Broken broadhead

Gunny2professor

Six Pointer
Gunny, those last 2 posts are no bueno.

You never, Never, NEVER take a shot at a deer with something you’ve never tested. You had no idea where that bolt was going when you pulled the trigger, you were just hoping it was the same as a field point, and it rarely is.

Quartering to shots with a bow, are best left to hunters with far more experience than you’ve displayed. Find accurate anatomical drawings and know them back, forth, up, and down.

As far as tracking, well that’s a whole nother subject. Suffice to say, someone that pokes a hole in deer...quits at dark...and doesn’t go back the next day...probably needs to think long and hard about poking a hole in another one.

Losing a deer sucks, but experience is a helluva teacher.
Just my .02.
Thanks for the info. Experience is what I'm gaining, as this is my first full season.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
gunny you mention going to a gun.
the same thing can occur there.
no deer no blood, maybe even more likely with a gun.
Google recovering a deer and gleam info from there on how to handle the next one.

FWIW you had perfect circumstances to use a tracking dog.
many times those efforts are hindered by excessive hunter and buddy trampling thru the woods for hrs before the dog is brought in. you hadnt done that so a dog would have had ideal help conditions.

i doubt anyone posting in the thread hasnt lost a deer but they all wouldnt wish that on anyone and want to help you avoid it.
after your google investigations you'll see where to improve your odds next time and i wont be surprised at all if you dont find this one.

Good Luck!
 

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
Thanks for the info. Experience is what I'm gaining, as this is my first full season.
Don’t give up(y). Get some better broadheads, because those are made outta tin foil. Make sure they shoot straight, then sharpen them before you hunt em.

Broadside shots, or slightly quartered away. Aim low, but not to low.

A bright led flashlight will blood trail. Led mini mag will do in a pinch and not break the bank. When in doubt, call the dog!
 

GSOHunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Rage has tips that you can buy that include a practice tip. I get the crossbow zeroed in with field tips then switch to the practice tip. I use the same weight field tip as the broadhead so it is within a couple inches. We have all lost deer before. Just need to make the effort to find it. Doesn't hurt to bring out your own dog to check it out.

One time I spent an hour looking for blood. My dog was able to find it in a few seconds once I brought him out. Once we found the spot there was blood everywhere from that point.
 

Hunting Nut

Old Mossy Horns
If we hunt long enough, all of us will lose an animal. The biggest take away from this experience is this.... Quartering to you is not a viable shot for most bow hunters or crossbow hunters. Broadside or (my favorite) quartering away with an arrow or bolt. Bows can and will kill with quartering to shots but, it takes steady nerves and a very good shot placement with thorough knowledge of location of bones and organs.
Keep hunting, Gunny. I hope you have better luck in the future !
 

Gunny2professor

Six Pointer
If we hunt long enough, all of us will lose an animal. The biggest take away from this experience is this.... Quartering to you is not a viable shot for most bow hunters or crossbow hunters. Broadside or (my favorite) quartering away with an arrow or bolt. Bows can and will kill with quartering to shots but, it takes steady nerves and a very good shot placement with thorough knowledge of location of bones and organs.
Keep hunting, Gunny. I hope you have better luck in the future !
Thanks for the words of wisdom!
 

Helium

Old Mossy Horns
Gunny definitely keep learning and moving ahead BUT the game we pursue deserves the respect of giving it all we have to make sure we recover them.

Besides the deer possibly being dead.. YOU missed out on the best learning one can get = experience.

Tracking deer is a learned art/skill... BUT you can’t learn if you don’t track them.

I’ve personally recovered deer that I thought were a lost cause. Even found perfectly shot deer with Blackpowder that never spilt a speck of blood.

Ps I’ve also lost deer that to this day puzzle me... looked like a red paint bucket poured through the woods and then suddenly stops. No deer found even after hours (yes hours) of grid searching
 

JoeSam1975

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
gunny you mention going to a gun.
the same thing can occur there.
no deer no blood, maybe even more likely with a gun.
Google recovering a deer and gleam info from there on how to handle the next one.

FWIW you had perfect circumstances to use a tracking dog.
many times those efforts are hindered by excessive hunter and buddy trampling thru the woods for hrs before the dog is brought in. you hadnt done that so a dog would have had ideal help conditions.

i doubt anyone posting in the thread hasnt lost a deer but they all wouldnt wish that on anyone and want to help you avoid it.
after your google investigations you'll see where to improve your odds next time and i wont be surprised at all if you dont find this one.

Good Luck!

It can definitely happen with a gun also. Killed one last Friday that ran a circle back towards the stand thru the woods and I saw him fall. Only blood was where he fell.
 

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
I highly doubt you got 4 inches of penetration, the blood on the arrow has the look of blood that came out and landed on arrow as blood came out of the wound just after it hit, I'd need to look closer but it does not look rubbed or brushed onto arrow like would happen if you got 4 inches penetration and deer ran. Can't assume blood shows depth. You could hit 1 lung or even large vessels near heart with 4 inches on broadside deer through low shoulder, but not so much on a quartering to deer through shoulder. You hit solid bone so broadhead didn't have much chance, you need even more penetration to get vitals with quartering shots, everything about this says a shoulder hit with less then 4 inch penetration, and likely no lung. I know it was accidental but it's why quartering to shots are discouraged and nobody should intentionally aim shoulder with bow no matter what arrow weight, not saying it hasn't worked for someone just not good practice. Also like others have said you gotta put more work into finding the deer, dog then grid search, do not grid search before dog.

Put your cameras out, that deer is alive today.

Added couple anatomy pictures just for reference. Also notice how low the backbone goes on a deer.
84b289cf3cce354e01031b4985855d4f.jpg
7f53050d6a86a7bdb47cf54e9a4a144d.jpg


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