Speaking of Strange Hits/Trails

[Wary Buck]

Shot a doe tonight at quitting time.  Never really saw the arrow hit, but release felt great and heard it smack hard.  Deer ran off as if hard hit, but stopped maybe 50 yards away where I could barely see it for a few seconds and then it walked out of sight.  

With light skiff of snow decided I'd wait a few minutes and get right on it (probably not best idea but with Christmas plans it was the only one for this situation).  No blood or arrow at point of impact, which with the snow I was really shocked.  Started finding blood maybe 15 yds down trail.  When deer was walking slow, sign looked like this.  Red (never pink) blood.

 

At this point, I'm not sure what I have but like I said, it was going to be almost impossible for me to come out in the morning, so I kept on it, slowly, plus we had a little snow in air so I didn't want to lose sign.  Long story short, at least 200 or 250 yards later, probably 300 yards later, I shine my light 3-4 yards ahead and there is the doe laying down, head up, in this cave formed by the fallen cottonwood's rootball being pulled out of the ground.  Literally, she's inside a cozy cave.  While scrambling to try to fix my light in my stocking cap to allow for a shot, the doe bails out but only makes it maybe 10 yards before collapsing and dying.  Wish I'd checked my watch, but I'm guessing it was 30-40 min. after the hit (the trail was a walker)

The arrow is still in it and undamaged.  
 

Looks like a heart hit, but the animal was somewhat quartered away (not as much as it appears in this photo).  I did not do a full autopsy or anything like that (I had a lot of work to do, a long ways to go, and a short time to do it in), but the heart itself is unscathed.
Did I cut an artery leading to the heart?  There was a TON of blood in the chest cavity.

Trust me, this arrow was very sharp.  I'm just shocked how far she went/lasted with this hit.  I'm guessing had I tiptoed out of there, she'd have gone 50-60 yards, bedded, and died right there.  Most likely become coyote bait overnight.

 

[Keith Karr]

Thanks for posting the story and pictures Bryce!

What head were you using?

[Mudd]

Congratulations on your kill and recovery!

Merry Christmas!

God bless,Mudd

id say it went in front of the heart, looks pretty tight to the arm pit to me....

[carbonflyr]

does it really matter all that much? the important part is the fact that you made a successful recovery!    congrats & have a merry christmas!!

[Wary Buck]

Woodsman head, when I pulled it out it came out hard (like lodged in some bone) and was full of fat like from the brisket area.  I wish this had been a morning hunt so I could've taken my time, but I had a LONG way to go and LOT of work to do so rushed the after-shot look-see.  The shot angle was not as steep of a quartering away angle as the one picture with arrow protruding looks.  If broadside is 90 degrees, I'd say I was about 60 degrees tops.  Of course as deer ran off it could've kept pushing that arrow back tighter to the side, or maybe some bone deflected it to a steeper angle.  I'm curious tomorrow when I butcher it to maybe learn a little more.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Nice Big DOE

[Ybuck]

I enjoy your stories!
Congratulations sir.

[creekwood]

Sleep well tonight, it will soon be Christmas. Good on ya! All's well that ends well.

[BlacktailBowhunter]

It just looks like a low hit. It takes awhile for them to die like that.

Congrats on a nice doe.

[Cottonwood]

Nice big doe, great story and awesome recovery, truly a Merry Christmas.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Nice big fat doe! Great Job.....I could use one like that right about now.

It sounds like you have already explained it to yourself exactly what happened.
I think you did cut an artery around the heart, but missed the actual heart and that's why she went as far as she did.........she actually had to bleed out inside first before dying.

That's a testiment right there to having an ultra sharp broadhead. If your broadhead would have only been so...so sharp, I don't think you would have found her.
Doesn't matter....it all worked out great in the end and yes you did rush the recovery, but under the circumstances you explained.....I can understand. I've been in those situations myself.

I'm glad it all worked out the way it did...once again Great job!  

[Jack Whitmire Jr]

Bryce do you think you hit an artery , seems like she would have sprayed more blood if so ?

My guess is you  actually did hit at that angle and barely got in the chest cavity taking out the front of 1 lung . Maybe hitting the back of the leg going in causing the lack of pentetration??? Not sure can't see the picture with the arrow well enough to make an informed decision.

Interested to see what you find when you clean her up . Please let us know .


Jack

[Plumber]

so close to the heart probally hit a main artery a small cut in a major artery will do the job.they may go a little farther.but in the end dead is dead.good job nice deer merry christmas

[Doug in MN]

Good looking doe Bryce great recovery.
That a Pronghorn you are holding in your left hand.

[Stone Knife]

Nice deer brother  

[Follower]

Nice way to spend Christmas eve - nice story and good ending Bryce.

[Lin Rhea]

Congratulations on a fine deer. You did good.

Was the deer walking when you shot?

For kicks, let me tell you what I think. The front leg was forward (?) when the arrow went in tight in the pocket, effectively closing the entrance wound about 2/3 of the time as it ran/walked. Even the slight quartering angle missed the heart (in front), but cut enough vessels to give you sporatic red blood even though it was bleeding out inside. The leg was also moving the arrow back and forth raking the innards pretty good.

It's sometimes is easy to speculate, but I believe the "tight to the pocket" shot was a little too tight, if that's possible. Lin

[straitera]

Great story & deer. Every kill is a lesson. Thanks for the pix. Well done.

[Bill Watts II]

Bryce,

I'd guess that you caught the artery that runs to the front leg relatively close to the heart.  I've seen that shot before on an elk, and it fairly quickly tucked itself into some brush and put pressure on the wound until it apparently closed.

Great story.  Thanks for sharing and congratulations!

Watts