Lost deer bowhunting

[RANGER487]

How many have had the to loose a deer after shooting it with a bow? My boy on opening night had a good doe at 15 yards out of our ground blind and I know he hit it hard with the thump we heard after the shot. There was no pass through so I'm thinking a shoulder hit after pondering on it for awhile. We found good blood for long ways and then there was a spot were it brushed up against a leave and then nothing after that. We backed out and took some help the next day and spent 3 hours or more looking to find nothing. I know it happens and has do to me but this one really still bothering me for some reason. My boy is fine about it knowing these things happen he's only 12 and handled it really well and is ready for the next one.

[yetti462]

I don't know anyone who has NOT lost a deer with either a bow or firearm.

[RANGER487]

[QUOTE=yetti462;9702272]I don't know anyone who has NOT lost a deer with either a bow or firearm.[/QUOTE

I know we all have just had to vent a bit Thanks

[rclark1]

That's the reason I quit bow hunting. Make a great shot and for some reason can not find the deer.

[AdamB]

Nothing like having a lumenok on the arrow. There'd been no doubt about shoulder hit or pass through. Sorry for the loss, but we've all been there. Gut wrenching nonetheless. Tell your son to hang in there.

[RANGER487]

Nothing like having a lumenok on the arrow. There'd been no doubt about shoulder hit or pass through. Sorry for the loss, but we've all been there. Gut wrenching nonetheless. Tell your son to hang in there.

Going to get those your the second person that has mentioned that to me. I knew about them just never tried them

[brnzbaklvr]

They are getting quite a few guys up here with tracking dogs...I have no idea what they charge..

[hatcreek]

They are getting quite a few guys up here with tracking dogs...I have no idea what they charge..

My last Lab (RIP, Deets ) loved his work...







...and almost without fail, "loved" every one he ever found (wasn't particular in the least).

[dwmgg17]

A good track dog is priceless and money in the bank. Can not see anyone without one unless it is against the law.

[Boone2004]

I have lost 2 nice bucks to shoulder hits can still picture it all in my mind but you try and move on to the next one

[Bass Junkie]

Lost a good one a couple years ago. Hit it high and forward. Watched it run off with my arrow sticking out of it's shoulder. Looked all over for that deer both that day and the next and even tried tracking it with my lab but I never found it. I pull plenty of weight but I switched from mechanical head to fixed after that. I feel like they give you an edge on those marginal hits but you have to be able to tune a bow to shoot them and some guys either can't or won't take the time and effort to do it. You didn't say anything about the bow setup and I'm not assuming here only make a statement; a low poundage draw weight and a large cut mechanical head is a recipe for disaster.

[RANGER487]

Lost a good one a couple years ago. Hit it high and forward. Watched it run off with my arrow sticking out of it's shoulder. Looked all over for that deer both that day and the next and even tried tracking it with my lab but I never found it. I pull plenty of weight but I switched from mechanical head to fixed after that. I feel like they give you an edge on those marginal hits but you have to be able to tune a bow to shoot them and some guys either can't or won't take the time and effort to do it. You didn't say anything about the bow setup and I'm not assuming here only make a statement; a low poundage draw weight and a large cut mechanical head is a recipe for disaster.

He was hunting with a 160 pd crossbow with fixed blade NAP Thunderheads. We went and sot the bow again after the hunt and it was good. Sometime a deer flinched also that could have caused an issue

[jc1992]

This does happen. Last weekend my dad hit a nice buck with his crossbow using a rage broadhead and found the arrow with blood but never found the deer

[Capw]

Wait til you completely miss at 15 yards and sit there with a WTF look on your face. Yes, I know it’s better than wounding one.

[Bass Junkie]

He was hunting with a 160 pd crossbow with fixed blade NAP Thunderheads. We went and sot the bow again after the hunt and it was good. Sometime a deer flinched also that could have caused an issue

Well that eliminates any of those issues. Sometimes it just happens. We as hunters are not perfect by any means. Sometimes we make great shots and sometimes we err. It made me sick when I did it but it does happen and we have to live, learn, and move on.

[brnzbaklvr]

That shows how tough these deer are...If someone sticks me with a broad head, I am going to lay on the ground and scream like a little beetch..

[DMart1]

If you hunt long enough it will happen. Every shot doesn't end up with a perfect hit, no matter how hard we try to make an ethical kill.

On a sidenote, I've switched to a heavier (500 gr) arrow for this season in case of shoulder shots. Interesting podcast on the merits of it (or heavier), owner of Grizzlystik is also in it.

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-b...cord-29668846/

[RANGER487]

Wait til you completely miss at 15 yards and sit there with a WTF look on your face. Yes, I know it’s better than wounding one.

I actually missed a deer with a 30-06 at about 45 yards one time. the deer stood there and let me shoot again and that was a bad move on his part it dropped right there.

[Roddy]

Wait til you completely miss at 15 yards and sit there with a WTF look on your face. Yes, I know it’s better than wounding one.

I know that feeling, years ago I thought I was robin hood. I kill 4 straight squirrels then misses a nice but at under 20 yards. I guess I don't get squirrel fever.

[basscat21]

If you hunt long enough it will happen. Every shot doesn't end up with a perfect hit, no matter how hard we try to make an ethical kill.

On a sidenote, I've switched to a heavier (500 gr) arrow for this season in case of shoulder shots. Interesting podcast on the merits of it (or heavier), owner of Grizzlystik is also in it.

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-b...cord-29668846/

I shoot 800 gr, Douglas fir with 50s era bear broad heads out of my Silvertip recurve. I have hit a shoulder, and the shoulder was no match for the kinetic energy. Have shot straws out of an overdraw and stop on bone. No substitute for weight and a solid blade head. Ziwicky, magnus, snuffer, all are hard hitting heads.
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