sureshot Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 tonight I decided to fill a doe tag and have fresh backstraps for supper, I got up to 36 yards on a nice big doe set the 40 yard pin low on her chest and let go, perfect flight and perfect shot [so ithought] she was strait broadside and perfectly level with me, she buckled a bit and took off[not a jump like a heart shot or a hunch lieka gut shot, sort of different] plus I did not ehar a loud smack either,[could of just missed it to] I pulled the binos up to see the blood pour out and looked jsut liek the hide was ripped with no blood, was about 3 inches higher than I liked but should of been good, I watched her run for abotu 50 yards and slow down, and stop and look back at me and take off around the corner, I had a snack and drink of pop and went fopr teh arrow after 15 minutes or so, it went about 20 yards even going through her which was funny I thought, I took up the trail knowing exactly were she went as I rounded the corner I seen a whole draw 100 ayrds long with tall brown grass, a blood trackers dream, I zigged and zagged for a good 1/2 hour without a trace, then I see 3 small heads of grass about 2 ft off the ground with a bit of blood,i marked them with tape and started to do circles, found one more small smear 30 yards farther up, I checked the fence close and no luck [usually find blood after jumping a fence] as I got into the field [hay field] I see a deer abotu 100 yards away, It was starting to get dark butlooking through my binos It looked like there was a rip in the hide right were I shot,no blood and she was feeding, BTW there was decent blood on the arrow,dark red but not frothy,looked liek she was not even hurt, I ahve heard about a dead spot were nothing is injured, btu never reallty believed it, I have got well over 30 deer with arrows and never had anything like this, I thought high lung shot, but within 150 to 200 yards it shoudlof filled up, any thoughts, I am going back in the am to check the field out, I hope she is ok couse by the morn she will be just bones by the coyotes!!!please let me know any thoughts, this really bothers me, even though its a doe, I hate to see any critter suffer!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutchies Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 Don't feel bad, If it hasn't happened to one of us it will. I had it happen twice last year. Totally killed my confidence last year. Go back and check tomorrow. I bet you find her and that deer you saw was a different deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sureshot Posted September 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 the thing that gets me is any other deer I ever took would of been down in the distance I went and plus blood all over, and just the way she acted was wierd, just like not even hurt, I seen exactly were the arrow went, should of been upper lung,hopefully in 6 hours I am on her!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 sureshot Last year I had a big buck at 38 yards(ranged after shot). I guessed 45 yards and let it fly. I hit him and passed through him. He didn't jump buck or nothing just took off flying. Didn't find blood for about 30 yards then it started coming out for about 300 then we saw where he stopped and it went completely dry(he probably licked it shut). Needless to say I searched for two straight days and never found him. My buddy ended up killing him in late muzzloader. He had the wound high and back on him. It had completely healed shut, but no hair on either side. I hit high and back. At the time of the shot I thought I stoned him....He must have jumped my string. The arrow was good and red, but had fat on it....No smell...That spot was high and back. Just past midway back on him and I have no idea how it didn't bust his spine when I got to look at him when my buddy killed him...So that dead spot it high and back a little bit from my experience. Now given this buck in late dec dressed at almost 200 lbs so he was a brute and had some strength in him. Not sure if a young doe would have made it through like he did.......Good luck in your search... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punkinslinger Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 If the blood is dark red it may have been a liver shot. It will be dead for sure if indeed you hit the liver....and yes they do act strange when liver shot. I hit a 10 point in Illinois one year through the liver...the buck jumped at the shot, trotted about 15 yards and stopped looking around then walked about 30 yards and layed down looking around for about 15 minutes. It then got up and walked over a little knoll....I backed out and came back 4 hours later and found it 20 yards over the knoll dead. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sureshot Posted September 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 deff not a liver shot, was not back at all, was just at back of shoulder, plus did not loook to high, looked like a perfect shot, 5 am not and don't hink I slept a hour last night, this crap bothers me, I get so mad when people around here wound deer and here I did it,[i know it happens but usuualy becouse of long shots or no practice]I have went through the shot a million times and it was perfect,I think I just hit a little high, she has to be out in that field somewere, rememebring the shot it was 3/4 way up the chest and perfect behind the shoulder,I could not of missed the lung,she should of had blood, I guess I will find out in a hour, will let you know!