hoosierhunter Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Well I'd heard about it, but never knew anyone it's happened to until it happened to me last night. I had a very very very big deer running a doe all over a bean field last night so I decided to hit the horns to attempt to pull him in. Before I could get the rattle bag down another big boy came crashing through the woods to 15 yards behind me with the bag still in my hand. He shredded a tree behind me, made a scrap, then stepped to 8 yards. I couldn't get a shot there and he veared off to about 40 yards and then went out into the bean field. So I grabbed the bag and rubbed it on my leg. He froze and looked back, so I rolled the can once and here he comes again. He followed a spike back into the woods and came to a scrape at 18 yards. I couldn't draw b/c the spike was looking in my direction. He attempted to leave and I tried to draw and the spike spooked and so did the big boy. He ran into some thick brush about 30 yards away. He started to quarter away and at what I estimated to be 40 yards he stopped in a opening. I put my 43 yard pin on him and touched it off. The arrow was tracking perfect and WHACK. I thought I smoked him, but just a touch high. He ran off and disappeared. I found my arrow and it had fat on it. I had no idea how that happened b/c I thought I center punched him. We tracked him for 200 yards and then the blood stopped. I went back out today and canvased the area. All with no luck. I called the processor to ask him where I had to hit him to have fat and chunks of meat on my arrow(also no guts in the blood and my arrow did not smell bad). He explained to me that I had hit a area the size of a baseball just above the vitals and just below the spine. That's where a big bucks fat stores are at. He said had I hit farther back I would have had hit gut. He said it probably wouldn't kill him, just make him extemely sore and quite a bit smarter. Combine the fact that I ranged it afterwards and found it to be 38 yards and used my 43 yard pin and the fact that I was only about 16 feet up. The trajectory of the arrow was flat enough to pass completely through that zone and not hit anything. Talk about unlucky. He was a big 10 with kickers off of both g-2's and some other junk. I estimated him to field dress at about 225ish. I'd say he was right about a 150-160 class. It's very frustrating that this would have been my biggest buck by about 10-20 inches and also my first P&Y kill. There isn't anything I would have done different, just luck wasn't on my side. Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam16 Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Sorry to hear about that! At least he's still roaming around with the peak of the rut right around the corner. He may forget about his sore back if a certain lady walks by and takes him past your stand. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pointing_dogs_rule Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Sounds like you hit high, above the spine. Remember at this time of the year the bucks have massive stores of fat. Any shot that goes under the skin will cover the arrow with lots of fat. I am sure he is alive and well. Hope you get another chance at him. Sounds like a real keeper. It is very hard to hit below the spine and not take out a major artery or organ such as the lung or heart since they are so closely positioned. See charts below. good luck to all the dog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GobblerBuster618 Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 yes what you hit is called no mans land. it happens to many a people who think they make a perfect shot. hope you get another crack at him in the near future! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearClaw Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 I'm sorry to hear about what happened. That's a tough break. I feel for you as I had a doe lined up with the perfect shot lineup and let it go and it hit above the hindquarter. What happened I'll never know for sure but I did hit an artery and she died within sight at about 40 yds within 5 minutes. Grace was on my side that morning. Hope you get another crack at him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 BUMMER ...Ouch. Man, all that fat on the arrow, sounds more like a low Brisket shot. I did that once myself, and never found my deer.But you could be right. I've heard of the ol' dead zone too, but have never actually seen it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Switchback29A1 Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Thats gotta stink...but just keep in mind that theres another monster that doesn't know your there. They'll be thinking about making babies before to much longer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 That is too bad. Was kind of thinking the same thing as Steve that it could be a possible brisket shot. Maybe he is still alive and you will get another crack at him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted October 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 I don't think I hit brisket or back. The arrow was tracking perfect and I thought I smoked him. The only thing I can think of that is if he take a lunge forward and that I hit high just behind the lungs on that diagram. It just makes me sick because I was so careful not to take a bad shot and actually drew and let down on him twice before. I'm sure I will have more chances, the area I'm hunting is just shredded with scrapes, rubs, and trails. One additional question I have for anyone is how long should I let the ares "cool down" before hunting it again? I take extreme measures with scent control when it comes to hunting, but tramping all over the area like I did for two days makes me think I should stay out for a little bit. What do you guys think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutchies Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 I found the dead zone on a doe this year........tons of fat and hair......couple of very small drops of blood. Saw her a couple days later from the same tree. No shot at her yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest beardstowndeerhunter Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 where do you live are they in rut there yet? Well I'd heard about it, but never knew anyone it's happened to until it happened to me last night. I had a very very very big deer running a doe all over a bean field last night so I decided to hit the horns to attempt to pull him in. Before I could get the rattle bag down another big boy came crashing through the woods to 15 yards behind me with the bag still in my hand. He shredded a tree behind me, made a scrap, then stepped to 8 yards. I couldn't get a shot there and he veared off to about 40 yards and then went out into the bean field. So I grabbed the bag and rubbed it on my leg. He froze and looked back, so I rolled the can once and here he comes again. He followed a spike back into the woods and came to a scrape at 18 yards. I couldn't draw b/c the spike was looking in my direction. He attempted to leave and I tried to draw and the spike spooked and so did the big boy. He ran into some thick brush about 30 yards away. He started to quarter away and at what I estimated to be 40 yards he stopped in a opening. I put my 43 yard pin on him and touched it off. The arrow was tracking perfect and WHACK. I thought I smoked him, but just a touch high. He ran off and disappeared. I found my arrow and it had fat on it. I had no idea how that happened b/c I thought I center punched him. We tracked him for 200 yards and then the blood stopped. I went back out today and canvased the area. All with no luck. I called the processor to ask him where I had to hit him to have fat and chunks of meat on my arrow(also no guts in the blood and my arrow did not smell bad). He explained to me that I had hit a area the size of a baseball just above the vitals and just below the spine. That's where a big bucks fat stores are at. He said had I hit farther back I would have had hit gut. He said it probably wouldn't kill him, just make him extemely sore and quite a bit smarter. Combine the fact that I ranged it afterwards and found it to be 38 yards and used my 43 yard pin and the fact that I was only about 16 feet up. The trajectory of the arrow was flat enough to pass completely through that zone and not hit anything. Talk about unlucky. He was a big 10 with kickers off of both g-2's and some other junk. I estimated him to field dress at about 225ish. I'd say he was right about a 150-160 class. It's very frustrating that this would have been my biggest buck by about 10-20 inches and also my first P&Y kill. There isn't anything I would have done different, just luck wasn't on my side. Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 sorry to hear that man...freind of mine did the same thing on a nice 10 pt..looked all over and he couldnt find it either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardwood_HD Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 well sounds like hes gonna make it so hopefully you get another shot at him, good luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaneB Posted April 12, 2008 Report Share Posted April 12, 2008 a similar thing happen to me 2 seasons ago the morning after a football game(very long night) i got set up on an alfalfa field and had a nice doe come in at 20 yards aimed low it jumped the string found nothing but a fat and a little chunk of meat a neibor of mine tim johnson came over that night i told him the story and he said i hit the place that was all fat sorry for the life story lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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