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Hey guys it's been a while. I have been extremely busy with school. I don't know if my absence was noticed or not. I have only been able to get out in the stand a few times this season. I have been taking my crossbow and I don't think I will be using it again. She came out to about 25 yards and I let it fly. I found the broadhead and about 10 inches of the bolt stuck in the ground 5 yards from where the doe was standing. I found a small pool of blood 15 yards from there, then a few specks leading into the hardwoods then nothing. Me and my brother in law fumbled around for 2 hours after dark then a little the next day. I hate knowing that she probably suffered for absolutely nothing and I just dont know it tore me up preetty good. What do you think happened?
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Sasquatch got her -
I shot a decent 10 point in early November and I shot a few inches high. I ended up shooting above his lungs I guess. I too had a good initial blood trail and then a spotty trail. I looked for 2 days with no success. 2 weeks later I was scouting the area I saw him pushing a doe and he seemed fine. He still had the injury obviously but otherwise he looked healthy.Comment
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the shot could have been high in "no mans land" ive shot one there before and never did find her, or it could have possibly been low enough to graze her rib cage and bleed a little bit, if it is possible she may have been gut shot, its amazing how far a gut shot deer can go.Comment
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Did you recover the arrow, the type of sign on the arrow may tell you what happened? If the deer was gut shot you should be able to smell it on the arrow. White hair may indicate that you shot low, fat on the arrow could indicate you creased the back. You may have gone over the lungs but under the spine.Comment
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She died an agonizing death most likely. What else could have happened? We only fool ourselves when we think all thoses deer we wound survive.Comment
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"those"Comment
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Safado sums up what you can tell from the arrow as far as where you hit her but also look at the amount of blood. A very low or crease the back shot leaves very little blood. To me, the pool of blood and the fact that you found part of the bolt says you hit her hard but not hard enough to keep her going for a long way. I'd guess gut shot or a hit in no man's land through and through. Either way, she's coyote and bear food by now.
I wouldn't give up on your crossbow. But I would rethink the whole shot. What angles, the distance, the amount of practice you've had, at what distances, can you tell the difference between 20, 25, 30 yards in the field, how does your crossbow shoot at those distances, have you practiced from a tree stand if you hunt from one, did you practice wearing your hunting clothing? A crossbow isn't even half a rifle/shotgun. It's still a bow. You can't ethically take any shot with one you wouldn't take with any other bow. You really have to understand how you and your crossbow shoot at different distances, heights, and angles.Comment
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You didn't mention how she reacted to the shot, where you think you hit her and how she ran off, or the shot angle. If you don't know it was a great shot, wait a couple to several hours before tracking. Given time most mortally injured deer won't run far. Gut shot deer lay down almost immeadiately if not pushed.Comment
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