Bloody Arrow sign interpetation and advice needed

[J. Cook]

I agree that it was a brisket shot - I've unfortunately seen arrows that look just like that and similar blood trails.  The good news is - other than a small wound that will heal by the end of the week - she's completely fine.  Do you have trail cameras in the area?  If you do - you'll see her again real soon to confirm.

[RC]

I would bet a high meat hit. RC

[South MS Bowhunter]

RC and others,

Thanks again for your advice and comments.

I know others and even I have considered the hit being in the brisket, but their is a part of me that agrees with RC and a High hit.

My arrow was found lodge in the dirt beyond the deer some 8 yards away indicating to me a high hit considering also she jump the string.

That what my mind plays out.  The only problem with that is the blood would have to drip from the top down to create the small patch (3"x3" in size).  And it seems more likely to do so from the brisket area    

[Duncan]

I cut one across the back once upon a time and my arrow looked just like yours and the blood was the same. Pretty good amounts where ever the deer stopped. I followed mine into a thicket and found blood smeared on saplings it rubbed against which gave me hope until I found where she went under a low limb. The limb acted liked a squeegee across the back wound and scraped the blood off of her back. After that I spent hours but could not pick up anything further. Conclusion: cut across the back.

[South MS Bowhunter]

If anything a good discussion for future reference on wound anatomy.

[Hickrylb]

Fat usually comes from two spots brisket ,and back ,but not saying that a doe
 may have a slight layer along midline, I'd go out before Coyote s get on her trail .

[KSdan]

The fat with limited blood on the arrow is the clue of high or low.  However, long white hair is typical on a brisket hit.  The brown hair and dark tips suggest to me it is a high back.

Dan in KS

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Not a good sign when they stand around and blow at you afterwards!  As others have stated, the arrow sign looks marginal high or low to me, from the reaction you saw I'd say high, deer ducking the sound plus reacting in a downward motion to the hit.  If they run off a little way and stand around because they are getting sick, like from the liver, would result in a better looking arrow, and no blowing.  I ran one thru the high loin on a buck this year and he ran off and stood 50 yards away looking around for 5 min, head up/alert.  He then snuck off to 100 yds or so, stood around another 15 min, then walked off. I could see him the whole time.  Decent blood at each spot, but I knew there wasn't a chance.  I put my dog on him the next day, just to see, and he headed to a doe bedding area and checked a scrape 300 yds from where I shot him.... by then he probably forgot about it.  They get cut up/hurt all the time, and I wager a good buck fight results in more lasting hurt than a marginal arrow.

R

[J. Cook]

A high back hit could definitely be the case - I went with a brisket hit as my "guess" because back in my compound days I went through a spell as a youngster of shooting high out of my stands and "tenderloined" more than one.  In each case there was always "meat" on my arrow, not just fat.  Whereas the few I've hit in the brisket have resulted in arrows exactly like the one in this thread.  

Hard to tell unfortunately.  The good news is that either of those hits result in an otherwise healthy deer.

[South MS Bowhunter]

Ryan,

I thought about you and your dog as I was searching, what would be the results if she took up the track; At this point I was convinced the deer was going about its everyday life just having earned her PHD in survival tactics.

Would love to see maybe a thread started where arrows and signs are interpreted like this to assist in tracking.

Although I hate it with a passion wounding a deer, this has been educational for me and I hope others.

[Cwilder]

Looks like a meat hit

[LKH]

When you cut thru above the spine you are opening a significant wound in both backstraps.  There will be slow but steady blood for a while until she lays up and it closes the wound.  I will take a little while for it to work it's way down to the brisket and drip off.  The fat also is indicative of a back hit.

If you had hit the brisket the blood would have been almost immediate and it wouldn't have taken 40 yards to find some.

I rifle killed a large muley this fall that had been shot thru both backstraps sometime in the past and had healed.  The sinew had pulled together and basically healed like a rope in the middle of the meat.  He was healthy.  I have pics but don't know how to post them.

I shot this buck on 10/8/15. If you look at the pic, you will see 2 holes. The lower one was my entry hole. The deer went 50yds, and I watched him topple over. I never saw the top hole till I recovered him. That top hole center punched both backstraps. The deer never gave me any indication he was injured. We found out later that a guy on he place next to ours had shot him the night before I did! Again, I could see no indication of injury, even from 12yds, before I shot him. They are tough critters!

Bisch

[Jayrod]

Thxs for posting that bisch a picture is worth a thousand words especially when some think there shots are perfect and think they won't go far what tough animals they are for sure!!

[South MS Bowhunter]

Thanks Bisch,

I would say my shot was probably near bouts the same as your bucks high hit.  The way the doe ducked and rolled.

They are wired upped here and I'm having a hard time adjusting for their quickness.