my streak has ended.

[MikeP]

Don't post much yet, but love reading all the story's. Thought I'd share my heart breaker. Long read!!

I've been hunting over 25 years and everyone that knows me knows my biggest bragging right is that I have not lost a deer in 24 years. I try to take pride in my hunting and won't take a shot unless I am 100% sure of it. (By now you can guess where this is going). And yes a little luck now and then doesn't hurt.

The only deer I have ever lost was 24 years ago. 100% my fault. Inexperience, bad shot choice, and the worst broadhead I have ever seen. I shot a 6 point in the neck at 15 yards with a punchcutter broadhead. Arrow went in a few inches and I'm guessing hit bone. Deer turned and arrow flew out.

Tracked deer. For 3 hours with drips of blood over 2 hills. I believe this hit was not fatal. Life lesson and swore that I would never take another questionable shot. And I haven't.

Moving on to this Friday e evening. I was in my stand 16 feet up, deer was 25 yards out, almost broadside maybe angling away slightly. Aim was 3" above belly line right in the heart pocket.

Apon release this deer dropped like a brick. Belly on the ground. Arrow hits high, couple inches below spine. He turns and heads down hill and I can see about 10" of arrow sticking out the other side. Sat for 15 min and got down to take a look. I found some hair and marked my hit spot and started looking for blood.

I walked about 50 yards to where I last saw him. No blood. It was getting dark and I new it wasn't a great hit so I decided to back out til morning.

Got up in the morning to the sound of rain and just about lost my mind. It didn't rain much but any rain isn't good for a blood trail.

Had my coffee and waited for sun rise. Spent the next 4 hours in the woods spraying peroxide on anything that looked like blood. I'm not bragging but just for info if most of my hunting buddies can't find a deer they give me a call. I think I have gotten pretty good over the years.

Anyway after hours and every route and path doing L's and circles and then going to spots where I thought he would bed, nothing. No blood no deer. I can't figure it out for the life of me how it's posable. May have missed the near lung but should have hit the far lung. Dead deer within 100 yards.

Well if you made it this far thanks for reading my story, oh and it was a 6 point I swear could have been the same deer come back to haunt me 24 years later. Lol.

[nybuckboy]

Well you have fared much better than most and you should not feel too bad as you did what you could.

[joe12]

sounds like he probably is still living. Sounds like you hit no mans land right below spine.

[Doewhacker]

Sounds like you clipped the deer above the spine and it is still kicking. I did the same thing a few years back and caught up with the deer in ML season, healthy as could be until I shot it.

[SteveB]

Spine is way lower then many realize.

Unless shooting almost straight down or at a severe quartering angle, it is almost impossible to miss the near lung and hit the far one.

There is no spot in the lung cavity where you can shot below the spine and not hit the lung/lungs.

And while rare, a deer can survive a lung hit - particularly a high one.

Most likely shot threw the back strap above the spine.

It's a muscle hit that will bleed, often a lot to start and then quit.

Most survive.

When they drop like that, it's very hard to see the actual placement.

[MikeP]

I said a couple inches below the spine. What I meant was a couple inches below the top of the back. I've played it over in my head 1000 times and what I come up with is a hit just above the spine through the back muscle. I just don't get the no blood thing. Muscle hits bleed pretty good for the first 50 yards. It would make more sence if the arrow passed through and the skin blocked the hole.

Oh well, weard things are bound to happen and I've been lucky for over 20 years. I am confident I put every effort I could in to finding him but it don't make it any easier. Hopefully I'll see him Saturday and finish the job.

[SteveB]

The arrow staying in could have slowed the blood.

With a hit that high, I'm betting he will be fine.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I had the same hit Saturday on a doe, only my arrow nicked a branch and went high, hit just below the line of the back, which is above the spine, through the backstraps. It is also known as "no mans land" and I believe is often mistaken for being "between the lungs and spine" when in reality, its above the spine. Anywho, the trail went like this, 50 yards, no blood after the initial brown hair at the hit, then a few yards of blood, arrow came out, was laying there coated, then 100 yards of what looked like a paint bucket got spilled, then some clotting, then zip, zero, zilch. I was able to track her by the freshly ruffled up leaves, right to her hiding spot, where she jumped up and ran away, but not before I could see the wound. She will most likely live and I might get another crack at her during gun season. Sounds like the same type of a hit to me.

[MikeP]

I had the same hit Saturday on a doe, only my arrow nicked a branch and went high, hit just below the line of the back, which is above the spine, through the backstraps. It is also known as "no mans land" and I believe is often mistaken for being "between the lungs and spine" when in reality, its above the spine. Anywho, the trail went like this, 50 yards, no blood after the initial brown hair at the hit, then a few yards of blood, arrow came out, was laying there coated, then 100 yards of what looked like a paint bucket got spilled, then some clotting, then zip, zero, zilch. I was able to track her by the freshly ruffled up leaves, right to her hiding spot, where she jumped up and ran away, but not before I could see the wound. She will most likely live and I might get another crack at her during gun season. Sounds like the same type of a hit to me.

Sounds about right but I had no blood. Think a lot of it could of been do to rain over night. Didn't think it rained hard enough to wash it all away but who knows.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Hard to tell. If you think it was a good enough hit, give Deer Search a call, their dogs can track even after a rainfall.

[greensider]

punch cutters they were so light they hit the ribs on the exit side and bounced back out the hole they went in

[the blur]

my buddy hit a deer, and saw the arrow sticking out of the deer. The deer pulled the arrow out with it's teeth, or rubbed it out on a tree. He found the arrow the next day.