Possibly lost one this morning

Kane_b

Six Pointer
Shot one about 9 am high, arrow stayed in, dark- light blood alot clotted up ever so often. It ran so far, up a ridge, down a ridge, across a creek and i lost all blood in pine thicket. First deer with a bow but can’t figure out what else to do. Cant find arrow but i know it buried deep, I watched the lumenok. What do i do, i looked past the last tiny drop and circled around a lot but no deer or any more blood. High behind shoulder for sure.
 

ABBD

Ten Pointer
Contributor
Shot one about 9 am high, arrow stayed in, dark- light blood alot clotted up ever so often. It ran so far, up a ridge, down a ridge, across a creek and i lost all blood in pine thicket. First deer with a bow but can’t figure out what else to do. Cant find arrow but i know it buried deep, I watched the lumenok. What do i do, i looked past the last tiny drop and circled around a lot but no deer or any more blood. High behind shoulder for sure.

It’s likely a non lethal hit... check with dog trackers as others have said. However, if you ever doubt your shot placement

... time is your friend.
 

DBCooper

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
It’s likely a non lethal hit... check with dog trackers as others have said. However, if you ever doubt your shot placement

... time is your friend.

I’m sorry. If he saw the arrow bury in that deep, I’m not sure how you can say it’s a non-lethal hit.

My guess the deer’s laying dead somewhere.

Sorry you didn’t recover it.
 

ABBD

Ten Pointer
Contributor
I’m sorry. If he saw the arrow bury in that deep, I’m not sure how you can say it’s a non-lethal hit.

My guess the deer’s laying dead somewhere.

Sorry you didn’t recover it.

Like wise how can you say it was lethal? Unless I misread something.....a high hit deer can very well go unscathed. Arrow buried deep or not. I hope the deer is laying somewhere expired where the OP can recover it. However, high shots, especially forward/above shoulder can make for difficult or non recoveries.
 

Helium

Old Mossy Horns
Based on my experience (well over 100 archery-killed deer....and more non-recoveries than I’m comfortable with).

I agree it’s a lethal hit. I don’t understand the idea of “loin shots” between the spine and vitals. The looks rest on the spine so if it hit loin then it hit spine (trust me several spine shots have lost me tenderloin meat).

Besides the below pic is the horrible gut shot I made on the VA 8ptr last weekend and he died/was recovered 500 yards away

Ps. Don’t forget the arrow still in a deer is moving and cutting as the deer moves

D15A83AA-BFCD-4456-87E1-2610E817D05C.jpeg
 

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
I agree it’s a lethal hit. I don’t understand the idea of “loin shots” between the spine and vitals. The looks rest on the spine so if it hit loin then it hit spine (trust me several spine shots have lost me tenderloin meat).

Besides the below pic is the horrible gut shot I made on the VA 8ptr last weekend and he died/was recovered 500 yards away

Ps. Don’t forget the arrow still in a deer is moving and cutting as the deer moves

View attachment 34291
A mechanical broadhead left in a deer does very little cutting with movement

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
 

Kane_b

Six Pointer
Well I went back and went deep into the thicket with a buddy of mine about 100 yards from last spot of blood and could not find any blood much less a deer even with a dog. I hate that theres a deer dead that I am not using.
 

DBCooper

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Well I went back and went deep into the thicket with a buddy of mine about 100 yards from last spot of blood and could not find any blood much less a deer even with a dog. I hate that theres a deer dead that I am not using.

Don’t beat yourself up too long.

There are three categories of archery hunters:

1). Those who have lost an animal
2). Those who haven’t had enough opportunities
3). Liars

It’s healthy and commendable to be upset. Learn and move on.

Good luck to you the rest of the season.
 

old dog

Spike
Don’t beat yourself up too long.

There are three categories of archery hunters:

1). Those who have lost an animal
2). Those who haven’t had enough opportunities
3). Liars

It’s healthy and commendable to be upset. Learn and move on.

