Any way this shot was lethal?

[buckeyebowhunter]

I like many of us, have had my share of poor shots on game. I was little baffled yesterday, and I've decided that instead of pouting and being ashamed when it happens I would like to learn as much as I can about the situation for future instances. Part of this learning stems from sharing with my fellow hunters and getting opinions. I also feel this helps me move on from the pouting faze a little quicker.

I took a shot yesterday at a doe that was about 15 yards quartered away. I missed my mark slightly and I knew that I hit low. My first reaction was great! I heart shot her! But as I watched her demeanor she acted almost as if nothing happened after a short burst from the impact site. I watch as she stood in the same spot for almost a half hour or so just looking around and licking at her wound. SO I knew now that it was not a heart shot. I climbed down slowly with the intention of getting another shot off if possible. Unfortunately my stalk was interrupted by a small buck that saw me and in turn blew out with her also following. She ran off just fine.

Okay so I find at the impact site long white hairs, and an arrow covered in grease and fat  and some blood on the fletching. I find where she stood for the long time a large pile of very red blood. I decide to take the trail and after about a hundred yards of very light blood, nothing. I searched around for awhile but never bumped another deer. My thoughts are that it is just a brisket hit, more or less a flesh wound, just inches from the heart?

I've been wearing a gopro on my hunts this year and was able to review the shot slightly. It's hard to tell what is going on in the picture but the red dot I highlighted is my arrow just before impact. I am interested in what you guys think or if you have experience with this hit.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

That far forward, that angle, that after shot reaction. Nope. Wouldn't worry about it. Now low behind the heart can be bad news, you end up below lungs and liver, behind heart it's going to die and it takes a while. That's the worst shot I've had to deal with. Full on gutshot is easier than low behind the heart.

R

[Terry Green]

No worries,  the deer is fine. Brisket shot no doubt.  Location in the pic and mentioning grease. Yep.

[Russell Southerland]

I tend to agree, so X2

[Red Beastmaster]

I shot low like that anticipating the infamous duck that didn't happen. White hair, grease, little blood, El zippo. Deer lived on to not duck another day.

[buckeyebowhunter]

Thanks for the input guys. She didn't have time to duck. I just simply missed my mark low and forward. Should've been an easy shot. But i still get excited even on does, don't think that will ever go away even after all the deer ive shot. Glad to hear that she should be fine.

[Terry Green]

Buckeye, if that's not the original pic,  can you email me the original full size?

[buckeyebowhunter]

Terry i will send you the original but it's on my computer at work. That is actually just a screen shot of the gopro footage.  May i ask why?

[Terry Green]

Sure, so I can see the shot placement better. 

[Trenton G.]

You can actually hit the heart and not kill the deer as well sometimes. A cut in the muscle but not an actual puncture wound into one of the chambers can produce a lot of bright blood while still resulting in a deer that survives.

[buckeyebowhunter]

Terry i can probably send you the video clip if you're interested.

[MCNSC]

Shot a nice buck about there quite a few years ago. His buddy a 6 pt had crossed my trail and blew. The 8 backed up and as I raised my bow it touched a limb. He looked directly at me and turned to leave offering me a broad side shot. I’m thinking he’s spooked and going to drop, well I shot low and he didn’t drop. I didn’t have much blood, got a tracking dog and found a bed but not the deer.

[Terry Green]

Either one buckeye would be great.

[Roger Norris]

Sounds like low brisket to me. She's fine.

[Terry Green]

I would still like to see the original pic, and/or the video. 

[buckeyebowhunter]

Terry, I tried to send the video from my work email. Sorry it took a minute, I just now got back to work today. Let me know if you got it.

[Terry Green]

I got it... let me watch it...

[Terry Green]

I watched it several times watching for impact, and several times to see if the deer flinched.  Impact definitely brisket, and the deer never moved until the arrow passed through.

Thanks for sending that, I'm always curious to learn more. 

[buckeyebowhunter]

For sure! That's the main reason ive been wearing the gopro, shot analysis and learning.

Hindsight, i probably should've stopped her. I wanted to take the shot earlier in the encounter but she kinda snuck up on me and i was not prepared until she started to quarter away.

[Mint]

I had the same kind of hit on a unique drop tine buck. Followed light blood trail for a couple of hundred yards then nothing. Got a picture of him about a month later.