http://www.deerhunting.ws/deeranatomy.htm

 

my buddy made a bad shot on a broadside unalert mule deer a couple years ago and shot it too far back. as the deer was running away he saw his arrow sticking out of the hind quarter with very little penetration and the deer ran out of site. after 20 minutes he decided to trail the deer and hope for another shot. he did not expect what he found. first off he found his broken arrow and a blood trail like none he had seen before. after following blood for about 100 yards he found the deer piled up and dead from a femoral artery hit. he wasn't proud of the shot location but was proud that it was his first critter with a stick n string laying in front of him just as dead as if he made a double lung shot.

 

I've killed two deer with femoral hits. One deflection and one was an unintended turn by the deer as I released (one that I should have thought better about before snapping the release).

I have never seen so much blood in so little distance...even with some very solid heart shots. One went all of 25 yards and the other went about 55. Looked like a horror movie.

It likely is not a good target to aim for....but if by chance...it's lethal in a very dramatic and fast fashion.

 

first deer with the bow was femoral hit. 40 yards and dropped.

 

I have heard stories of it being a bloody mess. but never seen one in person

 

I have never hit a femoral but hit the artery that runs below the spine. That was a bloody mess.

 

Femoral artery runs along the inside aspect of the femur--the thigh bone, or bone that runs through the hams. The femorals are forks off the dorsal aorta (large artery that runs along and just beneath the spine). We all have almost the identical anatomy--you can feel your pulse in the femoral if you press your thumb along the crease where your leg connects to your pelvis--closer to the centerline than to the outer side of your hips.

I shot a 180 lb hog last year--too far back, but the blade got either the dorsal aorta or one of the arteries going to the kidneys. Hog went about 80 yds and left a "Stevie Wonder" blood trail.

 

I've shot 2 deer in the hip-both arrows went to the fletch & both were deer that were in the process of swaping ends when I released. tons of blood & neither went over 25 yds....Lucky, yes.

 

My first bow kill was a bad hit, way to far back. Though I had a long night ahead of me, but much to my surprise, the deer piled up after 30yards!

 

i hit a doe last yr when i pulled a shot and hit her right in front of the hip. She went 10 feet and died.

 

That's insane!! As deadly as this shot is, I wonder why more don't take it. I personally have never takin the shot. But from the recovery rate the previous posters speak of I just think you would hear more about it

 

Because it's such a low % shot and a small target compared to the heart lung area. I hit a huge doe in the fem. art. the year before last after the arrow hit a twig and went off course right a dark. After seeing it was getting dark quick I climbed down and looked for my arrow when I found it broken in half and a blood trail an honest 1.5-2' wide heading behind some bushes. As soon as I saw the blood I said that deers dead right now. It made it maybe 50' after the shot and fall but the chance of missing such a small area compared to the much bigger heart/lung shot make it a super poor shot choice in my opinion.

 

The buck I shot last fall I hit the artery just to the side of the spine. Same one that feeds the femoral. He was about 6ft from the base of the tree. It was like I turned on a blood guyser! He went trotted about 20 yards and dropped. Didnt even twitch.

 

I saw a deer hit high on the top of the leg in the artery, by a friend who is not such a great shot. The doe ran only 30 yards before dropping, and wow what a massive blood trail. I would stick to the double lung shots though. Good hunting.

 

my friend has shot two in the femoral...what a blood trail is all i can say. lots of blood and not a very far tracking job.

 

My first deer when 15, was a femoral artery hit. She only went about 60 yards and dropped. It's located on the inside of the rear legs.

 

hitting that artery usually comes on accident and should never be intentionally shot for. hold up a pencil and try to hit that with ur arrow thats about what its like trying to hit that artery. its luck if you hit it. sits in the rear part of the ham. i have seen 1 deer hit there he ran right into a tree and made it 40 yards

 

Ive never hit a deer in the hams like that but I have seen others do it with pretty good success. I wounldn't ever try this shot on purpose but it seems to be lethal.

 

like others have said...IF you hit it, then the deer is dead, 100% of the time. Just too much chance of not hitting it, then you very possibly just have a wounded deer...Plus, the less meat I can screw up with the shot, the better.

 

Thats what I was getting ready to add. You will loose a lot if not all of the ham that you hit. on the large doe I hit in the F.A it was quite a bit of meat that went to waste.

 

My best friend got his first buck with a bow on a femoral artery hit. He expected him to stop when he grunted but he kept walking and he rushed the shot. He was kicking himself for making a bad shot while I was watching this buck start to wobble after going 30 yards. All I can say is I have never seen that much blood tracking a deer. Pools and pools of blood and 100 yards later, there was his buck. Wouldn't recommend it but it's a good place to miss.

 

thanks guys i was just wondering not a good spot to aim for but i have seen alot of bad shots and they do happen more then people say or think