Antler Eater

Buck No. 1

14 yard slight angle (quartering to) shot from a treestand that was about 18 feet up. However because it was on the side of the hill I would guess the buck was less than 12 feet below my stand. Arrow weight, around 460 grains pushing about 67 lbs of KE out of a Darton Maverick with a draw length of about 28". I was shooting a two blade Magnus on a Carbon Express 400. It caught the edge of the Scapula putting a nick in the bone and also notched the blade of the broadhead, however the arrow passed completely through. The buck wasn't really big, around 160 pounds, the blood trail was fair although I didn't need it because he only traveled 20 yards after being hit.

Buck No. 2

A twenty-five yard shot slightly quartering away 18 feet up the tree. 490 grain arrow pushing out about 65lbs of KE with the same Darton Maverick. This time I was shooting a Wasp Jakhammer mechanical. It penetrated the thin part of the left scapula and broke a rib but obviously didn't pass through (see wound in accompaning photo). The buck fell down like a spine shot deer at impact. Struggling in an attempt to get to his feet he went behind a tree and I couldn't put another arrow in him. I climbed down and the minute my feet touched the ground, so did his. He ran a few yards (the arrow came out) and fell over. However each time after a momentary stuggle he would get to his feet and run some more. This went on for about a half mile. When he calmed down enough to stay laying down (in a grassy area) I stalked up and put a finishing arrow in him. He was well over two hundred pounds, a decent buck.



Related buck of interest (at least I think so)

. This buck came from behind me and actually crossed beneath me (20 foot stand). When he got about 18 yards away I stopped him with by mouth and put an arrow just behind his right shoulder. It was not a complete passthrough so I thought maybe I shot through the thin spot on the scapula because from my angle I thought it was through the shoulder. I was using a two blade broad head and shooting around 70 pounds of kinetic energy so I never thought penetration would be a problem. Because I clipped one of the arteries at the top of the heart in addition to getting one lung he only ran about thirty yards and I watched him fall. The arrow broke in three pieces and the blood trail wasn’t very good albeit the buck wasn’t that far away. I figured because I didn’t get a complete pass through that I hit a lot of bone. When butchered, the arrow only hit a rib and the rest was through the meaty part of the shoulders. He wasn't an overly large buck, perhaps 180-190 lbs. Just goes to show when a guy thinks he has everything figured out, he gets proved otherwise. There are no absolutes in bowhunting. A sharp two blade cut on contact head, plenty of kinetic energy, close shot, no major bones hit, and still didn’t get a pass through. Who woulda thunk it!!? Setup: 70 # Darton Maverick. A Carbon Express 400 arrow tipped with a 125 grain Game Tracker First Cut.

DaveC

1 non-recovery.
six point from 30' up (before I figured out I was too high[:'(]) shooting at a buck standing under 15 yards away.

29" 2315 w/ a sharp/new muzzy 100 grain 3 blade shooting 235 fps
I think the total arrow weight was 535, but could be wrong, if so that was
65 ft/lbs ke.

Anyhow when the lincon log hit, it smacked the deer so hard it knocked him to the ground. He found his feet and ran off through the THICK woods. While I was waiting the manditory 30 minutes before getting down I had two rain showers come through erasing any sign of blood.
Myself and friends looked for a long time that day but never found any sign or deer.

Although I took 4 or 5 other deer with them fatties I still can't help but wonder if their thickness impeeded their penetration.


Cannot remember the status of the arrow (it was many moons ago).

BOWFANATIC

160lb 8pt buck in 2002

10 yards broadside
15 ft up tree
426 gn Beman ICS hunter 340's
NAP Spitfire 100gn broadhead
68lbs kinetic energy
Arrow went thru shoulder blade and stopped in opposite leg
buck ran 30 yds and piled up
Arrow was broken about six inches up from broadhead.

When the arrow hit that buck it knocked him off his feet , he got up turned around and ran smack into a tree.

davidmil

Number one:... slam through at about 8 yards from 18 feet up. The BIG buck traveled about 30 yards. He ran right into the ground. Took out his heart.

Number two was years ago with an old slow bow. Distance was 10 yards, broadside from about 12 feet up. At the shot there was a loud smack and it knocked the deer right off his feet. He went straight on his nose in the dirt. Jumped up and took off with the arrow hanging from his shoulder.... never to be seen again. Terrible penetration. The deer was shot 3 weeks later by a gun hunter 100 yards from where I shot him. He was chasing a doe and had a broken shoulder with a Thunderhead stuck in it.

I've shot several others that clipped a shoulder but these are the only ones that actually centered on. I agree.... it can be a pee poor shot to be avoided at all cost.

WV Hunter

I've had 4 that I can remember that involved heavy shoulder bone.

1. A long time ago, with an old bow, aluminum arrows, and Razorback 5 heads. Hit a doe broadside, 20 yds from 12 ft up, arrow hit right on the fat part of the shoulder with a loud crack...and did get some penetration, but not sure how much. I'd guess a few inches, as most of the arrow was hanging out. While waiting before trailing, thunderstorms came in, and poured through the night and half the next day. Could not find her, after much searching over the next two days. No idea of the real outcome. Although I made a bad shot (forward) I was not real impressed with those broadheads. I did take a couple deer with them, but they were not real good heads.

