Confused by arrow/hit

Discuss deer hunting tactics, Deer behavior. Post your Hunting Stories, Pictures, and Questions/Answers.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


webby
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Apr 10, 2020 8:06 am
Facebook: james weber
Status: Offline

Confused by arrow/hit

Unread postby webby » Sun Nov 01, 2020 5:36 am

So this morning a little after 8 I shot a good buck. He was moving pretty good through my lanes and when I tried to stop him he hesitated and then stepped right into the shot. From what I saw it was way back maybe 8" in front of the rear leg. He hunched up and ran out of sight. I've dealt with guts/intestines before so I waited 3 hrs before climbing down and backing out. Found arrow and it had 8" of swamp mud, the middle had grease and blood but didn't smell much and the fletched end was covered in bright blood and there was pretty good blood at shot sight. I'm giving him 12 hrs and goin in tonight as the coyotes are real bad here but I'm totally confused by the blood on the arrow. Amy chance a hit an artery back there. Shot was right in the middle height wise 25-27 yards and I was 25 ft up
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


User avatar
Ghost Hunter
Posts: 4891
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:00 am
Location: South Arkansas
Status: Offline

Re: Confused by arrow/hit

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Sun Nov 01, 2020 6:04 am

On 10-17-2020, I made a bad shot on a buck. Go lucky and cut femoral artery and he bleed out in about 30 yards. Talking about highs to lows. When he ran past me and I saw where I hit. I felt terrible. Be was amazed when he fell in sight. Good luck, watching for update.



Screen-Shot-2020-08-27-at-2.07.40-PM.png
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Last edited by Ghost Hunter on Sun Nov 01, 2020 6:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
I'm reason they call it hunting and not shooting.
KRONIIK
500 Club
Posts: 2576
Joined: Tue May 17, 2016 11:09 am
Status: Offline

Re: Confused by arrow/hit

Unread postby KRONIIK » Sun Nov 01, 2020 6:07 am

100 percent dead deer.
Yea, you're taking some risk of losing meat to coyotes, but I think you are doing the right thing by waiting.
But with that bright blood on the arrow and shot site, I might cut the wait to 8 hours instead of a full 12.

But track like a GHOST, slooooow and scanning ahead constantly with the binocs.
User avatar
Ghost Hunter
Posts: 4891
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:00 am
Location: South Arkansas
Status: Offline

Re: Confused by arrow/hit

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Sun Nov 01, 2020 6:09 am

I would go now. Just my two cents. I had coyotes nipping at his hind quarters before I got out of tree. Had run him off.
I'm reason they call it hunting and not shooting.
User avatar
hunting_dad
500 Club
Posts: 1363
Joined: Sat Oct 18, 2014 1:43 am
Status: Offline

Re: Confused by arrow/hit

Unread postby hunting_dad » Sun Nov 01, 2020 6:11 am

KRONIIK wrote:100 percent dead deer.
Yea, you're taking some risk of losing meat to coyotes, but I think you are doing the right thing by waiting.
But with that bright blood on the arrow and shot site, I might cut the wait to 8 hours instead of a full 12.

But track like a GHOST, slooooow and scanning ahead constantly with the binocs.


Yea I agree with this right here. What did the site of impact look like? We’re you able to see any spray in the direction he ran?
User avatar
Ghost Hunter
Posts: 4891
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:00 am
Location: South Arkansas
Status: Offline

Re: Confused by arrow/hit

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Sun Nov 01, 2020 6:39 am

3 D shot buck. .jpg


Where did it hit?
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
I'm reason they call it hunting and not shooting.
User avatar
purebowhunting
500 Club
Posts: 1376
Joined: Sun Apr 07, 2013 6:37 am
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: Confused by arrow/hit

Unread postby purebowhunting » Sun Nov 01, 2020 7:07 am

With that kind of blood on a shot as far back as you describe sound like you hit something good. I'd be tempted to track 25 to 50 yards and see what it looks like it coyotes are a big problem.
webby
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Apr 10, 2020 8:06 am
Facebook: james weber
Status: Offline

Re: Confused by arrow/hit

Unread postby webby » Sun Nov 01, 2020 7:22 am

Ghost Hunter wrote:3 D shot buck. .jpg

Where did it hit?


id say between 3/4 and around i. i thought pretty broadside but when i checked impact site i thought maybe quartering away a little. a fair bit of spray/blood all bright at impact and some white some brown hair. first blood after about 5-7 yards was also spray/drops pretty high and bright and good ammounts on the swamp grass(shoulder to head high) like it was comin out good. his path took him through more swamp grass and i could see more big blood ammounts on the grass i could see up ahead. i backed out from there. coyotes are a problem in this swamp which runs for miles but i did see one run by at first light.

