Rack-attack

I would like to hear some info on deer hit in the shoulder blade (scapula) and were recovered.

I think its the worst place to hit a deer and I lost two bucks years ago with blade hits before I realized what was going on.



Please add following info:

Angle and dist of shot

Weight of arrow and arrow type (Carbon / Alum)

Ke of setup or poundage, DL, and type of bow

Broadhead used

From tree or ground

Inches of penetration, pass thru? Did arrow break off

Size of deer

Dist deer went after shot

Describe blood trail

Thanks

CBM SC

Your just wanting recovered ......correct ?

Shot 2 before...... recovered 1 in Jan.2003 !

Distance 30 yrds .....broadside or a possible slight qtr to angle
PSE CF Dominator 300 arrow = 350 grains
71#ke @0 yrds .....Mathews Ultra2 ......30" draw 65% let off
100 grain Spitfire 3 blade Pro Series
Tree- apprx. 20 ft up
Estimate 4-5" of penetration = arrow did break around the insert (broadhead was in tact) !!
Don't remember......but I think he was 150-160 lbs (8pt with broke main beam)
Zero = Arrow punched through the shoulder(not the ridge or hardest part) and broke the spine
Actually a fair amount of blood came out of the entry hole ....kind of surprising !


Also tracked and recovered a doe for a friend :

12-15 yrds Qtr towards slightly
Beman ICS Hunter = probably around 370-380 grains
55-58# of KE .....Mathews MQ-32 ....29" draw...80%
Tree ....18-20 ft up
RM Ti-Revolution 100
10-12" penetration (arrow broke as deer ran off)
110 lb doe (hit in the very back of the shldr blade & angled toward the back ribs on the opposite side)
125-150 yrds
No blood trail to speak of

He lost one the following year with a much higher ke set up and a shoulder hit !!

Belle Island

I lost a nice little 8 pt about 4 years ago. 15 yds, centered the shoulder bone, and got only minimal penetration, good blood for about 40 yds, then nothing.

About 2 years after that I nailed a small 3 pt with the shoulder blade hit, complete penetration with both shoulder blades busted. Recoved within 40yds. Shooting Muzzy then. About 10yds from a treestand.

I think the difference was, on the first buck, I squared the actual shoulder/leg bone. On the smaller buck I just busted through the weeker shoulder blade.

ijimmy

Many years ago , shooting
pse 55 lbs 28 inches
muzzy 3 blade 100 grain
28" 2213 with vanes aprox 460 grains
from 20 feet up a tree , a palm tree that is
75 lb spike at 12 yards hit square on the shoulder went thru the ball and socket , and about 4 inches of penitration , cutting one lung . Recovered deer 200 yards away . Lerned a lesson on that one , I was new to archery hunting back then and thought you shot them in the same place as when gun hunting . Very poor blood trail .

Charlie P

Angle and dist of shot= 18 yards 12 -13 ft high

Weight of arrow and arrow type (Carbon / Alum) 440 grains Carbon . Might hbe a little off I've changed my set up.

Ke of setup or poundage, DL, and type of bow( 62 lbs of KEI think) 70 lbs Hoyt magnatech

Broadhead used -125 grain thunderhead

From tree or ground- tree

Inches of penetration, pass thru? Did arrow break off - penetration 14 inches Yes arrow broke off

Size of deer -120 lb doe dressed out

Dist deer went after shot - 45 yards angled down one lung and heart.

Describe blood trail - pretty darn good,


I didn't mean to hit shoulder . When I saw her take off I thought oh crap cause she was dragging her leg. About three seconds later I heard a crash. When I field dressed her I saw the heart the broadhead ran right down it.

Antler Eater

Rack this should be an interesting and educational post, thanks.

One question comes to mind...Could you define what you mean by "Shoulder blade"?

I know I sound moronic but trust me I am sincere in asking. When I talk about the shoulder blade I am refering to the scapula, some call it the "paddle bone". When I hear others refer to the "shoulder bone" they are really speaking of the leg bone that attaches to the scapula. Others simply refer to a general area and if they don't butcher their own deer really don't know if they even hit a bone.

Rack-attack

Yes that is what I am talking about.

Thanks so far guys for all the detail - I am hoping to learn a bit from this

wimp

ok shoulder shot #1

PSE pulsar express @68# 2216@30" rocky mtn razor Bhead 125 gr
Shot was 6-8 yds from 15-18 ft hi
Complete pass thru, arrow went thru flat thin part of shoulder blade and exited bottom of deer on the gut side of the diaphram
The buck(125# dressed) travelled 55-60 yds with NO blood trail at all.

Shoulder shot #2
PSE Nova @ 70# [email protected]" thunderhead 125
shot was 13 yds from 18 ft hi
Arrow just poked through opposite side of deer about 4" Arrow smashed thru shoulder bone (where the flat part turns to the ridge)
Buck (135# dressed) travelled 35 yds with spotty bloodtrail

Shoulder shot #3
Same set up as above
Shot was about 20 yds from 18 ft up
Arrow hit square the shoulder leg bone and penetrated VERY little. 4" tops??
Arrow fell out after about 70 yds. The deer travelled 250 yds with easily followed bloodtrail and was given follow up shot in its bed. Doe(105# dressed)

Shoulder shot #4
Same setup as above, with nearly identical result as shot#1
Doe was 5 yds I was 15 ft up, Piled up after 40 yds with no blood trail
She was big for a doe(125# dressed)

On 2 other bucks I have broken the opposite shoulder.

trestand

Two seasons ago,shot a doe quartering away and going slightly uphill at 22yds.I was appox.25 feet up,shooting a Q2,30in.,67lbs,Beman Carbon-Hunters 380-16's,100grs. NAP Spitfires,428grs. total arrow weight,260fps.The arrow enterd though the right shouldar blade,and exited out over the frount of her left leg. She only ran about 40yds,with a gruesome blood trail.The arrow shattered,but the Spitfire was recovered. This was my first deer shot using my new Copper-John,so thats the excuse I'm using for hitting this deer too far foward....Bob

Big John

1. 68lb PSE Carrera using 385 gr. carbon and spitfire broadhead. 205 lb field dressed weight 8 pt. Thru near shoulder and head sticking out far shoulder. Good blood trail and deer went 50yds.
2. 70lb. High Country Extreme with carbon arrows and spitfire broadhead. Slight angle away, on a doe. Thru near blade and just poked thru far blade. Good blood and doe went 40yds.
3. 65 lb. High Country Sniper using 2213 arrows with overdraw. 240 lb. Russian boar and thunderheads. 1st shot angle away thru near ribs and poked out far blade. No blood, went 3/4 mile and put another arrow 1 inchfrom first arrow. Thru near blade and passthru far ribs. Went 40 final yards with no blood.