There’s an easy solution for it.
Big Game Season 2018
- Thread starter BDinPutnam
- Start date
ryguy
9mm
Well I managed to take my second deer with a bow. Not the monster I would have hoped for, however my work schedule is picking up and I don’t know the next time I will be able to make it out.
Painted post? Not to far from my neck of the woods
Culver Creek hunt Club
.177 BB
I've been out a few times in SZ with the bow and had some good action, just no shots at the deer I want. This past weekend was opener of ML in NZ. We always head up there with a couple buddies. I got lucky walking in. It was raining and we walked in after light because it was so quiet. I was the furthest one going in and as I came up on the table top I like to sit on this bear was running broadside at 80 yards. I didn't get spooked by me but something lit a fire under it. Only went 20 yards after the shot. Same property I got one on in 2012
Attachments
Carlos Hathcock
.450/400 Nitro Ex
Well......I arrowed one of the 8 pointers I've been waiting for this evening. He took a step last second and I didnt get the placement I'd hoped for. Followed a decent trail into the thick and have to come back tomorrow. Hope he isn't suffering and bleeds out quick. To be continued.....
GOYABEAN
.950 JDJ
whauburger
6.5 Creedmoor
@Carlos Hathcock Good luck! Hopefully the cold snap kept him bedded down and he bled out.
Carlos Hathcock
.450/400 Nitro Ex
Yup, all good. Made me pay the price though. Had to drag him back through hell to get him home. Off to processor tomorrow.
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Blimey
.450/400 Nitro Ex
I hate to write this, but I have to get it off my chest.
I hit a monster yesterday. 30 yards out. I'm a killer shot with my bow at that range. But I'm not stupid enough to take it unless the target is large (big buck), and not moving. Both were affirmative. I have lighted nocks. When I let the shot off on this deer, which was broadside and not moving, I felt real good. Arrow hit exactly where I aimed, no ducking. In behind the leg and through both lungs. He bolted back into thick brush and almost immediately the sound of crashing/running stopped, a sure sign of a double-lung and deer down.
I started to gather my stuff to get out of the stand and to my fucking shock and dismay in bounds the same damn deer with an arrow popping out of his side. I am crestfallen. I immediately nock another arrow to attempt a second shot but he runs off before I can do it.
I know what the books say and I know what I've personally experienced, and that is that deer never lay down for me, so I get down from the tree, pursue a pretty good blood trail. It starts to lighten up. Then I see my arrow on the trail drenched in pure red. I know at this point the wound would either close, or get even worse. Sadly, it was the latter. It goes down to almost nothing. My hunting buddy and I manage to track it to the edge of the property into a corn field and I'll be damned if there was a speck more of blood.
Clearly, I did not hit lung. And I did not hit guts, either. I believe I got in just behind the lungs. I'll even entertain the idea he was exhaling at the time of hit, and the lungs contracted forward (?). My problem is I've looked at so many anatomy charts online and taken a half dozen deer since I started, but for whatever reason I often end up aiming for deer in that crease behind the front leg and the stomach, and the lungs are just never that far back. This is the so-called line directly up the back of the front leg many people aim for, but I have hit deer there and it is absolutely not where the lungs are on the ones I've hit.
I look for lessons in failure and I wish this one was more obvious. It wasn't a hail mary shot, the equipment didn't fail, and I didn't miss my target. It's painful given the time I've spent studying deer anatomy that I still aim for the wrong damn spot in the field.
Anyway, that sucked.
I hit a monster yesterday. 30 yards out. I'm a killer shot with my bow at that range. But I'm not stupid enough to take it unless the target is large (big buck), and not moving. Both were affirmative. I have lighted nocks. When I let the shot off on this deer, which was broadside and not moving, I felt real good. Arrow hit exactly where I aimed, no ducking. In behind the leg and through both lungs. He bolted back into thick brush and almost immediately the sound of crashing/running stopped, a sure sign of a double-lung and deer down.
I started to gather my stuff to get out of the stand and to my fucking shock and dismay in bounds the same damn deer with an arrow popping out of his side. I am crestfallen. I immediately nock another arrow to attempt a second shot but he runs off before I can do it.
