Missed Opportunity on a IL Giant

[AceArcher]

Saturday morning was perfect mornings in the woods after 2 days of much needed rain here in Il. At 6:50 I had a 160 inch 10 or 12 point come in on me pretty quick following a series of doe bleats. I drew back and waited for the giant to clear into a small opening in some thick stuff he was walking thru. I had to bend down and released on what I thought was a 100% done deal at about 17 yards. Little did I realize that there was some small branches that deflected my arrow a few inches low for a missed shot (later found out that I shaved some white hair off the belly). The buck bolted forward about 10 yards and now was parked directly under me as a reached for an arrow. As I knocked and started to pull back on the 2nd shot he was trying to fugure out what I was and took off. When I came to full draw said "baaa!!" as loud as a could. He put the brakes on and turned back to offer me a quartering shot at about 20 yards...I centered the pin and let'er fly. As he loped up the hill I coudl see the arrow sticking out of his side 1/2 in 1/2 out.

I knew I had made a marginal hit that could either be lethal within 100 or so yards or become a real nightmare. Unfortunalty, the later was true. After a 4 hour wait we headed into the woods and found the arrow about 75 yards from my stand. Good lung blood about 10 inches up with splatter in the reast of the arrow and fletches. However, after tracking him for more about 500 yards we had no deer and finally lost blood. I figure I most have caught the top of one lung and he finally closed up. I am just sick and this is the 2nd year in a row that I have done this. We did a grid search today in the thicket year we had last blood but no deer. In that thicket there was blood all over the 4 foot high weed and gras so but not much on the ground. My brother is laid off so he is going in tommorow to look a couple other places.

Either I hope he finds him or I am praying that this deer is still alive and will be able to live and heal up on this marginal hit. I am just sick with myself...I know it happen to us all but this being 2 years in a row it has me real down. I wish I was posting pics but instead I am posting this.

[Bowtech_archer07]

If you were finding blood up high, it could be that the arrow lodged in the off shoulder and you only have an entrance wound up higher on the body. If this is the case, the deer could have bled out internally and it will just take looking to find him. I would say at best you caught 1 lung and liver since he ran over 500 yards. That can be and usually is a lethal hit, but I hit a 1 lung and liver deer this year, trailed her for 200 yards and never found her. The fact that you had blood for 500 yards in encouraging though. I hope your brother is able to find him tomorrow. If it is a really thick thicket it will be tough but best of luck to you and keep us updated.

[hoosierhunter]

a lung AND liver hit is 100% fatal no doubt. I don't think that is what you hit becuase he would have bedded down sooner if it was a liver hit. Simply put, 4 hours isn't enough time on a marginally hit deer.

I don't think you hit one lung because he would have been spraying out his nose as well as the wound.

I'm guessing that you gut shot him and maybe hit liver to have blood for 500 yards. The wierd part is that normally a guy shot deer would plug up from his guts way before that.

The only other hit I can think of would be kidneys and I have no idea how quick that puts a buck down.

In general you can figure the only way for a animal to live from a hit is a leg wound that doesn't penetrate the body or a extrememly high hit that is far back that doesn't hit the intestinal area. There atomically is no such thing as a dead spot above the lungs yet you hear people say it all the time.

Wish I had better news

[wtnhunt]

That is too bad Ace. Hope you or your brother find the deer. Sounds like it was a real nice one.

[ilhnter]

Hoosier, there is a "dead area" above the lungs and below the spine that you can hit and not hit lungs or the spine and the deer will heal up and live. The only reason I know this is because I've hit it. I shot a doe a couple years ago and hit her high. The was no blood on my arrow, just fat. I thought I maybe just grazed the top of her. Two weeks later my brother killed her. Like I said she was hit right below the spine just behind the front shoulder and the wound on both sides of her body were healed up pretty good and had no infections that we could see. When we gutted her out there was no damage done to her lungs or any other organs. She was with a few other deer and was moving just fine, so the wound wasn't affecting her. I was with my brother the night he killed her so I saw all of this first hand, so it is possible.

[hoosierhunter]

Just in case anyone needs proof it doesn't exist, here's a deer and deer hunting article.......Note the author as well....

http://deeranddeerhunting.com/article/the-truth-about-deer-lungs

[layin on the smackdown]

a lung AND liver hit is 100% fatal no doubt. I don't think that is what you hit becuase he would have bedded down sooner if it was a liver hit. Simply put, 4 hours isn't enough time on a marginally hit deer.

I don't think you hit one lung because he would have been spraying out his nose as well as the wound.

Ace....Man o man am i sorry to hear this story. I know it happens, and i really hope there is a brighter end to it.

Hoosier...I agree with your first statement that a liver and lung shot is 100% fatal, however, i will strongly disagree with your statement regarding him bedding down sooner...A mature rutting or even half rutting (or somtimes even not rutting mature buck) will and can run for their lives and for a very long distance before bedding down, if at all. But i will gladly agree again with your statement about 4 hours not being enough time...I agree 100% for sure...That deer should have been left alone all night or at least a good 7-10 hours before starting to track him. I will also strongly disagree again with your statement regarding blood coming out of the nose and mouth with a one lung marginal hit...A year ago i would have agreed, however, this year i smoked a big mature doe and hit her way to far forward with a small quartering away shot...ive never seen so much blood come pouring down a front leg in my life...I originally thought that maybe i hit her low, but after the inspection of my arrow and the realization that she still had my broadhead and a half inch of my arrow burried in her, i knew i hit her too far forward...We decided not to even track her and backed out and came back 5 hours later to find

nothing but lung blood on the ground...she was piled up in a bedding area with absolutely no blood on, in or around her mouth....within 80 yds of where id shot her...Not sure as to why she had no blood around her mouth or nose, but when i gutted her i found the front of one lung pulverized from the blades and arrow shaft cutting into her...

