the same problems. Because of that it costed me a buck that year. The first thing i did was got rid of those broadhead and bought some fixed blades. That way if you have the same situation you will know if it was a bad shot or not and won't wonder if it was because of the blades not opening. Just my opinion. better safe than sorry.

 

[Bakes]

Wilbur,
You may have put the arrow through the void area of the chest cavity. If the shot was above the lungs and below the spine the chances of recovery are very slim.
One thing you can do to prevent this in the future is to dispose of your expandable heads and pick up some fixed blades, whether that would have helped in this situation we will never know, but it definatly wouldn't have hurt.

I like to compare it to falling off a horse. You can get right back up on it or never ride again. Same with hunting when misfortune arises you can waste your whole season thinking about it or get back in that stand and hunt hard and smart and learn from your mistakes. Sorry about your misfortune and good luck finding him.

 

[Blaster]

I Hit a buck in this void area that Nonres is talking about. The same thing happend. I lost blood about 100 yards.I too would suggest fixed blades.I would still look for more signs, deer are tuff!

 

[Kaylray]

I think the others are right. You hit him in "No Mans Land". I have helped several friends track deer that were hit high. Same results, very little blood and it goes away. If you are in fact that high I believe that deer is still alive and will live to see another day.

However, there is always a chance that you could have hit an artery and the bleeding, except for the wound itself is internal. Sometimes it takes a while for the chest cavity to fill up and bleed from the wound. Get some buddies and do a grid search. Maybe you can find him or the blood trail again?

As far as broad heads go..... I personally do not want to spend any of my arrow energy opening up blades. I want it all to go into penetration. I believe most people shoot them for their accuracy? I started shooting Crimson Talons and My experience has been they shoot like a mechanical with the penetration and reliability of a fixed.

Good Luck, I hope you can find him.

 

[mamenninga]

Thanks for the info. I think "No Man's Land" is where I hit him. Note to self: Stay away from "No Man's Land". Sounds like what I need to do is ditch the mechanical broadheads and get back in the stand.

 

[muddy]

here's another thing to think about. i am not a big advocater or mechanicals but i think your broadhead worked fine. they will close as the broadhead works back out the first entry hole and if there was blood on the 'head then it will appear that the broadhead was stuck shut. of course if you want to switch to a deer killer like a muzzy i'd be totally behind you!! muzzy all the way!

 

[mamenninga]

There was blood on the vains, but not on the head. Pretty sure the arrow went all the way through. Muzzy is the way to go though, huh? I'll have to make an investment.

 

[Liv4Rut]

im with muddy, muzzy all the way!!! sounds like you did hit it in that space, i would get back out there. however i shot a doe yesterday morning that was strange, i hit it absolutely perfect only ran 40 yards stopped and dropped, there was barely any blood on the arrow or veins, but the shot was perfect and the deer died quickly. i guess the bow is just sooo fast it doesnt get blood on the arrows lol, well thats what i like to thinkg anyways!!

 

[OneCam]

Wilbur,
After reading your second post I would bet that you just grazed the deer based on information that blood was not on the broadhead but on the vane. I've seen this one more than once.

Also not trying to start the "debate" but don't blame your broadhead whatever type it may be for it sounds like shot placement is to fault. Your current broadheads are more than capable of killing quick and clean.

Take care and good luck on your first bow buck to come!

 

[quackmaster]

If it makes you feel any better, I too have done this on a bow hunt in Illinois. I made a clean pass thru shot on a deer high, barely clipping the lungs, but my arrow had meat on it. Blood trailed for hours and then had to go back to arkansas. My friend whom I was hunting with hunted the same stand the next weekend and shot the same deer I shot!

It had red sores on both sides but other than that he said he walked normal and grunted as if nothing was wrong. He rubbed it in saying he had to finish him off for me. No I didn't get the rack.

Bucks are pretty tough suckers.

 

[Evelio]

Wilber,

I have been bow hunting for four years and have used Wasp Jack Hammer's(mechanical). All of my shots have been pass throughs. The first year I tried fixed and could not keep my arrow from wind planning. I am sure there are fixed blades that shoot like field points but I did not have the time nor money to search for this perfect fixed blade. I keep my mechanical's razor sharp. Shot placement is everything whether fixed or mechanical.

Deer Chaser

 

[EIGHTPOINT]

Wilber, I also have shot a few deer with marginal hits only to loose them with mechanicals. My theory with mechanicals is that I do not believe that on a angled shot that mechanicals can preform like my Muzzy's that I have gone back too. I don't see how a mechanical can retain its energy when one blade opens up before the other two as would be the case when shooting down on a deer and not all the folded blades of a mechanical are coming in contact with the deers hide at the same moment. Muzzy's will start cutting on contact and keep on cutting their way through.

I don't think it makes a person a bad shot, field conditions are alot different then the 3-D course. You need to take every advantage into the woods with you.