I know what the books say and I know what I've personally experienced, and that is that deer never lay down for me, so I get down from the tree, pursue a pretty good blood trail. It starts to lighten up. Then I see my arrow on the trail drenched in pure red. I know at this point the wound would either close, or get even worse. Sadly, it was the latter. It goes down to almost nothing. My hunting buddy and I manage to track it to the edge of the property into a corn field and I'll be damned if there was a speck more of blood.
Clearly, I did not hit lung. And I did not hit guts, either. I believe I got in just behind the lungs. I'll even entertain the idea he was exhaling at the time of hit, and the lungs contracted forward (?). My problem is I've looked at so many anatomy charts online and taken a half dozen deer since I started, but for whatever reason I often end up aiming for deer in that crease behind the front leg and the stomach, and the lungs are just never that far back. This is the so-called line directly up the back of the front leg many people aim for, but I have hit deer there and it is absolutely not where the lungs are on the ones I've hit.
I look for lessons in failure and I wish this one was more obvious. It wasn't a hail mary shot, the equipment didn't fail, and I didn't miss my target. It's painful given the time I've spent studying deer anatomy that I still aim for the wrong damn spot in the field.
Anyway, that sucked.
whauburger
6.5 Creedmoor
Possible liver? I've hit liver and got a lot of dark red blood, if left they get woozy and lay down to die. If pushed they can get a good distance before they die. Where abouts are you hunting?
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Robin
.577 Tyrannosaur.
Yep, liver. Some times perception is what your mind sees, not fact of what actually took place You probably hit a bit further back than you think.. He's dead, for sure.
Robin
Robin
ManrisFrack
6.5 Creedmoor
That sucks. It's always tough to lose one, never mind one you hit where you wanted.
You should try to tuck the shot right in behind the front leg on a broadside. On a quartering away shot, I visualize where the off-side front leg is and aim right at it while making needed adjustments for the angle that your height creates. It's very easy to shoot too low and only hit one lung or glance off a rib when the angle is severe.
If you're certain you hit back but not far enough back to hit guts, odds are good you hit liver. It goes lung, diaphragm, liver and there really aren't any air pockets between them. The liver is a lethal hit but it takes a long time. I hit last year's buck in the liver with a pass-through. He took two bounds and stood there forever. It was 15 minutes before he fell over and another 15 until he stopped moving entirely - tough to watch. The thing is, if I'd tried to get down and get another one into him I'd have lost him. For all that time standing in one spot, there was precious little blood on the ground.
You have to give them at least a half hour and an hour is even better before tracking. If you aren't pushing them and the hit is fatal, they'll almost always lay down inside 200 yards.
Go back and walk through that cornfield. I'd bet he's somewhere in there.
You should try to tuck the shot right in behind the front leg on a broadside. On a quartering away shot, I visualize where the off-side front leg is and aim right at it while making needed adjustments for the angle that your height creates. It's very easy to shoot too low and only hit one lung or glance off a rib when the angle is severe.
If you're certain you hit back but not far enough back to hit guts, odds are good you hit liver. It goes lung, diaphragm, liver and there really aren't any air pockets between them. The liver is a lethal hit but it takes a long time. I hit last year's buck in the liver with a pass-through. He took two bounds and stood there forever. It was 15 minutes before he fell over and another 15 until he stopped moving entirely - tough to watch. The thing is, if I'd tried to get down and get another one into him I'd have lost him. For all that time standing in one spot, there was precious little blood on the ground.
You have to give them at least a half hour and an hour is even better before tracking. If you aren't pushing them and the hit is fatal, they'll almost always lay down inside 200 yards.
Go back and walk through that cornfield. I'd bet he's somewhere in there.
How beat up was your arrow? I've seen ones the have been pinned in the shoulder blade and rib cage. They usually will show the blood you described.
Carlos Hathcock
.450/400 Nitro Ex
Not proud to admit it but mine was hit pretty much hind quarter. Combination of my "newbness" with an unsteady shot, and his moving when I didnt expect him to, left him gut shot. We found him this morning around 9. He was stiff and I cant hazard a guess at how long he'd been dead but was mildly warm when we gutted him.
I felt horrible all night knowing I did not hit vitals and that he would most likely suffer the worst death. Sadly I'm sure he did but I was honestly surprised he was dead at all. I would've figured just wounded.
He went deep into the swamp and made me (and my recon team) pay for it. My ass is whooped and I think its gonna take me a couple days to recover. Guess it serves me right. Lesson learned.
