Has this ever happened to you/anyone you know

[Arch007er]

I was hunting on a piece of property last friday, and this piece of property has been showing me some really nice bucks this year. I never seen so many 2 1/2 ++ yr old bucks before in my life while hunting in pa. So I had this nice buck come out of this laurel, and he was nice, around 17 inch inside spread, and he had atleast 3 points on his right side (after i seen that he was legal i stopped counting) and he slowly moved along this path that takes him around 16 yards from my stand.

I stopped him, held just a little bit low with my 20 yard pin, and squeezed it off. It was honestly my best shot ever on a deer, i had good backtension, follow through, everything. That arrow was a 12 on any 3-D target, I could not have wanted that arrow to hit any better, and I was shooting a magnus stinger 2 blade 100 grain (cut on impact) and that thing blew right through him like he wasnt even there. He kicked and ran about 20 yards and stood there, and I (shaking like a leef) was thinking how cool it was going to be to watch the biggest deer ive ever shot, die right in front of me.

The buck (not even knowing he was shot) was just standing there and standing there looking back my way wondering what the noise was, and I could see the slice in his rib where I hit him. Anyway, he started to walk off, so I figured ill double tap him, and as i was drawing the second arrow, he saw me and snorted and took off. I tracked him for hours with minimal blood and never found him. I couldnt find the arrow, but I've never found an arrow at this place because of the soil being so loose and its on a hill top. So has anyone pinwheeled a deer, and I mean a great double lung shot and not found their deer?

[marinakorp]

I was hunting on a piece of property last friday, and this piece of property has been showing me some really nice bucks this year. I never seen so many 2 1/2 ++ yr old bucks before in my life while hunting in pa. So I had this nice buck come out of this laurel, and he was nice, around 17 inch inside spread, and he had atleast 3 points on his right side (after i seen that he was legal i stopped counting) and he slowly moved along this path that takes him around 16 yards from my stand.

I stopped him, held just a little bit low with my 20 yard pin, and squeezed it off. It was honestly my best shot ever on a deer, i had good backtension, follow through, everything. That arrow was a 12 on any 3-D target, I could not have wanted that arrow to hit any better, and I was shooting a magnus stinger 2 blade 100 grain (cut on impact) and that thing blew right through him like he wasnt even there. He kicked and ran about 20 yards and stood there, and I (shaking like a leef) was thinking how cool it was going to be to watch the biggest deer ive ever shot, die right in front of me.

The buck (not even knowing he was shot) was just standing there and standing there looking back my way wondering what the noise was, and I could see the slice in his rib where I hit him. Anyway, he started to walk off, so I figured ill double tap him, and as i was drawing the second arrow, he saw me and snorted and took off. I tracked him for hours with minimal blood and never found him. I couldnt find the arrow, but I've never found an arrow at this place because of the soil being so loose and its on a hill top. So has anyone pinwheeled a deer, and I mean a great double lung shot and not found their deer?

Guess you missed then?

[Arch007er]

no, I found blood, and i saw the arrow hit him and the i saw the cut on his ribs

[Yoder]

He's dead you just got to find him. The only thing I would change is use a 3 or 4 blade head. With a two blade the cut has the ability to close back up easier. If the hole closes up the lungs can still function a lot longer. Two blades leave a slice, three or four blades leave a hole that won't close up as easy. Steel force are cut on contact if you like that style and come in 4 blade. Muzzys are excellent, they leave a hole that looks like a gun shot especially 4 blade. I've killed deer with both and they all fell within 100 yrds. The only other thing I can think of is if you hit high between the top of the lungs and the spine. There's really nothing vital there that would put a deer down. That sucks, especially since it was the biggest one you shot so far. I would definitely change broadheads.

[marinakorp]

Yoder put it a little more delicately that I did.


even though you saw blood, you may not have hit the vitals as soundly as you thought initially.

[Arch007er]

I'm sorry, but I know where that arrow hit, Many details while I hunt/shoot deer may be lost, but arrow/shot placement is not one of them. I also saw the cut on his chest, and it was an absolute broadside shot. I did change broadheads before it was time for the evening hunt. My pops had shot a buck many years ago with a shot gun, and while gutting it he found an arrow that was straight through the lungs and the broadhead was stuck in the opposite shoulder, so this isnt impossible, I was wondering just how rare indeed this is. Yoder could be right that the deer is dead, but if so, I dont think he died that day, we covered well over a mile, and covered every path we could think of.

[Bender]

i don't archery hunt yet but my dad gets all his deer every year with his bow,last year he shot a doe from the ground head on in the chest with a pass through out its ass cf arrow tipped with a 125gr. thunderhead, he followed good blood for a mile and never found it. it happens

[Yoder]

I know when I shoot something that moment is burned in my brain forever almost like slo-motion. You probly hit him good and the hole just closed up allowing him to breathe. If it stays open the lungs can't expand and contract right and they kind of suffocate and bleed to death at the same time. How high was your stand? If you were really high with the angle maybe you hit one lung? I don't know, those bastards are so tough. You could have made a perfect shot and since he spooked he might have bolted a mile before he slowed down. You hit the next one with 3 or 4 blade heads in the same spot, it's going down. Maybe you'll get lucky and come across the rack later.

[moose]

A guy I hunt with in Ohio had a similar situation, only he didn't have a pass through. Chest hit, no blood, no arrow. Arrow stuck in deer until a few yards after he ran and fell out. That was the only proof we had that he hit the deer. We followed scuff marks and prints (going the general direction he saw the deer run) and we just randomly searched the woods. We found him by luck. If you did get a good hit on him I'm thinking you should go back and re-track to try and find more clues. Check in the thick shit man, that deer aint gonna be on any trails if he was hit and spooked.

[Arch007er]

I honestly checked all over the property (and beyond) we stuck to this one trail because of finding small patches of blood along one path that lead into a slim meadow strip that cut the woods in half and the three of us (my pops left work to come help track) did hands across the meadow, then the next strip of woods and then again on the next meadow. We didnt half ass it (not saying that is what you meant by your post) all total i spent around 6 hours out there looking for him and even circled down hill, through the laurel and back to my stand and then started over again. Its just a pisser.