while i was waiting i had a deer blow back behind me in the thicket he went into. soon after a doe came to the edge of the thicket and she was on high alert. she never did come out. 30 minutes later a different doe came out of where the buck came from and was walkin right under me so i let it rip. the arrow hit square on her spine and she dropped grunting and groaning and pinwheeling. second arrow took her out in about a minute but with all the commotion i never heard anything move or crash out of the thicket but she adds to the coyote problem.

i left her down there with my hoody over her worrying shed bring in coyotes but not wanting to drag her out and maybe spook the buck off... two not so great shots so im a ball of mixed emotions now pacing around the house
KRONIIK
500 Club
Posts: 2576
Joined: Tue May 17, 2016 11:09 am
Status: Offline

Re: Confused by arrow/hit

Unread postby KRONIIK » Sun Nov 01, 2020 9:09 am

You seem pretty confident about the hit location being accurate, so I'm a little surprised that you found as much blood as you did.
There isn't much for blood vessels there.

Maybe you got lucky and hit a small vein or artery, (or better yet it angled in differently than you think and you hit the larger one in the inside of the ham.)
Either way I'm sure the deer will be dead or close to dead pretty soon.

But in my experience the very worst thing you can do is assume the hit is going to be quickly fatal and take up a track too soon, only to have the deer bust out when you bump him. Never to be seen again.

I've heard it a hundred times- "I never would have believed that deer could lose that much blood and still get up and run off!"

I think you did good so far by waiting but I think by now you might safely make the call to track him down pretty soon, especially if you think the daylight may help you track him.
(Some people see blood much better than others in natural light, some seem to see it about as well by flashlight.)

Good luck and post pics when you get him!
User avatar
Ghost Hunter
Posts: 4891
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:00 am
Location: South Arkansas
Status: Offline

Re: Confused by arrow/hit

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Sun Nov 01, 2020 9:45 am

Still saying I would be in there now. Good luck. I spent day doing stuff around house.
I'm reason they call it hunting and not shooting.
matt1336
500 Club
Posts: 3580
Joined: Sun Feb 21, 2010 3:02 am
Status: Offline

Re: Confused by arrow/hit

Unread postby matt1336 » Sun Nov 01, 2020 9:50 am

If quartering away maybe liver guts and a lung? 4 hrs and go after him, I’d say.
User avatar
<DK>
500 Club
Posts: 4484
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2014 10:02 am
Status: Offline

Re: Confused by arrow/hit

Unread postby <DK> » Sun Nov 01, 2020 11:05 am

Ghost Hunter wrote:Still saying I would be in there now. Good luck. I spent day doing stuff around house.


I agree.

Its been a good long wait time already and I think its likely dead. Good luck!
User avatar
<DK>
500 Club
Posts: 4484
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2014 10:02 am
Status: Offline

Re: Confused by arrow/hit

Unread postby <DK> » Sun Nov 01, 2020 11:09 am

webby wrote:
Ghost Hunter wrote:3 D shot buck. .jpg

Where did it hit?


id say between 3/4 and around i. i thought pretty broadside but when i checked impact site i thought maybe quartering away


Yep. Thats good. Youd be surprised how far forward that exit hole could be. I hope you get him, great hunt.
KRONIIK
500 Club
Posts: 2576
Joined: Tue May 17, 2016 11:09 am
Status: Offline

Re: Confused by arrow/hit

Unread postby KRONIIK » Sun Nov 01, 2020 3:04 pm

<DK> wrote:
webby wrote:
Ghost Hunter wrote:3 D shot buck. .jpg

Where did it hit?


id say between 3/4 and around i. i thought pretty broadside but when i checked impact site i thought maybe quartering away


Yep. Thats good. Youd be surprised how far forward that exit hole could be. I hope you get him, great hunt.


He will get him, but the coyotes will probably get their share or more.

Too often they get all of it, and the hunter never finds out what happened.
webby
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Apr 10, 2020 8:06 am
Facebook: james weber
Status: Offline

Re: Confused by arrow/hit

Unread postby webby » Sun Nov 01, 2020 3:43 pm

Found the buck. He went about 150 yards from impact. Stiff when I found him so he had been dead awhile. The shot was higher up than I thought but the exit was low because the stand was set so high. The broadhead ripped a tenderloin basically in half. I'm guessing the arteries or good vanes run through there and that was the source of the bright blood.

It looked like there were two or three spots where he bed down briefly but we came up on him dead on the trail as if he just gave out. I'm guess he died from bleeding out and not from septic shock

Not happy with the shot but thrilled to hang my tag on him
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 78 guests