Ace, as far as the quartering shot, you didn't specify whether it was a quartering to or quartering away....Regardless, good luck in your search and i hope there is light at the end of this tunnel.

dan

[magnatecsteve]

Thing is, nobody knows why some deer drop even on marginal shots, and some go on for miles. As far as the zone above the lung, yup, its called the "backstrap". Not a lethal hit. I hit a doe one year, 15 yds quartering away, put it right in the pocket. She bucked like a mule and took off. I got down and found the arrow and blood. I left to go to a buddies house to give her some time. Went back an hour and half later, followed the massive blood trail which had two spots where there were large puddles. Then she went onto a neighboring property, so I had to get permission to track her there. By time I picked the trail back up it was nearly 2 hrs. She made it to a cattail thicket by a pond. I was sure she was in there dead. As soon as I started into the cattails, I heard something run out, I backed out and there she was, staring at me with blood stained sides, then she ran off with her tail waving..... If your deer was hit way back, look around water if there is any. They get really dehydrated with gut shots. Good luck, hope you find your deer!

[SaskSniper]

ManI feel your pain, trust me. First off during archery mule deer in September this year it was near last night and I had a smaller buck come in to my blind probably about 30 yards away. To stop him we had to grunt so he was looking right at us when I shot. At the shot he jumped the string and I heard the hit. The buck took off out of sight. We went to look for blood and nothing. Found my arrow and it was coated in blood and it wasnt a gut shot. We left him that night, came back the next day, couldnt find any blood, did a grid search and nothin. I think when he jumped the string I went in "no mans land" above the lungs and below the spine. I felt just sick, I hate that feeling but it is part of hunting.

Then a couple weeks ago I thought I would make the bow my priority and leave the rifle behind. My uncle had been getting pics of a big bodied 4x4 that we figured would score in the low 140's. So I sat there a couple nights with plenty of smaller bucks comin in but I was holding out for the bigger guy. The one night he can past quick chasing a doe but never stopped for a shot. Then the last night of my hunt there he came. Right infront of me, 25 yards broadside looking the other way. I was so excited and my heart was going to blow out of my chest. I drew back and quickly let an arrow fly. I went from a high to a low as I saw my arrow hit high above the lungs. The buck took off and we backed out till morning. I knew exactly what I did, I was so excited I rushed the shot. Initially I thought I may have hit the top of the lungs but we came back the next morning, no blood. Found my arrow about 150 yards from where I hit him and after that, still no blood. Once again I hit him in that "no man's land." A few days after I shot him my uncle once again had trail cam pictures of him and he was lookin fine. A couple days ago my uncle sent me an email, my cousin had shot my buck with the rifle. He grossed 137 and they found the entry hole of my arrow about 4 inches from the top of his back.

Talk about being on a low. 2010 hasnt been a great archery year for me hitting two bucks and not getting either. My confidence level isnt too great right now but I know ill bring it back up. Im still pretty new to archery and this year has definitely been a learning experience for myself. I cant wait to come back next year with a vengence! So ya I know how you feel man, the bucks I shot werent as big as yours but the feeling is still there. Best of luck to you in the future!

[AceArcher]

Well guys thanks for all the advice and nice words. The buck was quartering away with his right side exposed however he was more to me than away from me if that makes any sense. No chance this was a gut or liver shot. It was in a real good spot right behind the shoulder but a little high.

The real leason here is you don't miss from 15 yards wide open on the first shot. I am still sick about it.

The deer might have expired or could very well have lived. I can't do any more looking b/c it is gun season but I will go out and look in some spots for the carcass after gun season. I would rather see him alive in the morning and pop him with my 20 gauge and be done with this emotional roller coaster.

I guess some of you are more patient than I. I have shot alot of deer and this deer might have been dead within 75 yards. I shot a 9 pointer october 3rd with almost the same hit and the died within 100 yards of my stand...you just never know.

Edited December 3, 2010 by AceArcher

[Buckeyenut]

Some deer hits are just puzzling! This past Saturday, during shotgun season, my brother jumped a buck that just didn't seem right. It ran out about 70 yards and stopped. So, he shot it, and it piled up. When he got to the buck he rolled it over and a crossbow bolt was sticking out of it! It was hit just above the shoulder and had been in there quite a while it seemed. No blood trail or blood in its bed! We were shocked that that particular hit wasn't lethal immediately! I can't explain it, but deer do have an amazing ability/will to survive- so nothing really surprises me. Heck, look at some of the freak puncture wound type of accidents that people survive.

Sorry this has happened to you two years in a row, but keep after it!

[wildthing]

In my opinion, that deer is dead...no doubt. The million dollar question is simply, "where at"?

I once about 5 years ago made a 10 yard shot on a buck, down through its neck and into its chest cavity. It was Nov 2nd in PA and the rut was on. From the moment of impact...I saw blood...his coat was covered in blood...and I had a great blood trail. However, it took me and two others 2 days to find this deer.... 2.5 miles from where i shot him. The funny thing is...I gave him almost 5 hours before we even went to begin looking...never jumped the deer once...he just had it in him to go despite what ended up becoming a fatal shot. If 1/2 your arrow is in his body...your broadhead will be slicing away at internal soft organs...this deer will bleed out from the inside.

If you want to recover this deer...my only advice is summed up in one word: Perserverance.

Good luck!

Edited December 10, 2010 by wildthing

[AceArcher]

You are likely right. The buck is likely dead...however...like you said it could really be a needle in a haystack. You win some and you lose some!!