Problems with harvesting my longbow hunts

[Joe Destro]

I just started long bow hunting last year.  Long story short, I have shot 3 deer, all within 25 ft, all good lung shots, but have not been able to find the deer.  I can't ever find a blood trail, and the deer never drop.  I'm using a 45 lb r/d longbow (43 lbs at my draw), port orford cedar shafted arrows (27") with 125 grain broad heads.  I used zwikey no mercy single bevels twice, sharp out of the pack, left hand bevel to match my left hand fletching.  I also used a scirocco 125 grain with bleeder blades, again sharp out of the pack.

What am I doing wrong.  I feel horrible that I these deer are suffering, and frustrated I can't harvest my hunt.

[fnshtr]

After 30 some trad deer I've never lost a lung shot deer. I wish I could help you out... but can tell you that equipment is not the problem.

A razor sharp BH through lungs should result in a short blood trail.

I'm curious how others will answer.

[Bladepeek]

I would certainly question the "sharp out of the box" Zwickeys. I love Zwickeys; single bevel, deltas, Eskimos, but I've never found them sharp out of the package. All that I've taken new from the package were not even close to sharp.

[doug77]

Sorry, but I find very few broadheads sharp out of the box.

doug77

[freedomhunter]

Yeah Zwickey is def not sharp out of the box took me and hour to get 3 to shave my leg hairs with no problem.  They are sharp now!

[Doug_K]

Have you been able to recover the arrows? Could you tell if you had good penetration?

I don't know how much general bowhunting experience you have, but often if you only have an entry wound, no exit, you won't find blood for a good while down the trail. This is especially true imho if you hit a bit high. Until you can find blood, you have to follow tracks and other sign.

If that's not possible, you need to know the area, and start searching in a grid pattern.

I've never seen even a single lung shot go more than maybe a hundred yards.

I've also had a few that I could find absolutely no blood until I found the deer.

Finally, I've yet to see a a "traditional" broadhead sharp out of the package, but this probably isn't the issue if you know you had good placement and good penetration.

Again, I don't know your level of general bowhunting experience, but that's my 2 cents worth.

[Stickbow]

Somethin aint right here.............

[ChuckC]

Sounds like you need a nearby mentor for a short while.  

I agree with the statements above, I don't think those heads come all that sharp "out of the box", however. .  even dull as can be, if one was run thru both lungs, that deer is dead.

Talk a little bit more. .  What happens ?  You shoot, (tell us about the shots), the deer responds (tell us how), you go look for blood (tell us when and how), and you don't find any (then what)?   From 25 feet (were you in a tree stand ?  How high ?  That is < 10 yards, where did you aim and hit ?  Angles that close change things.

Keep talking so we can try to help from afar.
ChuckC

[fmscan]

Do you wait before follow up? They will run off a ways, turn around to see if anything is coming and figure out what happened.... Then they lay down. Let them stay there a while and expire. If they see you coming they can really make recovery hard.

[BowDiddle]

Neither of those broadheads are hunting sharp/adequate out of the box.

[pdk25]

The broadhead doesn't matter at all in this case.  A field tip will get it done bin the lungs.  I always question where the deer was hit until the animal is recovered. A frothy red blood on the arrow would be a good sign, but I know a ton of people who don't hit where they think they hit, myself included.  Very close shots are the toughest for me in this regard because the arrow isn't in the air long enough.  All that being said, not all deer bleed the same.  High shots tend to bleed less initially.  A deer will put down way less blood per foot when running, and it important to follow them with your eyes as much as possible.  If all If all else fails, tracking dogs are awesome.  If you have any doubt at all on the shot, back out for a few hours, then if no trail vdoca thorough grid search.

[Keefer]

I also agree with the statements about the Zwicky's being "Sharp out of the box"! All the ones I bought aren't sharp but can be with some strokes with the correct angle and a file stroking them from the back to front and forming a "Burr" then taking that burr off with a steel or stone..There are so many "How Too" videos on how to sharpen a two blade broadhead if you take the time to look here and ask questions.. No one will give you a hard time but rather help you in some way..I have a KME Broadhead sharpener that will get the heads sharp on a screw on Zwicky but there are some super cheap sharpeners that three rivers and other venders sell here that you just pull the blade through that has a carbide cutting blade in and they are good for someone that may not know how to sharpen with a file or stone..You can carry them in your pocket and they are made for single bevel heads also..Just trying to help you out and ask questions and you will get many good answers here...

