High hit on a doe last night....

[bmc]

I was out yesterday afternoon and had one of those nights every bowhunter has sooner or later and dreads. I was only in the stand 20 minutes, when I see big doe and 2 fawns about 80 yds away. I had just used my Primos Can call, before I saw the deer. I don't know if they responed to the call or not, but I'm thinking they did as the doe came "in on a string". She gets to 20 yds broadside and I'm at full draw. She stops behind a tree and all I can see is the front shoulder/neck/head of her. She's acting nervous, so I lean my right shoulder (bow shoulder) on my tree, settle the pin on the top of her heart, and the arrows on it's way. It was going perfect until an unseen branch deflected the arrow. The arrow hit her above the lungs and above the spine. She bolted and I saw the arrow sticking out the top of her back and it flipped out. She then walked off and I could see blood on her back. I waited a half hour in my stand, finding blood on the ground with my binoculars. I get down and find the arrow, which was covered in blood. It had me second guessing my shot and thinking maybe I hit femoral artery? My dad and I followed a diminishing blood trail for 200 yds, before we completely lost it. It was in thick swamp grass, tag alder, tamarck bog. We walked every deer trail we could find and no more blood. I'm thinking the arrow definitely hit above the spine and was a flesh wound which the deer should survive. Anyone ever hit one like that? I'm back at it tonight, maybe she'll come by again?

Brian

[NELS-BELLS]

I feel you pain but unfortunately it is a part of hunting.

By what you have described I would say that the deer will survive. They are very tough animals. I shot an 8 pt buck last Dec. that upon finding it, I noticed a big hole in its back, apparantly from a bullet. (my guess anyway) The deer wasn't limping and took off like a bat out of **** when I shot him. My point is that the Doe will probably heal up just fine provided it doesn't get an infection. Hopefully you'll get another shot at her.

Nels

[WalleyeWeasel]

Brian, I know a guy in your area, Who killed a deer with his bow last year that only had one lung, He said there was just a stub where the lung used to be, he figured it was a bullet wound from last year there was lots of scar tissue on the rib cage....musta just "ticked" it. I'd say they'r very tuff and determined animals

[Hotspotter]

You never know with that type of shot, being near the spine. Chances are, from what you described she'll make it providing no infection as NELS stated. It's mostly speculation, but from experience, that area is a tricky one with deer. Touch the spine and it's a different story altogether. Hit high of it (hard to do), or low of it (much easier) without hitting spine or lung and you've got a deer that usually makes it.

The worst hit I've made I think of as the Bermuda Triangle. You place an arrow smartly between ribs below the spine, and just above the lungs that sit gravity make sit below the spine a few inches. That deer barely misses a beat. I know because my brother shot that doe during gun season a few days later.

Joel