Ugh!

[Big Country]

My buddy gets me fired up to start bow hunting again after 25 years of not doing so. I am borrowing his old, antiquated Martin which is 20 plus years old. 50% let off, pins maxed out and still shooting left, you get the picture. Next year I am buying a Misiion riot. Spent lots of time practicing getting use to this bow. So, Saturday evening I get in the tree two hours prior to dark. A doe and her fawn bust me at 80 yards. Wow, that was cool. Twenty minutes later a 2 1/2 year old buck heads right at me. Turns broadside at 18 yards. I let fly and hit the back of the shoulder, an inch and a half away from the rib double lung shot. Made a plan to stay in the tree for an hour then walk out and come back in the morning. At dark his brother, a six, comes 12 yards from me broadside. I smile and tell him "You may pass". Next morning I find blood. followed the trail for 250 yards through a thick alder swamp then lost the trail. Put a total of 5 hours in trying to locate my deer. Did grid patterns all through the swamp. Never found him. My hearts broken, but will be in the stand this evening in a different area. Wow did that stink up my weekend. BC

[Musky Buck]

Ugh! is right. Hope you triple lung the next 1. I think I would've grabbed the hound and induced a grouse hunt in that vicinity at daybreak.

[Big Country]

Almost did just that. Based on how far he went and even waiting 16 hours he never once layed down which is what I had hoped for. It's a sickening feeling to say the least. BC

[Bear55]

Sorry for the lost buck. Did you recover your arrow at all? What kind of sign on it?

Sometimes our eyes can deceive us, hit could have been off and who knows maybe the buck will live.

[Pooh]

Happened to me one on a doe. I hit the back edge of the shoulder. My arrow stopped dead, less than an inch of penetration. I got lucky, she laid down right where I shot her, and I put a second arrow in her. If she would have ran off before I got a second shot off she would have been gone forever, as her wound was only superficial.

Better luck next time BC.

[Big Country]

That's what my hope is. No arrow recovered. Never came out. I am certain he was hit in the rear shoulder area. It really sucks, but I worked my tail off trying to find him. On my hands and knees looking for blood. Going to sit in a tree this evening and let the depression go by being in the woods. Sheesh this blows. BC

[HooknHorns]

Had something similar on fri am. Still dont believe i didnt find this doe that i thought i double lunged. Pass through and the arrow showed very little blood on the arrow and near nothing for the first 40 yrds. followed her an additional 200 plus then lost it, never bedded down after a 2hr wait.

I dont know why i shot when she was alert. Anyway she must have ducked just enough. Seemed like a easy shot, perfectly broadside like shooting 3d. Always heard that there is a empty void between top of the lungs and spine, guess i know now. The shot even sounded hollow. Like you im still scratching my head on this. I hope i see her again.

Another Ugh is why cant I ever get them to stop on a dime in my lane after i whistle. They seem to take an extra step to get behind a tree, then stop and look.

[Bear55]

I dont know why i shot when she was alert. Anyway she must have ducked just enough. Seemed like a easy shot, perfectly broadside like shooting 3d. Always heard that there is a empty void between top of the lungs and spine, guess i know now. The shot even sounded hollow. Like you im still scratching my head on this. I hope i see her again.

There is no void, if she was alert she ducked it and you likely got her in the backstraps and she is fine. They have amazing reflexes, what looks like a clean kill can sometimes be above the spine.

[InTheNorthwoods]

+1 to NO VOID. It is not anotomically possible. "The void" is simply a bad shot. The fact is, not every shot is lethal, including some shots that pierce a portion of the lungs. Anything over the spine is a flesh wound and the deer should survive. The spine is lower than many folks realize.

[deerminator]

One thing I would suggest is lighted nocks as you get going in this obsession. They are not a gimmick or extra expense. They are a bonafide tool to help you identify exactly where your arrow hit or tell if you missed. And the light makes them much easier to find in the dark, which quickly follows when many shots are taken. This was the first year I used them and I knew without a doubt a couple of weeks ago I had made a good shot immediately. And found the arrow quickly and discovered it covered with good clean blood all over. You can buy a three pack of almost any brand for under $30 and you're set for awhile. Mine stayed on after the pass through and turned off right away when I tried and it still works fine.

Good luck. Don't get discouraged.

[Jason_Gundersen]

I had a friend come and shoot a buck on my land in the "voided" area... He was so confident the buck was dead but after hours and hours of searching we came up with no success... Low and behold two weeks later we had the same buck walk by a trailcam perfectly healthy with the arrow wound high... Crazy how much a deer can duck the string

[matchset]

it happens. these critters are tough, just do your best to make a quality shot next time.

from what i read, you did everything by the book. good job on that.

