Halloween buck hit update..

[mauser06]

Today I went back in and hunted about 50yds away...it's a major rut corridor...I figured even though i stomped around for a couple days it was worth another sit... especially with so many shooters on camera..


While sitting there something orange on the ground caught my eye...I hit it with binocs and couldn't believe it...my arrow!


I snuck down and grabbed it...





I'm not sure what to think...

It was probably 15ft or so to the LEFT of where he ran after the shot...and the hit was on his right side...

It's been my (limited) experience that shafts usually break somewhere near the body..just inside it or just outside it..

That's just over 3"...that is an extremely thick shaft..it's a .166" shaft so the walls are thick and I've found the shaft to be pretty dang tough..

Seems odd for 3" to break off...?



Checked the camera...hes not on it. I moved it down near where he bedded.

I did see tracks that sure looked like his near my spot...but hard to say for sure...he has big rounded hooves. Like 2 thumb prints.


Not sure if he's dead or alive...he has 23" of arrow and a 1 1/4" 4 blade in him...that broadhead has to be buried hard for him to break 3" of shaft off.

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[Outdoor814]

Boy that's aggravating!

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[nor' easter]

I really hope you find out what happened. I'm very curious to see. Is there a chance the broadhead made it all the way through the other side and the rest of the arrow worked it's way out?

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[JoeRE]

Yea can't say I have ever seen 3" of arrow break off before. But goes along with where you think you hit him - front edge of the shoulder. He lunged to take off and it snapped.

Def got a passthru unless he was straight on and you would have noticed that!

Also tells me the other part of the arrow almost had to have fallen out some where, that broadhead should have hooked on something and pulled it out at some point. Sometimes arrows get flung many feet off the trail when that happens.

[mauser06]

I wished I'd found him in a fresh enough state to see exactly what happened. It's killing me...



I really don't think it had an exit...blood was only ever out the right side.


The reason I believe the rest of the arrow is still in him (or was while I tracked). I believe I inadvertently pushed him from his 4th bed..it was blood free..but definitely his bed. When he left it he was in some nasty stuff..he started leaking good enough to follow another 250yds.

I'm 99% sure atleast 10" of arrow was sticking out when he ran by..I believe somewhere around a foot was lodged in him..




My buddy killed a giant earlier in the season..he actually made a similar hit but must have been lower..he had a pass through and was Infront of the shoulders...his buck went a half mile and died..he waited several hours to track..

It's interesting because his buck ran like mine and didn't stop...I have him on camera right after he was hit and it's nearly a half mile away and his buck died right beyond my camera..buddy didn't track him for 5 or 6 hours..


Mystery... frustrating...


I did take a doe on Tuesday...was getting ready to make a move and 2 came by..I needed some redemption...



She made it about 40yds. Just don't know what happened with the buck..I wish it was on video.."invisible" twig or he moved and I didn't see it...

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[JoeRE]

If your eyes were correct and the arrow busted way outside the deer, that is really weird! Anything is possible once in a blue moon tho.

Congrats on the doe. Hope that gave you some confidence back!

[mauser06]

Joe, I'm 99% sure...I crested all my arrows by hand and the same..99% sure the crest and atleast a couple inches were sticking out..the crest is 7" off the top of my head.


Really strange. That's a very heavy walled shaft...blood was always out the right side so pretty certain it didn't come out. A few buddies said he bit it off...but he never stopped...he ran like a bull...I'm pretty certain he didn't bed till that first bed in the field 500yds away...

In hindsight I think that may have been the perfect time to chase him off that bed...the way his head was swaying I really think that might have done him in...I think he laid there and healed up somewhat and moved to thicker cover and healed up more.. uncomfortable with a broadhead in him and bedded a few times....I jumped him off the last bed and the shaft hit brush and he bled a bit more...

Man I'd love to find him...




The doe definitely gave me confidence again...I kinda needed it..I was beating myself up...this year I shot a coyote with my bow and shortly before the buck I dropped a longbeard in his tracks...

When it comes to deer i need to start shooting differently and pick an actual spot...

I was pretty amazed I hit the doe as high as I did...I do believe she may have ducked as I had to stop her..it came out mid-chest..shot was also tight to the front shoulder...

I'm going to start moving rear of the front leg a smidge and holding lower and actually focusing on the SPOT not on everything as a whole..right now I noticed I put the pin where I want it and send it..but don't actually focus on exactly where the pin is..I put it relative to the big picture...hard to explain..works and is "instinctive" but I think that may be what burned me on the buck..

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[JoeRE]

Yep Mauser, I think that is a common issue.

I've done it too. Everyone probably has. Might be the MOST common reason for hitting a deer bad I am thinking.

We freak out, full of adrenaline and buck fever, just stick the pins on the front half of the deer and punch the trigger. I almost lost my early season buck last year because I did that. BARELY caught enough lung to kill it.

Pick a TINY spot on that chest and put your arrow through it!

Yea that is easy to say and hard to do, but when you achieve that mind set you become one really lethal killing machine.

[mauser06]

I think that's my issue...it's really my shooting style and how I train combat style shooting...fast and accurate enough...

I don't rush my shots and know what I'm doing...but that's exactly what I'm doing.. putting the pin on the center of the deer above the leg and sending it..

I have to change that...I'm a fairly decent shooter...that's why loosing a deer shot at 12yds is practically mind boggling and hurts so bad...

I keep a pretty clear head before the shot and not freaking out and flinging arrows. I've seen guys like that..I hunted next to a college...a deer came charging in...he drew and the arrow was gone...he told me it was a big buck and it wasn't in view long enough for me to even see antlers lol...he said he smoked it...I thought man...I must be doin something wrong...I couldn't even tell if it was a buck but he says it was a big buck and he smoked it at like 40yds. Long story short we couldn't find anything...no arrow...no blood...I don't know that he's ever killed a buck with a bow..

I'm glad I'm not THAT bad.


I know I will be changing how I shoot deer...maybe need to invest in a 3d target or goto 3d shoots...I only ever shoot 1" spots on a foam target....


Heading to Michigan tomorrow....I wasn't gunna take the bow...but the girlfriend works all weekend...while I'm scouting for my opening day of gun season spot I think I better atleast carry the bow! Will be my first real out of state hunt...I'm very anxious...I am glad she works all weekend so I can put some boot miles on...it might be a great time...I might not see a deer and see a million hunters and be completely frustrated and never do it again...only one way to find out!

If it works out well it'd be a nice annual trip..hard for me to be gone during holidays...I'm off this week and next and that's easy to get off..a week of PA last week of archery and then the gun opener in Michigan..back home for the gun opener in PA...

Hopefully i have 2 giant bucks on the ground in the next few weeks!!

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