The Missing 8 Pointer

[X500Terminator]

The Disappering 8pt:Archery Talk Member PM
Posted my X500Terminator for shot placement information.

Not really sure where to start, this was Almost the most exciteing day of hunting Iv'e ever had. I'll just start with the shot. This nice 8pt gave me a perfect broad side shot at 12 yards. I was hunting maybe 18 to 20 ft up. From the way the shot looked I hit him right center of his rib cage, where I was aiming. I seen blood when the arrow hit, and that at least the fletching side of my arrow was still in as he ran off. I sat maybe 40min, before getting down. I looked at the spot where I shot, found good blood, no hair. I walked down the trail the way he went about 10 yards there was blood the whole way, on the ground and on the brush about 2 foot high. I turned right around, and left out to go get a buddy to come help me get my deer. I new for sure he wouldn't be far. I came back about maybe 30min later. We at first did not follow the trail, blood for blood, I was looking for my deer down. Walked down the trail he should have taken, about 100 yards are so, no deer. So we start at the begining, found some of the arrow about 25 yards from the shot. From nock down past flecthing a
bout 10 inches of arrow and it was broke, covered in blood with little
bubbles like it had been spray painted, and also the middle of the
arrow about 10 inches also, covered in bubbley blood, didn't find the
broad head side of the arrow with the 100gr 3 blade Muzzy. From there
followed a good blood trail, with some little chucks of lung or liver,
for about 50 yards, then came to a long, and he turned, went into some
thick stuff, slightly up hill. He made a little loop in it, and right
at the edge of this thick stuff, comeing back out is where the blood
stopped. I walked in every direction from there, even on my hands and
knees, in all that thick stuff, walked a near by creek with very little
water in it,which is about a 100 yards dead ahead of his last blood,
which is flat an open in there. Then went back to the thick stuff which
is up hill, a ridge really. Looked high and low, in it. Me and two
other guys looked 6 hrs for him. Didn't find him.
I shoot a 70# bow with 29 inch 2413 alumium arrows.
Oh well,,,,,,,Thanks so much!

Reply:X500Terminator

Yes!Its very disapointing losing a deer an we all have went through it
as bowhunters.However I will ease your mind an explain to you as
clearly as possible what went wrong.

The arrow hit barely over the top of the lungs an under his backbone.
The arrow lodged high in the far leg.The only thing that could stop a
muzzy from a 70lb pull from not getting a pass through would have to be
solid bone.This is where the far upper leg comes in.Also you could see
the fletching.only connecting with a solid bone could allow this.

As the deer moved down the trail the arrow broke from being attached to
his upper leg.The broadhead remained stuck in the bone an may work
itself free later.

The bubbles on the shaft can indecate a lung hit but not nessary.Your
arrow cut some large blood vessel in the far shoulder which most likely
caused this.

I'll explain what happened when you took the shot.When you looked down
from 20 feet up at the deer 12yds out an seen your arrow impact dead
center your arrow hit high.Let be explain this to you.Lets say he was
at the base of the tree.If you shot it dead center you would hit the
back bone.'Right'!When a deer is 15yds or less out from a tree you have
to aim lower when sitting at 20 feet.The other option is to set at 15
feet.Now you are at a better angle.Its not nessary however for I sit a
20 feet all the time an shoot low when he's close.

Conclusion:There's a 50-50 chance the deer lived.Here's how to up your
odds the next time around.Unless you have the bloody arrow in hand an
its covered with lung/heart wait 4hrs before moving in the direction of
the deer.If you follow a deer that your not 100% sure its hit well it
will run into the next country when it see's you coming.There will be
very little blood if any to follow....Hang tough!..bowhunting is a very
rewarding an learning experience.

Brian

[DeerSearch]

Brian, you are so right !!! I spend alot of time with hunters when things go wrong and THEIR BIGS MITAKE IS TRACKING THE DEER TO SOON. Everyone say wate a hour well if its shot good they will go down quick but if not they or most deer will bed or lie down until you make the move so why make it harder. not sure if you state has dog tracker you might want to look into it check out [url]www.deersearch.org , we help hunter like your self. hate to here story like this , sometime we can help.. mike

[Zemmer18]

Had this happen to me this year. Here is my story from another forum I frequent.

Called in sick this morning *cough, cough* coming down with buck fever. Made it to the stand by 5:45.

It started sprinkling a little and the squirrels were starting to thrash in the leaves so my eyes and neck are sore from trying to make out a deer in every direction. Then I hear something behind me. I peek back to my left and here comes a buck less than 40 yards heading right to me. I get my bow which is on that side of the tree, and he keeps coming. My leg and arm start shaking furiously so I tilt my head back wards as to not focus on his headgear. About 10 seconds later he is right under me and I am only 8 feet off the ground. He moves cautiously out into the field edge and knows something isn't right. I let him continue past me and see he was headed for the scrape which is 20 yards from my tree. I am turning slowly as he is walking past and I get into position. I start to draw and he stops at 12 to 15 yards so I continued my fluent motion and got it all the way back. I settled the pin but forgot my anchor point and I squeezed my release. THWAP!!! I hit high above the shoulder but he took off through the field with my arrow sticking out of him.

As I watched him all I could see was that white wrap and feathers on my arrow and he headed back into the woods to the right of my stand. I lost sight of him and the other 2 deer that were coming down at about 70 yards. I checked my watch and it was 6:44am. It's been 3 hours so I am giving it one more hour and then I am going to pick up the trail. I did check the field edge and saw some bright red blood just before he darted back in the woods. My old man and neighbor are going to join me. I pray this works out and hope to have pics up real soon. Oh by the way, I believe he is an 8pt and by far my largest deer ever with any weapon and my second buck with the bow. Wish me luck!!

Well it sickens me to be posting this but my efforts along with my father and neighbor were unsuccessful. Long story short, found the arrow broken off about 20 yards after I lost sight of him. Found marginal blood here and there. Pushed a larger area that he headed into and came across fresh blood 2 hours into the search. Tracked that blood for another 4 hours up and down hills and through thick pines and such. Started raining hard and kept looking for another hour after dark but no luck. Rained all night as well. Marked the trail where we last had blood so gonna try one last ditch effort after work today. Will have about 2 hours of daylight so we'll see what happens but I have a bad feeling about this still. DIdn't sleep a wink last night.


I actually shot at 6:44am and did not pick up the trail until 11:45am that same day with my father. He could not get there before that due to an appointment. The weirdest part was that the deer never bedded down like I thought he would. WHen we picked up the fresh blood 2 hours into tracking him, the blood had pretty much disappeared and I found the trail again about 60 yards past last blood when I first lost it. After that he was blowing clots out the opening in him and it was spraying everywhere. We never found a bed or puddles where it could've laid down. I know I hit high but did not know the opposite shoulder was the culprit in my scenario. Thank You for the information.