Diaphragm/lung shot

[meyeri]

So I shot my second doe on Friday night and it was an extremely sharp quartering away shot. I put the pin on the last rib, squeezed off the shot and watched the arrow hit just inside the rib line. She ran less than a hundred yards and steamrolled into the brush. As I was gutting her I was expecting a lung and heart shot. One lung was completely jelly due to the angle and the heart was completely intact.

My question is, does putting a hole in the diaphragm inhibit lung function and increase odds of death or is it a non factor? I've never shot a deer at this steep of an angle and was curious.

 

[HorseDoctor]

A hole in the diaphragm can allow the lung to collapse if enough air gets in through the skin wound and then into the chest. However, skewering a lung will also cause the lung to collapse as well as creating massive hemorrhage, which is likely a much larger factor in why your doe didn't go far. Nothing wrong with a "single lung" hit especially if you hit it well. Congrats on a good shot!