Bloody Arrow sign interpetation and advice needed

[South MS Bowhunter]

Shot a doe late this afternoon right at legal shooting hours,at the shot all indications were a shot in the boiler room.  

Shot was about 20 yards broadside from a natural ground blind on the edge of a food plot.

Upon release heard the distinct sound of the "popping balloon" and watched as the doe dropped to the ground almost touching her belly and simultaneously reeling her legs to leave the way she came.

I sat for an additional 10-15 minutes before checking the arrow.  Which at that point as I was gathering my gear up another deer started blowing.

My first thoughts were it was another deer not seen by me as there has been a group of 4 coming in on a regular basic the last 5 days or so.

I fully expected to find an arrow with bright bubbly blood, I  instead found an arrow that appeared to be clean with no evidence of a hit.  I picked it up disappointed and placed in my quiver and headed home.

After arriving home and changing clothes I set out to resharpen the broadhead, and once I had my glasses on     To my amazement the broadhead had hair and fat embedded in it and the arrow had a faint coating of blood from broadhead to back of fletchings.

 


 

I did not see the actual impact of the arrow, only the does reaction and the sound.  Did not hear any crash or trashing, but this could easily be explained by the deer normal route.  They travel a well bush hogged road between pines.

I know it not a lot to go on, but i'm looking for ya'll thoughts.

I'll be back there in the morning to search, the temps are going down to 32 tonight.  My only worries are the coyotes.

I shot a doe last year with about the same type blood and evidence but it was a gut shot deer and you could smell it.  This doesn't have that smell.

Thoughts please  

The hair on the broadhead in the pic looks brown and not white. If so, you may have been a tad high, and with her ducking the way you described, you may have hit her right across the top of the back. If that is the case, she will most likely be fine. It's really hard to guess though.

Bisch

[Matty]

Well the obvious, you did hit this deer. If you hit the lungs. Even the liver. The arrow would be covered  with better blood that what we are seeing here. As they are highly vascular areas. The oiliness could indicate intestines. But without the smell that's a far stretch. The only thing left would be the actual stomach. And depending on the angle of your shot. Might not be all that far fetched if she was moving from right to left. Food particles would be slightly evident too. It's good you didn't go after her. Check tomorrow after it's been 24 hrs. You might pick up some blood. Where she laid down. Or she may be right there! Good luck. And don't quit!

[Kopper1013]

I'm with Bisch either high or low brisket maybe taking some of the off side fine leg hairs on its way through. I always tend to lean towards brisket hits when the arrows are smeared with blood and fat and from experience when you hit or touch that rib cartilage low them deer freak out. Good luck hope you fine better sign/deer in the morning.

[9 Shocks]

Looks just like a deer I hit earlier this season that ducked the arrow and turned on a 25 yard shot.  Went through the fat of her back.  She ran...but only about 20 yards then stopped and look around like "what the heck was that"  then she bounded away.  Blood was barely there and after a 5 hour search and eventually seeing her later, she is alive and well now with new piercing.  I hate wounding them but stuff happens and deer react sometimes.  Just part of the glory that is archery!

Good luck, Keep us updated.

[archer66]

The thing that concerns me most about the description is the "popped pumpkin" sound....that's usually a body cavity puncture.  Gut/paunch shot deer usually leave the arrow covered in fat like you have and blood smears like you have but also they usually leave a stink on the arrow.....unless the stomach was nearly empty which I might well have been......

You'll want to wait until tomorrow for sure and hopefully you'll find a blood trail.  If not and if you truly didn't push her (hope that wasn't her blowing at you) then she should have bedded close by...100-200 yards ish and you'll find her with a good thorough search.  If you did accidentally push her she might be considerably further.  

Good luck!!  I hope ya find her.

[South MS Bowhunter]

First pic was with the flash on here one without to see the hair in it natural light.

 

[South MS Bowhunter]

The one I shot last year through the gut had similar blood smears and fat but like I said also had the evidence of gut.

I'm holding out hope that it will be better sign in daylight.  My buddy shot one earlier this year with less signs than this and found his deer.  Turned out he enter from a quartering away angle and when through gut and kidney.

[Crittergetter]

I shot a doe a few years back that I hit high straight up from the leg. She dropped straight to the ground and jumped up and almost did a back flip. She was caughing as she ran off. I just new she was a dead deer, but my arrow looked the same as yours. After about an hour we started looking but never found any sign of her. I had hit her to high and went thru the body cavity just over the lungs.
I hope your outcome is better than mine. Best of luck to you!

[archer66]

Double post sorry.

[durp]

strange things happen some times...my grandson killed a spike bull this year with a broad side standing shot, he hit it perfect between ribs and the arrow took out the right lung and then turned up and embeded in the spine    

keep us posted

[Mr. fingers]

Im with Bisch i had the  same thing happen to me a few yrs ago. I shot the deer hit it high the deer ran off and looked fine after retrieving my arrow it looked similar to yours. When the deer ran off it headed 80 yds then cut right. I had a pretty good idea where it was heading. I waited a good 6 hrs. Then headed to where I figured the deer went. It was,a,well worn deer trail that I always see deer use. I did find blood not a lot I tracked it for maybe 40 yds. Then no more blood. Never found any more blood or the deer
So for piece of mind go look. You may get lucky! Good luck
Tim

[robertson]

BLOOD DOG

If you have some available !!

[South MS Bowhunter]

ttt

[Jayrod]

Get out looking now you definitely have had let her have enough time to die!

[ranger 3]

I hope you find it

[black velvet]

Looking at the arrow I would say brisket. She will be fine.

[South MS Bowhunter]

Just got back in after searching for half the day, I'm pretty well convinced that my shot was marginal at best.  Like most have stated more than likely a brisket hit by the sign on the arrow and what I was able to find today.

The terrain is thick pines choked with wild yopon shrubs.  Very thick and need to be a rabbit to get through it.

 

From where I hit the doe to the only Blood found was approximately 40 yards.  Here's a pic from inside the hide to the edge of the food plot.

 
 
The location of the blood is also in the same proximity of where I heard the deer blowing after gathering my gear up to leave.  

 

To me it appeared the deer stood in this location and it allowed the small patch of blood to drip.

I grid search what areas I could get into to find more blood or any other likely signs and turned up nothing.

Thanks to all for your comments and advice, I knew that the most I could expect was some past experiences that would help me in what I knew was going to a difficult track.

Been a tough year so far far, 2 shots one hit and a miss.

[Joeabowhunter]

Sorry you didn't get your doe.  Your arrow looks exactly like a brisket shot I made on a buck last year.  That deer survived and likely yours will too.

[Broken Arrows]

The arrow looks the same as the brisket shot I made last year with the same blood I was amazed how the blood just stopped. I was able to track the deer until her prints got mixed up with some others.