New one to me…

[haftafish22]

I have shot all sorts of broadheads. Personal experience I went back to my tried and true fixed blade this year. Double lung pass through on a good buck and no blood. Shot not terribly high by any means, mid body height behind the shoulder about 3”. Anyway, when I say no blood, did have some, but not what is to be expected.

buck was shot and went 12 yards or so with no blood. Normal. Then I found some specs and then he crossed 50 yards of prairie grass. I found one spot where when he landed on a bound, blood out both sides about a softball size each. Then nothing. Looked all over and just couldn’t pick up blood.

called a friend with a dog and he was able to make it that next morning. No doubt dead deer, but I had no where to go from with the lack of blood. He came over next day at almost noon and we recovered the deer about 50yards away in some hell of a jungle of woods. Coyotes found him before we did unfortunately and it’s sucks because I was really looking forward to the vittles and a nice shoulder mount.

anyway, story aside, have you guys ever ran into this? Sure pissed me off but what else could I do? Broadhead did its job with a pass through in the right spot. Hate it.



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[MacIntosh]

Ive seen a couple where it was a high-ish hit and didnt bleed much. I think they are bleeding inside at that point. Seen this more with a slightly high hit, especially from the ground, especially a little back or quartering shot where you might get 1 lung and liver or something like that. Close tree stand hit the exit is low enough that any blood leaks easier?? That makes sense to me anyway. Ive also heard people say internal stuff—fat, tissue, lung, whatever—can get into the hole and help to plug it. what do you think after examining it, are the entry/exit cuts full width of blades, what did it hit on the way theough? Its going to happen but I guess all we can do is examine what the shot was and what the result was and try to learn whatever we can from it. Congrats, and sorry the coyotes got there first.

[Luke]

Just courious what BH was it?
If I shoot fixed heads I shoot a 4 blade slick trick Viper trick. I think the 4 blades have a better hole than a 3 blade and they are touch as nails.
I have shot some G5 fixed heads in the past with very poor blood trails.
Next year im going back to an expandable and shooting 2" Sevr heads.

[haftafish22]

Just courious what BH was it?
If I shoot fixed heads I shoot a 4 blade slick trick Viper trick. I think the 4 blades have a better hole than a 3 blade and they are touch as nails.
I have shot some G5 fixed heads in the past with very poor blood trails.
Next year im going back to an expandable and shooting 2" Sevr heads.

4 blade slick trick… and shot was mid body in and lower out. Hit a rib going in and out. Assuming, it created a much smaller hole but still.

[boneil]

Happens alot and there could be many reasons, small holes can lead to a lack of blood. I have experienced following fat trails instead of blood trails on deer. I've switched back and forth with different broadheads. But always end back up with a mechanical. I've lost deer with fixed heads, never lost a deer with a 2" Sevr, even on bad shots.

[Roddy]

Higher hits sometimes fill the body before much exits. Other times on really fat deer, the fat plugs the hole as it did on the buck my son shot Monday with a 4 blade slick trick magnum. I may shoot. A Ramcat head next. I tested a bunch of different heads before I went to New Zealand and nothing I shot was better in testing for penetration for its cutting dia. If not for the need to get longer arrows since they hit my raiser if not indexed, they would have been what I shot my red stag with. A friend has shot 3 elk with them and swears by them.

[haftafish22]

Higher hits sometimes fill the body before much exits. Other times on really fat deer, the fat plugs the hole as it did on the buck my son shot Monday with a 4 blade slick trick magnum. I may shoot. A Ramcat head next. I tested a bunch of different heads before I went to New Zealand and nothing I shot was better in testing for penetration for its cutting dia. If not for the need to get longer arrows since they hit my raiser if not indexed, they would have been what I shot my red stag with. A friend has shot 3 elk with them and swears by them.

in the pic with the dog, it’s muzzle is on the entrance and the exit was on other side at white to brown hair transition. Very weird situation after killing 70+ with my bow. I have lost deer from bad shots, but I would have lost this deer without a dog with what I considered to be a damn near perfect shot Placement. Deer was very heavy for this area, but we didn’t do much more investigation as it has been 36 hours in 80* temps

[mikesxpress]

I've killed allot of deer with arrows, firearms, and now big bore PCP airguns. I would guess the average is <45% have an actual blood trail. If you achieve a decent heart/lung shot with any of those weapons the animal will expire. Some close to the point of impact, some not so close. *Note: This does not reflect the the results of TV show kills using the latest & greatest projectiles touted to be blood pouring devices.
The fixed blade Muzzy has been around since 1984 and continues to kill deer. The 30-06 has, and still kills more deer than all the other center fire cartridges combined. And no I don't shoot Muzzy's or have a 30-06.

This ain't no game and nothing has changed.
Doing a radar type sweep of the area normally locates the animal. Trail search in the last known direction of travel is 2nd. I don't always find them but it's pretty rare I don't.