Shot Placement or Equipment Failure

[basschump]

Not that it necessarily applies here, but certainly in the weird crap happens category. I had a cam out of tune many moons ago. Bow would drive tacks. Shot a buck one evening three inches behind the shoulder and a tad high. Ground blind was elevated above feeder. When the deer ran, the arrow was sticking ‘through’ him. Found blood and the arrow but not the deer.

He showed up on camera and later killed. The arrow followed the rib under the hide, up and through the back strap. I was confident it was sticking through the lungs based on what I was seeing ( or thought I was seeing)

Point is, with a deflected arrow lots of CRAZY crap can happen.




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[AntlersBoy]

Just read part of your thread bud, it’s not a deflection it’s a wiry whitetail hailing *** from your string pop. He was leaving on string sound and has got 30 degrees of turn before your arrow passes through. Just my opinion but a touch higher and you double lung him. Those 3D breakdowns of a deers anatomy do account for breathing. I’ve shot deer through the front legs and hit them through dead center of heart.


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[Antlers86]

Yesterday I made the same exact shot placement on a buck. Maybe a tad higher. Arrow entered, broke a rib in half and slit the heart sticking into the opposite shoulder. I seriously believe if I would have used my Swhackers I would have had the same result as yesterday’s deer.

This buck didn’t go 20-25 yds

[Dusty Britches]

For what it is worth, I've learned a lot from the responses and I appreciate you posting the question.

Don't be too hard on yourself. Heck if a simple plastic nock can deflect me out of the 10 ring and into the 5, why can't a rib deflect the shot and create a gut shot, which what I personally think you ended up with.

Also FWIW - our policy on our small property is to always use a dog if you don't see it go down. They leave the arrow at the shot site and quietly leave or wait for me. It keeps people from chasing the deer off the property but a fast recovery in the heat is essential to saving the meat.

[JTeLarkin08]

Shot Placement or Equipment Failure

Do you think a different broadhead would have changed anything?

Rage trypan and that buck wouldn’t have made it 50 yards.

I used to be completely against mechanical heads. But now that there are a few really good ones on the market I see no reason not to shoot them for Whitetail with the right bow set up. They fly better, and they cut a bigger hole. If you really take into consideration how small the area is, that if you hit you won’t get penetration on a Whitetail it’s a small percentage. The majority of a Whitetails frame is just ribs and body cavity. And most of the area that has a big bone isn’t in the kill zone anyway. As long as you don’t hit that leg bone your golden. Basically that red area is where a mechanical might not penetrate. The green area you will have zero penetration problems. If you notice other than the front leg at some angles the red area isn’t even in the vitals. So I will take those percentages all day.

That said I think you shot just behind the heart and a bigger mechanical probability would have caught it. This is the exact reason I shoot through the shoulder anymore.




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[lovemylegacy]

According to your info and the vid, I think your shot placement is perfect. I don't think the arrow deflected off a rib, I think it was the offside shoulder/leg. Im all for quartering away shots, they are better than broadside in my opinion. Deer doesn't move till he is hit, good shot in my opinion.
If your broadhead is intact, then its a NO on equipment failure.
The only thing I can see is MAYBE exit was to low and you single lunged him. Shot isn't far enough back for a liver, IMO. However I think the shot is lethal and the buck is with in sight of your stand.

If its any consolation, I made a shot last year the exit was below the elbow on the leg and no blood trail was found, buck expired 80yds from the stand. Very similar to your shot/arrow deflection.

Sometimes there is no explanation. Perfect situations can become imperfect very quickly.

[Hart8]

I'm no expert,but I had had no problem with the shot.I'd take that shot over,and over.How long do you think you gave em before you got outta the stand,and started looking for em?

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[Antlers86]

I'm no expert,but I had had no problem with the shot.I'd take that shot over,and over.How long do you think you gave em before you got outta the stand,and started looking for em?

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We gave him 50 min

[fireman0684]

I shot deer almost in an identical spot 6 years ago. The shot appears to be good initially, but we ended up discovering that the arrow went behind the heart and under the lungs. Found the buck the next morning still alive but too weak to get up. I don’t believe that’s a gut shot at all. Just bad luck that the arrow deflected slightly. Like I’m sure somebody said, cut on contact broadheads are priceless. I changed to the solid legend broadheads. Sharpest things I have ever seen, and I have had zero issues as far as deflections or malfunctions go. Keep your eyes open, you will find that rack in the future

[Top Of Texas]

We gave him 50 min

Dude, my heart feels for ya.

I wouldn't blame equip or shot selection. Seems like a hard earned lesson about a tracking dog, which sounds like you've taken to heart.

I do want to add, that when a hunter sees something uncommon, like buck standing in same spot for 2-3 minutes while bobbing it's head, there's a problem, which you recognized. I know the hunting magazines, TV shows, and campfire talk all say to "give 'em an hour or two". I have found that waiting 10-12 hours is far better. Typically the deer is either dead or feels too poorly to make much of an escape attempt. But, you should call a dog handler first for scheduling purposes.

Additionally, on any shot, I would suggest limiting the search for blood sign to 50 yards from last blood. That's slow, methodical, meticulous looking, not a stompathon carcass search. Also, If blood trail extends to 200 yds with no deer - stop. Call dog handler.

More detailed info at: https://topoftexastracking.com/blog/
Check out "Tips, Stats, And Stuff"

[Snowflake Killa]

Dude, my heart feels for ya.



I wouldn't blame equip or shot selection. Seems like a hard earned lesson about a tracking dog, which sounds like you've taken to heart.



I do want to add, that when a hunter sees something uncommon, like buck standing in same spot for 2-3 minutes while bobbing it's head, there's a problem, which you recognized. I know the hunting magazines, TV shows, and campfire talk all say to "give 'em an hour or two". I have found that waiting 10-12 hours is far better. Typically the deer is either dead or feels too poorly to make much of an escape attempt. But, you should call a dog handler first for scheduling purposes.



Additionally, on any shot, I would suggest limiting the search for blood sign to 50 yards from last blood. That's slow, methodical, meticulous looking, not a stompathon carcass search. Also, If blood trail extends to 200 yds with no deer - stop. Call dog handler.



More detailed info at: https://topoftexastracking.com/blog/

Check out "Tips, Stats, And Stuff"

**** good advice

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[Antlers86]

End result

[Lone_Wolf]

All that plumbing infront of the heart is why I dont care if the arrow comes out infront of the opposite shoulder.. everyone has opinions on broadheads but I like large cut heads 1.5 to 2 inch on whitetail.. sorry that happened to you .. I hope the deer recovers but I'd say you killed him ..

- You just can't beat a large cut head. I personally like the NAP spitfires, but there are a lot of good ones out there, and with all the energy our modern equipment produces, might as well use it to push a big broadhead through a deer in case a "marginal" shot happens. Kind of like an insurance policy. Why blow through the deer with a little sharp slick trick and bury your arrow 7 inches in the dirt, put the KE to work and shoot a big head. Most of them TV boys shoot big mechanicals, even the Drury guys shoot big mechanicals and they're not pulling much weight, and they do it, because they know they can still recover deer on crap shots a large % of the time.

[jds247]

End result

How far did he go ??

[DedDuk]

End result

How far away from where he was shot?