2. I shot a buck at 10 yds, broadside, from about 20ft up. Aluminum arrow, KE of approx 62? I think, Muzzy 115. I aimed a little low since the angle was so steep, and hit smack in the middle top of the shoulder. Bad shot again [:'(]Loud crack again, however arrow penetrated about 6" and clipped the spinal cord in the process. Down he went. The Muzzy did it's job and I was impressed, and I thought if I was using a higher KE bow, it would probably passed all the way through out the bottom of the chest on the opposite side. The broadhead held together but was destroyed after passing through the bone. Muzzy makes a great head.

3. I shot a buck 10yds, broadside, aluminums, Muzzy 115, KE of 65. At the exact time of release, he turned towards me, and the shot hit him on the side, entering in behind the shoulder and just going inside the ribs, down and straight back out. I could have puked. I knew immediately that it was not a fatal shot. He ran under me and out behind me and stopped. Mean while, I had grabbed another arrow and got ready for a possible follow up shot. He stopped quartering hard away at 40yds, wide open. I only shoot 1 pin, but practice out to 40 so I aimed about a foot over him, and let it fly. Arrow entered his right hind quarter, and passed all the way through and came out his left front shoulder(right through the fat part). He went about 15yds and was down. When I got down, and went over to him...I realized that I had used an arrow that I was carrying for 2 years in my quiver that had a Magnus 2 blade on it. It passed all the way through and came out the shoulder bone about 6 inches. The arrow broke when he ran, and the back of the shaft was completely inside him. Had to field dress him to get it out. The broadhead was in great shape, and after a touch up, went back in the quiver. After that episode, I've been shooting magnus 2 blade 125's since.

4. I shot a doe, at about 25yds broadside, 20 ft up, aluminums, Magnus 125, KE 67. At the shot, she stepped forward and I hit her back a tad. I knew immediately it was a poor shot. Pass through right in the guts. She went 20 yds hunched up and laid down. She was 42 yds, and I could not get another shot because a tree was in the way. I watched with my binoculars. I felt bad about the shot, but couldn't get a follow up...and couldn't climb down without spooking her off. I didn't want to try, because I could see the intestines hanging out the exit hole, and I knew I'd probably have a hard time finding her, if at all. After about 15 minutes...I decided I had to try and make something happen. I readied for another shot and stomped on my stand loud a couple times. She stood up and took a few steps forward, giving me a slightly quatering to shot about 40 yds. I aimed high and let it fly. The arrow went completely through the near shoulder, right in the fat part, and acutally went half way through the far side shoulder. The head was buried in the bone, with the point sticking out. She went about 15 yds and was down. I ended up cutting out the piece of bone that it was stuck in, and saved it...although now I have no idea where it is [:'(]

I've been very impressed with the penetration of the 2 blade heads. They seem to slice, and slide through...rather than exert so much of their energy busting through. On non-bone hits....it's like hot knife through butter...as it is with many other heads. My current setup is shooting 530 gr aluminums @240, and there's no doubt in my mind that using those broadheads....a heavy bone encounter has a good chance of turning out for the best. Thats why I stick with it.

I forgot to add...sizes. All these deer were between 90-100 lbs dressed...not big but avg for where I hunt.

bow98

Shot a doe at 15 yds. at a fast walk. Arrow hit dead center on shoulder blade passed completly thru taking out a rib on the other side. I was so impressed I boiled off the shoulder blade and bleached it. Have it on display with the rest of my trophys. 65# custom recurve , Easton XX75 2115 arrows, Magnus 2 blade broadhead(actually it was a Nuge blade bought as a souvineer at a sports show I bought 3) Until that day I shot Muzzy 3 blades, now it's Magnus all the way(That was 12 years ago)"Give em the blade"..............

Greg / MO

Shot this guy at about 12 steps from a height of about 15 feet. I hit him square in the shoulder, and he took off at a dead sprint for 70 yards before crashing. Luckily, I had an awesome vantage point and saw the whole run and where he fell, because he didn't leave one drop of blood. No hair, anything. I was shooting a Gold Tip 55/75 with four-inch feathers and a 92-grain Rocket Aerohead Miniblaster with a Pathfinder tip. That head opens up to 1 3/4", and I got a full-width entry hole, but it only penetrated about seven inches. The arrow stayed in, helping to plug up the entrance hole. My MQ-1 is set at 67 lbs., and I shoot a 1" overdraw.

Thought I'd throw in the pic so you could see the body on this guy.



Here's a frontal view, which lets you see the head did an incredible amount of internal damage. But, having said that, I would have hated not to have seen this guy go down since he didn't leave any blood at all.

cottonfarmer

I lost the biggest deer I have ever shot at. Hit him in the shoulder at 12 yards, it started raining right after I shot him and I never found the arrow blood or nothing.

srock

I hit this buck at 8yds from 15ft up with a Hoyt Excel at 58# . I hit 'em with a 30" 2117 with a 125gr Sattelite Titan.

I busted his shoulder and dropped him in his tracks. There was about 20" of arrow protruding. I watched him roll over and break off the arrow. I remember thinking "oooh, that's gotta hurt".

You can see the fletchings at the bottom left in the photo.

I hit'm in the opposite shoulder and it was a bloody mess.