roowood

I shot the biggest buck of my hunting career Friday morning at 15 yards. I'm shooting a Pearson 440 -- 70lb 30 inch draw. My broadheads are rocket steelhead 125's. I hit him just behind his right shoulder and it sounded like I had shot a piece of plywood the crack was so loud. There was never any blood on the ground but I found all but the front 4 inches of the arrow broken off about 75 yards away. There was thick blood and hair at least a foot up the shaft, so I think the arrow had worked itself out as it drug passed brush and trees until there was only 4 inches left in and he fell down and broke it off. We looked for hours and never found anything else. Does anyone have any ideas on what happened? What to do to find this lost trophy?, etc.

Jake

James Vee

If you lost his blood trail, or it ran out. Go to the spot where you last found blood. Do either of three things, keep traveling in the direction that the buck was headed while combing back and forth; it's great to have another person along. Check nearby swamps or thick areas. Even areas where it's nearly impossible to walk through. If that buck was sick, he's going to lie down where nobody is going to find him; hence extremely thick areas or swamp areas. Third, and last resort, find someone with a dog. Dogs have an amazing ability to get on a blood trail and find wounded deer. But I dont' think I'd like to have a dog run through my area unless you have searched thoroughly. Best of luck in your search!!!

Sooner_Hunter

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I shot the biggest buck of my hunting career Friday morning at 15 yards. I'm shooting a Pearson 440 -- 70lb 30 inch draw. My broadheads are rocket steelhead 125's. I hit him just behind his right shoulder and it sounded like I had shot a piece of plywood the crack was so loud. There was never any blood on the ground but I found all but the front 4 inches of the arrow broken off about 75 yards away. There was thick blood and hair at least a foot up the shaft, so I think the arrow had worked itself out as it drug passed brush and trees until there was only 4 inches left in and he fell down and broke it off. We looked for hours and never found anything else. Does anyone have any ideas on what happened? What to do to find this lost trophy?, etc.

Jake
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Jake,

That should be a fatal shot. That broadhead had a chisel point so it should drive through even if you hit the shoulder bone. I believe the crack was a shoulder bone. Have you used these mechanicals before? Any malfunctioning problems? Could have been the rib. You didn't get a pass through so could you have hit the big shoulder bone? Pass through failure would explain no blood trail but it still should be a fatal shot.

the suggestions James gave you are your best bet. I think you killed him. track a little further. 15 inches or so of penetration as you described hitting in the region you described would need significant force to get the arrow out. How long did you wait to begin the track?

The best old tracker I know told me, &quot;go to the last place you know he was. Have someone stand there. Start making circles. 5 yds. 10 yds., etc. You will likely find him.

Good luck

Edited by - sooner_hunter on 10/20/2002 15:34:43

cardeer

That crack ( Noise ) was your arrow hitting a rib. Listen ,no blood trail ? Use your human gifts. Your nose.I wish I was there. We all can smell a wounded deer if you put your mind to it.I hope you found it by now. Grid search the area.Also I have no idea why your set up did not blow right thru that deer. 70 Lbs with that hit ,should of blew right thru it.

OlMossyHorns

I am with Cardeer that your arrow hit a rib, it may have hit the shoulder on the other side and that is why it didn't pass through. Go back and look for disturbances in the leaves and try tracking him like that. If that does not work, get a hunting buddy or two and do grid searches and then walk in widening circles. Good luck finding him. Also, look downhill, a fatally hit buck will run downhill, and if you know where he beds go and look there.

James Vee

It's funny you say that Cardeer. Though you might not realize it, a humans nose is a good tool when it comes to tracking. But you have to put your mind to it. I've found a number of deer in the woods while looking for sheds, just by the smell of rotting deer. It's quite a foul smell. You'll know it when you smell it.

CaptJack

he's dead by now- the suggestions made are right on- go to the last know point of blood trail and start making a spiral-circular pattern from that point. He probably will be in-line from the line he was traveling to the last point of blood- probably not more than 500yds.

CaptJack
Be a better Hunter - Get a better Shot

roowood

We pretty well covered a 400 sqaure yard area more than a couple of times. I am hoping to go back down at the end of this week and look again (I had to come back last night despite not finding him). I might bring a dog and hope that he stinks enough by then to find him more easily. I think yall are right about hitting a rib. It was a little low to be the shoulder blade and a little far back to hav hit the leg. He had 12 inches of shaft sticking out when he ran off. that was the first deer I have shot with those mechanicals. I am temted to switch to a fixed blade, but i have had great opening when shooting at the target. Thanks for all of the tips. If anyone has any other tricks let me know.

Jake

roowood

I forgot to add: I waited an hour to get out of my stand, got out quietly and walked away from the deer back to the camp. I waited four more hours to go back and look. Another interesting thing is that even with the deer breaking off the arrow, he still never bled a drop.

James Vee

Wow, I'm sorry to hear that you haven't found him. From the sounds of your shot, it should have been a fatal hit. Especially with the amount of time you gave the deer before going back to find him. I hope you atlest find what's left of him this weekend.