[black velvet]

3 deer all good lung hits and no recoveries, No blood at all, what are the odds, something ain't right here. These deer should all be down within 100yds. I would question the hits. My guess is somewhere in the brisket.

[Cavscout9753]

Bad times no doubt. Agree with all. Those heads are factory grount at best. Is the arrow/bow tuned right? Do you know how to track deer well? Are you hunting in rain? Theres an infinite number of variables. To properly answer your question from a semi-physics stand point: a 43 R/D LB, with a POC arrow with a good COC head at 25' in the lungs will most certainly kill a deer. If any of those variables changes its anyones guess.

[cch]

If you are shooting them like they do on TV you will be hitting them in the guts. My guess is you are hitting them too far back and not hitting the lungs. Shoot straight up the leg and you will have better results. Check out the shot placement thread at the top of the page. Also make sure to touch up your broadheads they should be able to shave hair easily.

[Nick Barber]

As a couple others have stated a sharp broadhead in the lu go will put a deer down within minutes nearly every time.  Shoot just above the front leg, watch where the head off to and wait 15 minutes after the shot to go have a look. Generally I have found that the higher they are hit the less blood there is.  
When I head over to where the deer was when I shot I will tie a piece of cloth or surveyors tape to a bit of vegetation where the deer was then start looking for blood in the direction the deer headed and tie off another marker where I last saw the deer. If you can't find anything start walking in an arc back and forth in the direction the deer headed looking for sign.
While following the blood trail if it isn't very heavy I will keep tying off markers every few yards as a reminder.  If you can find your arrow it will also help to determine where on the body the deer was hit, bright frothy looking blood would indicate a lung, dark thick blood is generally a liver hit, if you find vegetation or digestive matter in the blood it would indicate a gut hit.
As to broadheads, the Zwickeys are great points (I've used them for years) but all that I have ever used need some work to get them sharp enough.

[Brad Arnett]

Joe, where do you live? There are quite a few of us here in Mi and all are good guys willing to help out another hunter.

[LPM]

1. Hang in there. Your getting good feedback.

2. Your equipment is not an issue as long as your arrow flight is good.

3. Never hunt with a broad head designed to be re-sharpened without making sure it will shave hair from your arm. (be careful with that).

4. Make sure you understand whitetail deer anatomy from all shot angles.

5. A deer can handle a lot of abuse on a hit  high on a shoulder. Deer usually crouch a bit at the sound of a bowshot making a higher hit likely.  Remember that a high hit can look pretty good from a tree stand.  Usually a lot of arrow sticks out on a shoulder hit.  Very little blood. Even heavy bows have trouble getting arrows through heavy shoulder bone so don't fret your setup.

6. Lower stand placement helps greatly with shot angle and exposing as much kill zone as possible. It will also provide a better blood trail if you don't get a pass through.

7.  Bow hunting is a close up exciting experience and the anticipation of arrow striking game is very powerful.  The urge to lift the head and see the impact will also cause the drawing hand to drop at the release.  An inch of hand leaving the face will raise the impact of your arrow .  Add the crouch of a deer at the shot and the tendency to shoot high if focus is lost, and that arrow is going to hit high every time.

8. Don't give up. Just pay attention to the details.


Sorry if I've been redundant or missed something on my first read through.

[CoachBGriff]

This is all great advice.  That's the beauty of this site.  Do the work, find the information on here.  Lots of smart people have videoed and written it all down here.  Research, research, research!

[hybridbow hunter]

Originally posted by Joe Destro:
I just started long bow hunting last year.  Long story short, I have shot 3 deer, all within 25 ft, all good lung shots, but have not been able to find the deer.  I can't ever find a blood trail, and the deer never drop.  I'm using a 45 lb r/d longbow (43 lbs at my draw), port orford cedar shafted arrows (27") with 125 grain broad heads.  I used zwikey no mercy single bevels twice, sharp out of the pack, left hand bevel to match my left hand fletching.  I also used a scirocco 125 grain with bleeder blades, again sharp out of the pack.

What am I doing wrong.  I feel horrible that I these deer are suffering, and frustrated I can't harvest my hunt.

Don't you feel something Is wrong with that topic?
What kind of newbie ( first post on TG) in trad bowhunting archery has enough knowledge to get 3 times in a season at less than 10 yards of deers and shoot them 3 times in the lung area, use and match the single bevel of his broadhead with his fletching, talk about the reflex deflex of the low poundage weapon he is shooting, seem to make his arrows and at the same time use dull broadhead (zwickey) ?
High odd for a Troll topic....