Good luck to you the rest of the season.
Thanks for a realistic summary. That helps new (and yet to shoot a deer)bow hunters like me deal with the "what ifs" that run through our heads. Remember, it will feed something if not you.
 

CAB

Button Buck
Sorry to hear about that but any bowhunter can tell you a horror story that has happened to them...if not I don't think they've been bowhunting long.
I'm originally from PA so dogs are not an option there.
What I learned ( yes from the hard way) is I look in the direction of travel and kinda let my eyes defocus and I look for the path of least resistance and start that direction. Next I look for a creek or creek bed and start to follow it downhill. Very seldom will they go uphill. When I cut a trail I will go on the downhill side for 50 yds or so and look for sign. If I don't see any I go back to my line I was following and continue the least resistance and water line. You will be surprised how many times you can cut the trail again
 

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
Sorry to hear about that but any bowhunter can tell you a horror story that has happened to them...if not I don't think they've been bowhunting long.
I'm originally from PA so dogs are not an option there.
What I learned ( yes from the hard way) is I look in the direction of travel and kinda let my eyes defocus and I look for the path of least resistance and start that direction. Next I look for a creek or creek bed and start to follow it downhill. Very seldom will they go uphill. When I cut a trail I will go on the downhill side for 50 yds or so and look for sign. If I don't see any I go back to my line I was following and continue the least resistance and water line. You will be surprised how many times you can cut the trail again
Dogs for Finding Wounded game in PA was legalized prior to this season thanks to Andy Bensing and many others who continued fighting for it.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I agree it’s a lethal hit. I don’t understand the idea of “loin shots” between the spine and vitals. The looks rest on the spine so if it hit loin then it hit spine (trust me several spine shots have lost me tenderloin meat).

The non-lethal shot you are describing is not between the spine and the vitals. It's above the spine. Count me in the "it may not be lethal camp".

IF an arrow enters the ribcage of a deer, inside the thoracic cavity it is usually fatal. Sooner or later. But a lot of "perfect" shots turn out to be a little high, and a "high" shot, is often really high. Outside of the ribcage, above the spine high. And that is not a lethal shot. Above the spinal cord is about 1" of spinal bone, and about 3-4 inches of muscle and vertical spinal processes. The spine also sits lower in the body in the shoulder region, and there is more non-lethal real estate there. That's why a slightly high hit there often results in a spinal hit.

"High" could be lethal or non-lethal depending on exactly how high it is. IME, hunters often underestimate how high shots are sometimes.
 

Kane_b

Six Pointer
Sorry to hear about that but any bowhunter can tell you a horror story that has happened to them...if not I don't think they've been bowhunting long.
I'm originally from PA so dogs are not an option there.
What I learned ( yes from the hard way) is I look in the direction of travel and kinda let my eyes defocus and I look for the path of least resistance and start that direction. Next I look for a creek or creek bed and start to follow it downhill. Very seldom will they go uphill. When I cut a trail I will go on the downhill side for 50 yds or so and look for sign. If I don't see any I go back to my line I was following and continue the least resistance and water line. You will be surprised how many times you can cut the trail again
Thats what I thought! It went up a ridge and along the backside to a creek then to thicket, i got about 50 yards in and lost it, crazy animals.
 

gremcat

Twelve Pointer
Don’t beat yourself up too long.

There are three categories of archery hunters:

1). Those who have lost an animal
2). Those who haven’t had enough opportunities
3). Liars

It’s healthy and commendable to be upset. Learn and move on.

Good luck to you the rest of the season.
That’s an awesome description for most hunters not just archery.

To the OP, the fact that it bothers you to have wasted life says a lot about your character and is an example of the values all Hunters should have.
 

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
Heres couple visual aids
bc8137b6805b4d66fc7aa5646696074f.jpg
fba4246f4cec13de33d0f8906bec7c42.jpg


Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
 
Top