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Shoulder shot question

Disagree all you guys want. Shooting a deer with a bow in the rain is a very poor choice. I would love to know the other "magical" methods for tracking a wounded deer. Unless he is the only deer in the woods, the tracks in the mud will soon be useless once he hits a trail. I helped a 12 year old recover his well hit deer the other day and it still went 200 yards with a sparse blood trail. The ONLY way you would have ever found that deer if it was raining was to stumble onto it. Not likely. The primary way to recover a bow-shot deer is by the blood trail. With rain, there is no trail. So, its selfish at best.

I understand your point. Delivery is blunt and to the point which rubs guys wrong. Yes recovery is much more difficult but a lung shot deer typically won't make it over 150 yards and typically either goes down in sight or you watched for at least 75 yards of him running off. That's not a difficult recovery if you know the property you hunt on, even without blood.
 
Disagree all you guys want. Shooting a deer with a bow in the rain is a very poor choice. I would love to know the other "magical" methods for tracking a wounded deer. Unless he is the only deer in the woods, the tracks in the mud will soon be useless once he hits a trail. I helped a 12 year old recover his well hit deer the other day and it still went 200 yards with a sparse blood trail. The ONLY way you would have ever found that deer if it was raining was to stumble onto it. Not likely. The primary way to recover a bow-shot deer is by the blood trail. With rain, there is no trail. So, its selfish at best.



Pffft! What ever dude! The magic is all in the shot and taking one that you know you can smoke them at. Any deer that I or any or my buddies have ever hit well, had tons of blood and never went very far, most fall with-in site. If you had a lung shot and the deer went 200 yard with sparse blood I would reconsider what broad heads you are using. I wont hesitate to hunt in a light rain. If i listen to your BS i would have one less buck hanging on my wall! Heavy rain I will agree with you. A light rain from the sky, im letting an arrow fly!
 
I shot several deer in the rain watched them go down within 60 yards.It was kind of slippery.Dangerous & irresponsible for I could have slipped & fell or something.Irresponsible!!LOL
 
Pffft! What ever dude! The magic is all in the shot and taking one that you know you can smoke them at. Any deer that I or any or my buddies have ever hit well, had tons of blood and never went very far, most fall with-in site. If you had a lung shot and the deer went 200 yard with sparse blood I would reconsider what broad heads you are using. I wont hesitate to hunt in a light rain. If i listen to your BS i would have one less buck hanging on my wall! Heavy rain I will agree with you. A light rain from the sky, im letting an arrow fly!

First of all, calling me "dude" makes you sound like a juvenile that always gets his way. Ofcourse a well hit deer will go down quickly. I thought that was obvious enough to go without mention. The topic is not about well hit deer. Its about recovery of ANY deer. If you are going to take a shot, it will not always go as planned. For those poor hits, you will seldom recover that deer in a rain. As far as the deer going 200 yards...it was not mine. You might want to read again as your comprehension skills seem lacking.
 
I am getting ready to go sit in this lovely light rain and hopefully shoot a mature deer. Does that make me irresponsible huntemup?
 
I am getting ready to go sit in this lovely light rain and hopefully shoot a mature deer. Does that make me irresponsible huntemup?

I hope you smoke a GIANT and watch him fall! My only input is this.... If a guy is dedicated enough to go SIT IN THE FREAKING RAIN, I have a hard time believing he is irresponsible.
 
Friend shot a nice deer tonight at 16 yds but drifted a few inches ahead putting it in the shoulder. The deer darted off obviously limping once 100yds away or so then vanished out of sight. The arrow only showed about 2" of penetration with a little blood, muscle,and fatty material. No blood trail close and it was raining. He was shooting the new rage hypodermics. My Q's are:
How much time should he put into recovery not thinking this is a kill shot?

Is the deer likely to make a full recovery?

Thanks!

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I had the exact same experience with the biggest buck I ever had a crack at several years ago. I did not realize it at the time, but I had a slight quartering away shot and hit him in the shoulder with an expandable. What happened to me, I think, was that one blade deployed and turned the arrow so it was 90 degrees upon entry and I lost KE. That, combined with the much harder bone structure on a mature deer and it ended up being the perfect storm. I pushed him too fast too soon, I shoudl have waited a full 24 hours after I found that only the broadhead was in his shoulder. The good news was that after I did a full grid search of the area, I ran into him a week later chasing a doe the Sunday after Thanksgiving, albeit with a pronounced limp. Fortunately, someone got him during second shotguin season...
 
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Shoulder shots are tough to judge, because as a few have mentioned, if you get through them, you are golden!!!

A few things to keep in mind with shoulder shots:
-the "bounce back" affect of the off side shoulder often times makes your shot appear that you have had less penetration than you actually have. If this happens you will likely see them fall, or know that you rocked them.

-Generally high shoulder shots wont bleed much

In my opinion if you stick them right in the ball and watch them run over 100 yards, that means that you didn't get through. That shoulder protects a lot of vitals, if you are through it, that deer is toast!!

Don't stress it. I'd take back over forward everyday.
 
obviously we all need to stop hunting if it is raining or if it is going to rain...you know some times you need to leave them overnight. this way huntemup will be a much happier person.

as i type this sitting in my stand on a rainy afternoon............................
 
First of all, calling me "dude" makes you sound like a juvenile that always gets his way. Ofcourse a well hit deer will go down quickly. I thought that was obvious enough to go without mention. The topic is not about well hit deer. Its about recovery of ANY deer. If you are going to take a shot, it will not always go as planned. For those poor hits, you will seldom recover that deer in a rain. As far as the deer going 200 yards...it was not mine. You might want to read again as your comprehension skills seem lacking.

Would you prefer I call you ma'am? And you telling everyone they are irresponsible for hunting in the rain make you sound like superficial jerkoff that thinks he is better than everyone else! Like I said, take shots that you know you can make 99.9% of the time. For me it is 20 yards and in. If I have a 20 yard or less shot it is game over, no tracking job. IMO, most poor shots are a result of guys taking longer shots, that have a higher percentage of being just a hair off. It's fine, don't hunt in the rain! You can sit at home a be pissed off while everyone else is whacking deer in the drizzle!
 
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My friend just pulled a card today and the deer lives. Maybe he'll get another crack at him. He's in the same 80ac farm as b4.

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Why does anyone shoot at a deer with a bow when it is raining, knowing full well that quite often the only way to recover these animals is to wait an hour or more and then blood trail? This is irresponsible. He should spend just as much time as if he thinks it is dead.

Good lord. You must hunt only when it's sunny and 75 huh? Some people are passionate about bow hunting (myself) and hunt every chance they can get. Just because you think it is irresponsible doesn't mean it's wrong. Your opinion is valid, but it sucks... Don't mean to rub you the wrong way.

I am currently enjoying myself in the woods right now hoping to whack a buck... Responsibly... In... The... Rain...

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Why does anyone shoot at a deer with a bow when it is raining, knowing full well that quite often the only way to recover these animals is to wait an hour or more and then blood trail? This is irresponsible.

He should spend just as much time as if he thinks it is dead.

Well I have killed my best buck, third and fourth best buck in the rain and guess what... I watched them all fall within 80 yds. I'm with everyone else apparently I'm irresponsible also. It's all about the person, the equipment and the confidence of that person. If u know u will kill that deer and know u will find him, take the shot every time. Enough said
 
My friend just pulled a card today and the deer lives. Maybe he'll get another crack at him. He's in the same 80ac farm as b4.

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At least that gives him some piece of mind...keep at it. :way:
 
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