Are all shots to the lungs the same?

[BackWoodsHunter]

Couple questions about lung hit deer out of curiosity.

How long can a deer hit in one lung live would you think?

How would they react after the shot, say they take off running do they tip over dead, even hit with one lung? Do they wander around and go about their business and recover?

What about a deer hit across the top of the longs or just clipped on the back of the lungs? I've heard a deer hit high and back just catching the lungs can go a long ways. Why is that?

What more do you know about lung hit deer that you could share with me? Obviously a broadside shot through both lungs with a pass through is a good deal but what if its not that ideal, ya know?

[Brandon]

1 lung deer can live... forever. As in they may or may not die from that shot. Most humans and animals can live with 1 lung.

a double lung deer will die.... in minutes. How long can they hold there breath for?

[GRFox]

One lung deer frequently live. All of these "perfect" shots you hear about, a lot of them are one lungers. Deer hit in parts of the gut can recover and live as well depending on where in the guts and what was hit.

[dan]

One lung hit deer "can" survive... But I beieve only a few do. They can die fast, or die slow depending on where in that one lung you hit them. I lot of blood flows to the lungs and severing the right arteries will do him in. I have seen single lung bucks go down within 100 yards, seen them last several days, weeks, and a couple years back I shot a buck that only had one lung and had survived a one lung hit from the year before...
As far as the comment about gut hit deer surviving? I have never heard of deer surviving a gut hit... Stomach or intestines is what I consider guts, and if either is punctured into the blood stream they die from the toxins getting into there blood stream. Im not sure if its possible not to die, but I have never heard of one living from it.

[Spysar]

My experience with one lung hits. Deer can go 600 to 800 yards, more if pushed. Usually fatal. Rare, but sometimes one lung can live. Also usually a one lung hit is associated with a high treestand angle. If no pass through, blood will be hard to come by. A very hard bloodtrail. Sometimes a passthrough shot will come out where there is belly fat. If fat comes out a low exit hole, it will harden in seconds which will help plug the hole. Might wanna give a one lung hit some time before tracking.

And remember, there is no"void".

[JV NC]

I'm trying to (after removing the below photo from my 11/8 buck this year) imagine a scenario where a single lung hit deer lives........past a short time. Unless it's a grazing shot (lung), I just can't do it.

My 11/8 buck was alive 15.5hrs after being hit. The entrance hole was right behind the shoulder. The arrow went through the rt. lung and missed the heart.

I'm not saying it's not possible for them so survive. I don't know. I hear a lot of things. But, the trauma was beyond anything I can imagine something living through. My deer DID have a BH and part of a shaft in him (up in his brisket). Even still, it's hard to imagine him living much longer than he did.

Interesting topic.

[Dor]

I have never witnessed the one lung get-a-way.

In my experiences, high lung shot deer go down quicker.

[muddy]

If you get a cut on both lungs that deer is done in less than a minute 98% of the time regardless of where you're hitting them in the lungs.

One lungs vary, heard stories where they go 100 yards, stories where they go 3 days. Most times they require another arrow.

[Stanley]

Never had a 2 lung hit deer get away.

[Schultzy]

I have never witnessed the one lung get-a-way.

Makes 2 of us. My brother one lunged his buck he shot this year. He sliced the back of the lung and watched It tip over 100 yards away. It took all of 20 seconds for him to die. I've also seen a doe fawn live almost 24 hours on a one lung hit. In some non recoveries I think allot of people assume they hit one lung (top of the lung) when In deed they shot over the spine and hit loins.

[Dor]

I have never witnessed the one lung get-a-way.

Makes 2 of us. My brother one lunged his buck he shot this year. He sliced the back of the lung and watched It tip over 100 yards away. It took all of 20 seconds for him to die. I've also seen a doe fawn live almost 24 hours on a one lung hit. In some non recoveries I think allot of people assume they hit one lung (top of the lung) when In deed they shot over the spine and hit loins.

I agree. I have had a dozen or so 1 lungers take some time to die, but all left excellent sign to follow and were not hard recoveries.

[Arrowbender]

I can't imagine that a 1 lung hit deer can live. The lung is a primary organ w lots of blood flowing through it. Deer don't suffocate from being hit in the lungs, they bleed to death.
I have to think that most BH's would cause lethal damage to any part of the lung, but I have to agree w DOR that a high hit seems to cause the fastest death. I believe that this is due to the proximity to the main artery that feeds both lobes. The closer you hit to that artery the faster it loses blood.
The picture below shows a doe I killed several years ago that I would have believed to be a perfect shot; but I ended up having to slit it's throat. The autopsy showed that neither lung was penetrated although both had a minor laceration on the "skin" of the lung lobes. Luckily I had also hit the liver. She was still alive after 2+ hrs.
I consider this a very rare occurrence to have an arrow pass through the thoracic cavity without puncturing a lung.
I wish I could find the picture of the lungs that I took.

[BackWoodsHunter]

Some great pictures and great info thanks guys.

I hit a deer doe fawn last night. I have 8hours into tracking it and my buddy helped for 3.5 as well. I bumped the doe fawn and the momma doe 3 times today in the same 5 acre wood lot. They stand up look at me and walk away. I never had my bow I assumed my one lung hit deer would be dead it was just a matter of finding it. The final encounter I was checking blow downs and they stood up within 20yards looked at me and casually browsed their way off. I checked the two dry beds and found one had a half dollar size spot of goopy pink/red blood. In it. The fawn was limping slightly. Based on the shot I have no idea how she is alive 24hrs later. She did whatever she did in the night and we tracked her til the trail went completely dry. Woke up to rain this morning. Bumped them from 3 different beds. How she laid down all day and didn't stiffen up and die is beyond me. I am heading out in the morning hoping to finish this and will have a pretty good story and pics to share. If I can't make this right I won't speak of it again and probably hang it up for awhile.

[Brad]

I have never witnessed the one lung get-a-way.

In my experiences, high lung shot deer go down quicker.

The buck I shot this year I hit high and back in the lungs, the arrow was absolutely soaked, great blood for the first 20 yards, and then it was hands and knees for 30 yards, and then no blood for the last 20-25 yards which is when I walked up on him and he was already stiff (took me 90 minutes to find him). I don't know if I have ever seen a deer so relaxed at the shot, he jumped, and walked and I saw him walk 20 yards before he got over the knoll and died. The blood trail was not great, but getting him was no fun, there was blood EVERYWHERE!

[GRFox]

One lung hit deer "can" survive... But I beieve only a few do. They can die fast, or die slow depending on where in that one lung you hit them. I lot of blood flows to the lungs and severing the right arteries will do him in. I have seen single lung bucks go down within 100 yards, seen them last several days, weeks, and a couple years back I shot a buck that only had one lung and had survived a one lung hit from the year before...
As far as the comment about gut hit deer surviving? I have never heard of deer surviving a gut hit... Stomach or intestines is what I consider guts, and if either is punctured into the blood stream they die from the toxins getting into there blood stream. Im not sure if its possible not to die, but I have never heard of one living from it.

Not factual but I do remember reading it somewhere. After reading your post, I would change my statement, I may have mixed information.