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punkinslinger Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 Good luck........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 Good luck finding her Bret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 hope you find her Brett--good luck this morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m gardner Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 If you hit 3/4 up the body on the shoulder you hit above all the vitals and didn't catch the artery under the spine from the sounds of it. This happens to all of us on occasion. She'll probably heal up. Did that very same thing last year on my first coues. He was uphill too which means the arrow exited even higher. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirage Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 If you hit 3/4 up the body on the shoulder you hit above all the vitals and didn't catch the artery under the spine from the sounds of it. This happens to all of us on occasion. She'll probably heal up. Did that very same thing last year on my first coues. He was uphill too which means the arrow exited even higher. Mark I think he is right about this. There is a spot up higher in the front quarter of the deer just below the spin that a arrow can gothrough and sometimes not kill the animal I know it sounds crazy but true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sureshot Posted September 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 it is true, I seen her this am, nearly got another shot at her got to within 50 yards, you could clearly see the spot were she was hit, a bit high, right in line, she acted totally normal with no blood on the coat,could of shot 10 does going there, they were all over, serched for a good hour and she came back into the same draw I shot her in last night and surprized me as she came around the corner, they spot on the exit side is a bit higher than I thought, must of been uphill a bit, looks just like a pice of hair the size of a golf ball missing, the other side you could hardly see just messed up a bit and it looks lower, she was 50 yards soI got a good look, she was a huge doe to, I am glad she is ok, just hope not in to much pain, I am totally amazed at this, I have shot a few high before and always caught the top of the lungs,not alot of blood for usually 100 yards then a ton and find her soon, but they act different when hit in the lungs,this one did not do anything I ever seen when she was hit, she sort of hunched a bit[as if ducking] and I did not hear a loud thwack, I guess I need to ground myself for screwing up, I just hate making a bad shot and even though I thought it was a good shot it was not so to ground myself no free time till hunting season is over, work ,all other daylight hours will be hunting, no slacking off!!!!!!! Thanks guys, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punkinslinger Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 At least your mind is at ease as to what happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VermontHunter Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 Sounds very much like a shot I took a few years back. When I hit the deer I was sure I made a decent shot, there was decent blood, but could never find that deer, even with tracking dogs. This made me start to second guess where my shot hit, and how I took the shot... but I'm dead sure I made a good shot now and just chalked it up to one of those unexplainable hunting things... ;) Good luck with the next one, and enjoy the meal .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnf Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 If you hit 3/4 up the body on the shoulder you hit above all the vitals and didn't catch the artery under the spine from the sounds of it. This happens to all of us on occasion. She'll probably heal up. Did that very same thing last year on my first coues. He was uphill too which means the arrow exited even higher. Mark Did the same thing last year with a nice buck shooting from the ground. No hair, no blood, no trail, no deer after looking for 4 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirage Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 I would think most bowhunters in time will have this problem I know I have and hope not to again. good luck this season and I hope she gives you another shot, as Im sure she will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearClaw Posted September 14, 2008 Report Share Posted September 14, 2008 It happens and that fact that it bothers you so much is a sign that you are a very ethical hunter. I shot a doe last year and she just trotted off for about 40 yds, layed down and rolled over dead in about 3-4 minutes. When I dound her I had shot her in the hind quarter and happen to hit her in the artery and she bled out. I felt awful. I hate to wound an animal and all that practice all spring and summer and that's the best I could do? But as the good people on this forum told me, it happens so don't beat yourself up over it. At least you found out that she's okay. Maybe you'll get a chance to finish what you started! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.