Snowshoe escaped!

[T-Bone]

Yesterday I was up in the mountains in Colorado bunny hunting and had a demoralizing event.  After 4 or 5 missed runing shots at cootontails, I had a snowshoe bust out of the brush and stop at 10 yards.  I connected with a blunt and the arrow hit in the rear thigh. The snowshoe spun around a feww times and I thought he was about to die and all of a sudden he took off with my arrow hanging out.  The blunt I was using had rear prongs preventing the arrow from falling out.  I then took another shot in desparation and miised. I never recovered it.  The thought of that poor snowshoe running around and suffering with my arrow lodged in it makes me sick my stomach.  Anyone out have a similar situation?  I was also suprised that my arrow only penetrated about 5 inches through the rear thigh because I was shooting a 50# bow.   Do blunts put up that much resistance to stop the penetration?  It was my first time after rabbits.  However, I was pleased to see so many.  After about 10 am all the bunies seemed to disappear.  Is that common, and if so where do they go?  Like I said, by late morning, there were no bunnies to be found, but early in the morning they seemed to be everwhere.  Any thoughts and info would be great.

Thanks and God bless.

Tom

[Gehrke145]

I shoot broadheads for them, where you at in CO.

[Gaff]

i dont like blunts at all. i have shot 3 squirels in the last 2 weeks with blunts and all have gotten away. last year at shawns bunny hunt i hit a bunny behind the shoulder at 10 yds and the arrow burried to the fletch and the bunny ran away, never to be seen again.
i belive unless you can hit then in the head than some type of cutting edge is the way to go.

been thinkin about tryin the small game head from g5. it has sharpend grabbie arms.

[Brian Krebs]

I lost a few arrows to bunnies jumping into mine shafts - where they stayed during the day. Seems like east of Colorado Springs there were tons of bunnies and tons of mine shafts !

[John Scifres]

Blunts are designed to stop penetration.  If you don't hit something where the percussion or shock is gonna knock 'em out, like the head or lungs, you stand a good chance of losing them.  Sounds like a slight miss.  That happens.  I'd use broadheads on something as big as a snowshoe anyways.  

It's broadheads only for squirrels for me.  I once shot a gray squirrel with a blunt from a compound.  It knocked the crap out of him but did not pass through at all.  I killed him but it proved to me that a cutting head is needed for squirrels.  I damn near decapitated one once and he still ran away a ways.

Rabbits make themselves scarce in the daytime.  That's when you kick 'em out of brushpiles and shoot at them on the run.  You don't hit many but it sure is fun.

[carparcher]

I like "old" broadheads on rabbits.  Also, the G5 screw in is a great small game head.  Muzzy just came out w/ a new head that resembles a classic Judo, but has the Muzzy trocar tip.  I haven't tried it yet, but I bet it would put the hurt on small critters.

[Homebru]

T-Bone,
A couple of things.  One, despite our best intentions, physics can work against us.  If the bunny doesn't weigh enough it's possible that a blunt can expend a bunch of energy "rolling" the bunny rather than penetrating.  Second thing, if you want a partner to chase bunnies, I could be convinced to follow you around.
homebru

[Guru]

With all due respect......A blunt is called that for a reason.....it you were looking to penetrate,which it sounds like you were,why the heck would you use something without a point or cutting edges?

[Stone Knife]

These are good examples of the type of shot that a blunt works it's magic.
   

   

[MikeW]

I don't like blunts for hunting either,they are for stump shooting. I will say I have used the Ace Hex head on Jackrabbits and none have ever got away. Those heads do a real good job if you hit the bunny in the chest or head. Makes a hole like a 22 hollow point or something.

I prefer using old broadheads. This modification Terry does is great. It's where my old WW's go to retire now.
 http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000055
 
 

[T-Bone]

Homebrue, I live in Parker and was hunting the Pike National forest just south of Jefferson.  It's about an hour and a half drive.  The cottontail and snowshoe number seem good.  If you ever want to go, just give me a call. (303)840-9891.  Good trad partners seem to be in short supply around here.

Thanks guys for all the good advice.  I have archery hunted for many years, but only for deer and elk. I'm new to this buuny stuff.  I realize blunts are designed not to penetrate well, but on my targets I was getting much better penetration than I did on that snowshoe which was only 10 yards awAY.