[Big Country]

Got my spirits up by being back in the woods the other night until it happened again. Mature doe at 10 yards broadside, shot way right to compensate like I have practiced with this old bow that is adjusted all the way out. Clipped the back shoulder AGAIN! Went back in the morning with my lab and realized she walked away from the area. Called the wife, told her I am through, it is time, and went and got a new Misiion Riot. Shot awesome patterns of 80 rounds. I had no, and I mean no business trying to harvest a deer with that bow that is junk. I fault myself and have learned a hard lesson. Dad always taught me to put the animal down in the most ethical manner. What was I thinking? Going to shoot the rest of the week and get back out there. Yes, I feel like a heel and deserve any "I told you so's" I get. Hard, hard lesson learned. Nuff said. BC

[Musky Buck]

The big ? Big C is it sounds like you hit both animals perfectly or close to it, why would the new bow make such a huge difference you'll use the same arrow/broadhead correct and aim at the same spot ? You may be infested with coyote in your area for awhile.

[Big Country]

I never hit those deer good. Even after lot's of practice. The bow I used is almost 30 yrs old. The rest is garbage. Every other arrow "tail whips" due to fletchings making contact. Thus the arrows hit the target at a side angle, not straight. I had pro staffers look it over prior and they told me I may encounter problems. The new bow shoots straight, fast and on the mark. I could never establish a pattern with the old bow, that's how it shot. 25 years ago, I had an old bow and put 40 arrows through it every day from spring to fall. I am not a rookie, nor a bad shot for that matter. Nerves were great when I shot. Like I had stated, I had no business being in the woods with that bow. Mistake made. Starting fresh and if God willing, will post if I am as fortunate to get another decent broadside shot this year.

[Musky Buck]

10 4 good luck and appreciate your honest posts, I don't think most guys would've shared their failures, hopefully you taught some a lesson about equipment and hunting with not up to date gear.

[HooknHorns]

Another thing that will help is 3d shooting. Super good time and really helps with shot placement. Yor last post seems like its more of a tuning issue. Theres plenty of guys to help you with that, but that newer bow will help. Good luck.

[hockeybc69]

I am a little puzzled why you would go in the woods with a bow that you know is not shooting properly.....

[Big Country]

Poor decision on my part hockey. Thought I could get away with it with all the practice and just make payments towards the new bow for next year. Big mistake, lesson learned. My buddy lives in Battle Lake area, Vinning. Wayne Scwartz, he said the same thing. I had no business being in the woods with that thing.

[hockeybc69]

Wayne is a hop, skip and a jump from our land.

Dad is friends with him. small world.

[NoWiser]

Good Luck BC, I'm sure that new bow will be a joy to hunt with!!

I also had a less than acceptable deer shot/deer recovered ratio with my bow years ago. It almost caused me to give up archery. I was a poor college kid and couldn't afford to buy a different bow. (In reality the blame should be placed on my lack of knowledge at the time) Luckily my average improved greatly with time, but when graduated I decided to not shoot another deer with the bow I had. This year I bought a new (used) Elite Answer and love it. I learned how to broadhead tune and am shooting great. Although I probably will not have time to bow hunt this year, I will definitely be hunting turkey and deer next year with it, and am 100% confident in my skills and equipment now.

I think a lot of my trouble came from an out of tune bow shooting mechanical broadheads and light arrows. I could not get penetration on less than ideal hits. It took me a few nights, but I got my current bow to shoot broadheads right along with my field points out to at least 50 yards (my max range at an animal is still probably 30 yards). With C.O.C fixed blades, heavy arrows, and an in tune bow, I'm looking forward to dropping the string on a deer, rather than feeling nervous about it.

Good luck, and I look forward to seeing a picture of your first deer with the new bow!

[Big Country]

Thanks for the words of encouragement No Wiser. I will not give up. Loved it when I was a young man and appreciate it more now. Spent two hours at a pro shop dialing it in to my needs. Paper tuned, the works. She's ready, and so am I.

Hockey, small world indeed. May have even met your father at one point. I have spent years of hard ice fishing there and absolutley love the area. I would go as far to say that I care about Wayne and the Becker families as if they were my own. Top notch loyal friends. And sportsmen? I have never met better. Not sure if you knew Donnie, but I have video of him teaching my son how to use a flasher for pannies when he was four years old. I sure do miss the man. He was a true friend. Maybe we can hook up this winter when I get out there to fish. BC

[Wes Ellis]

Look up Buckmasters (Jacky Bushman) go to there web site, click on vidio, then cleck on Vital Zone. Very entresting. shows the shot, then how it hits, and tells why the shot was good or not!!