Have you ever seen a big game animal pull an arrow out?

[WhitetailHtr]

I can think of at least two deer that I have killed that took off after the shot, stopped about 50 yards after the shot (where I couldn't really see them clearly but knew they were there), and then continued on.

When I trailed both of these animals I found the arrow at the location where they stopped.  I have to assume that they somehow were able to reach around and pull the arrow out of their bodies.  BTW both animals were recovered a short distance further on.

On occasion, I have physically had to remove an arrow from a dead deer, and it requires a good "yank" in a parallel direction to the arrow shaft.  If a big game animal can pull an arrow out, how in the heck are they able to reach around in an awkward position and actually accomplish it?  Much less endure the discomfort that accompanies it?

Has anyone ever truly witnessed this happen in a hunting situation?  BTW both were trad kills.

[Michael Arnette]

Hard to pull them out when they almost always go through both sides and into the dirt  

[Yooper-traveler]

I made a rough shot on a quartering away doe this year.  To make a long story short she ran off with my grizzly in her right leg.  I watched her stand behind some autumn olive 70 yards away and reach back to yank my shaft out.  
The deer appeared fine and so was my arrow.  That was the first time I've seen one pull and arrow out in 30 plus years of hunting, but I've always assumed they do as I have found my arrows next to where they bed after a shot.

[Burnsie]

I haven't,  but my buddy many, many years ago took an ill-advised frontal shot and hit a big doe in the front sternum,  she reach down and yanked it out with her mouth and ran off.

[Anointed Archer]

I was hunting a fence row connecting a couple fields of small Christmas trees So I could see several hundred yards in all directions. I made a bad shot on a lone doe, I hit her high and back on the shoulder. She ran off about 100 yards and stopped in a grove of taller pines but still very visible for me from my tree stand. That's when I witnessed her reach around and bite that arrow and pull it out.

[fnshtr]

Yes, one time in nearly 50 years of hunting.

[Biathlonman]

I shot a hog sharply quartering away a few years back.  Found it a couple hours later rubbing against a tree to get the arrow out.  It got it dislodged and took off just as I was closing in.

[D. Key]

I had one pull out the arrow once.  A Cedar arrow and it had teeth marks in the shaft where he grabbed it.

[shick]

Took a doe with a good quartering away shot; She dropped and pulled the wooden Custom King arrow out and died right there.  The Rothhaar Snuffer was still inside her.  Amazing.
Shick

I had a doe bite off the feathered end once.  Problem was the arrow was not in the deer.   It was a bad shot turned worse by a deflection.  The arrow stuck into the apple tree where the doe was picking up grounded apples.  I nipped a  low branch that was not in the suspected flight path, or at least I didn't think it was.  Anyway, she chomped it right off and then ran away.  I have only had three deer run off with an arrow sticking out of them, I never saw them stop to bite at it, the arrows broke off while the deer was running.

[30coupe]

Originally posted by pavan:
I never saw them stop to bite at it, the arrows broke off while the deer was running.

That's been my experience too. Every time I didn't get a pass through, it cost me an arrow shaft, I think.

[TooManyHobbies]

A few years ago, I hit a doe high, from above. She ran off with the arrow sticking up, 99% sure there was no exit hole. While trailing, I found the slightly bent arrow with maybe 6" of blood on lethal end, sticking in the ground. No other explanation than she pulled it out and dropped it point down. Did not find her.

[Hummer3T]

I had an elk kick one out and remember watching a hunting video where a deer turned around and yanked one out with its mouth.

Interested if bear hunters would have more experiences.

[ChuckC]

I shot at a young buck that jumped the string so bad I hit him on the rump, on the other side !

He jumped a few times, stopped and reached back and pulled the arrow out with his mouth, then walked away.  It was not buried in him, just more or less under the skin, but it was in him for sure.

I have no idea what pain animals feel, but there is a lot less pain in an arrow cut, or any other cut, than we often attribute.  Surface nerves are cut, muscled and internals don't have the same sort of nerves and it just doesn't hurt.  Many folks who were shot or stabbed by their own arrow back this up.
ChuckC

[Walt Francis]

It happens all the time.  

I have seen one elk, three deer, and a wolf, I put an arrow into either pull the arrow a out, bite it and break it off, or both.  I have helped trail several hit deer & elk and found the arrow shaft with teeth marks in the wooden shaft.  One time the arrow was next to the dead deer.

[LB_hntr]

Originally posted by Hummer3T:
I had an elk kick one out and remember watching a hunting video where a deer turned around and yanked one out with its mouth.

Interested if bear hunters would have more experiences.

1st bear I ever shot. Slight quartering away shot from 7 yards. Arrow stopped in opposite shoulder. The bear reached around and bit my aluminum 2217 shaft in half. The shaft was stuffed with yellow 1/4 inch poly rope for weight. The had the yellow rope in his mouth as he ran off.

[Burnsie]

I once was in my tree stand and had a squirrel on an adjacent branch about 10-15 yds away.  I always keep a "junker" arrow on the quiver for just such occasions.  I took the shot and hit the squirrel right through the mid section.  He fell to the ground squealing and thrashing making a heck of a ruckus. Next thing I know,  I hear him nashing threw the cedar arrow like a beaver.  He gnawed all the way though and the fletched end fell to the ground and when he took of to run the remaining long section fell out. Never did find him.

[Steve Jr]

The very first deer that I ever killed was with a Steve Abbott longbow and a cedar arrow. The arrow did not pass through but she stopped about 20 yards after the shot reached around with her mouth bit down and broke the arrow off. She went another 10 yards and died. That is still a great memory that I hope I never forget!! I believe the year was 1993.

Steve Jr

[Shadowhnter]

I heart shot a doe at 10 yards from the ground. She was virtually broadside but was at a slight angle. The arrow lodged in the opposite leg, but when it hit she did a back flip off a high creek bank and into a pool of water on the bend of the small creek. She thrashed all the way over to the opposite side nearly underwater, got up to her feet, limped off 20 yards down in the creek bottom and stopped and reached down and bit a 2216 easton aluminum clean in half up against her body. I could plainly see everything as it happened, and when she bit it off it fell to the ground. She straightned her head around to face forward, and promptly fell over right there and died.

[Tedd]

I even have a picture of one. This coyote got a hold of the cedar shaft but died so quickly he didn't get it pulled out. (the ground prevented a pass through    )