I felt horrible all night knowing I did not hit vitals and that he would most likely suffer the worst death. Sadly I'm sure he did but I was honestly surprised he was dead at all. I would've figured just wounded.
He went deep into the swamp and made me (and my recon team) pay for it. My ass is whooped and I think its gonna take me a couple days to recover. Guess it serves me right. Lesson learned.
My best buck ever, a 7pt two years ago, got away from me. I tracked him after an hour and saw him laying down, looked dead. Waited 20 min minutes before approaching. He jumped up and bolted. I was shocked. Tracked him almost half a mile before losing the trail cold. Heartbreaking.
Carlos Hathcock
.450/400 Nitro Ex
Mine left a good trail to start but it soon faded. We were going on one to two drops before one guy spotted him against a tree. I honestly didnt think we'd find him.
Nice job for your first time.
At least the bow didn't wear ya down carrying it.
Carlos Hathcock
.450/400 Nitro Ex
For sure. Very happy with it even if I'm a newbie. Shoots even better when you adjust it to an adult draw!
Carlos Hathcock
.450/400 Nitro Ex
Just bustin chops. Needed a little humor release after these last dozen hours.
Oh well, at least it's being put to good use!
So driving into work tonight saw what looked like an injured doe, hind leg limping, waking down the main road in Ithaca.
Fast forward I decided fuck it going to head home on a half night. As I'm driving down through Ithaca in the same spot 4 hours later I come across the same doe, but now she is with what looks like 2 of her fans and this boy.
Tried to get some decent shots was pretty close but they aren't the best photos.
Fast forward I decided fuck it going to head home on a half night. As I'm driving down through Ithaca in the same spot 4 hours later I come across the same doe, but now she is with what looks like 2 of her fans and this boy.
Tried to get some decent shots was pretty close but they aren't the best photos.
Carlos Hathcock
.450/400 Nitro Ex
Date night.
Carlos Hathcock
.450/400 Nitro Ex
This guy sure was heavier yesterday. The weight must've "evaporated" over night?
Blimey
.450/400 Nitro Ex
Arrow was perfect, broadhead I'm sure opened up fine and I was able to clean the blades out. Still carrying that sinking feeling. Losing deer is really bothersome. There is no chance it hit shoulder blade because I saw the arrow travel courtesy of the luminock. I have a 305 IBO bow I pull at 60 lbs with 415 grain arrows. I love archery, but my cheap crossbow definitely hits like a freight train. I may not get out until again until xbow season starts.
Any chance you hit low? There's a cavity with no vitals low on the chest. This will usually produce normal read blood and close up relatively fast. If you get dark blood usually liver. If you get bright pink blood usually lung. You probably know that but some people may not.
Blimey
.450/400 Nitro Ex
It sucks. I'm still not quite clear on wtf kills deer sometimes. Last year I took a nice shot (I thought) on a deer but it turned at the last second away from me so when arrow hit I was like damn it. I followed a pretty light blood trail and after 70 yards there it was piled up. I never hit lungs or heart. The arrow had just done such a mess of bleeding overall that the deer very quickly expired.
The only deer I ever hit with a complete wtf was that was my very first one ever, it was like you describe. Hind quarters. I was not planted properly in my tree stand and made the idiotic mistake of holding over its vitals, waiting (it was walking) until the vitals were in the crosshairs and shooting instead of holding crosshairs over vitals and moving my bow as it moved (still risky, granted). I learned from that lesson and the next three deer I got were all double lung between 15 and 24 yards while they were walking past me. I still need to try and stop these moving deer, though with a little grunt sound.
My last deer was like that. Spotty trail, much lighter than I like, trail started to get weaker and weaker, and then there he was completely down. That is what I was hoping would happen on Sunday because the blood trail on this deer was actually pretty decent, but the things clot up and then it just vanished.
Blimey
.450/400 Nitro Ex
Definitely no dark blood and no bubbles. Just standard looking blood. No chance I hit too low. I really believe it was just a sliver behind the lungs. I'm damn close to buying a camera to review these. I hate only being "fairly sure". I just have that flash in my mind, that picture of the arrow with its light hitting a split second before the deer ducked and bolted (It didn't jump the string, though).
Well by the sounds of it you definitely missed vitals so hopefully he will live.
pjzwtl
.308 Win
Hey it sucks I know but in reality nothing goes to waste in the wild. Worse case you just made some other critters fat and happy.