I have relied on this board before with great results. Tell me what you think about this shot tonight. First, some details. I am 16 ft up in a stand, shooting a #53 R/D, cedar arrow, 2-blade zwickey head very sharp. He was 23 yards broadside slow walk , unperturbed. I shot when he was essentially perpendicular to me. Shot him almost precisely in the middle, both side to side and vertically. He turned immediately ran hard 75 yards to a small island, disappeared into very thick stuff. Lots of racket right then, either from him going down or from him running hard through the brush. The arrow was sticking out, about half in half out as he ran. The only thing bugging me is the thwack upon impact. No nearside shoulder or leg, no ham. But thwack. Rib, offside shoulder or leg?. Don't know. I left at dark without looking at all. thoughts?

Could be a liver shot and hit rib on opposite side. Report in morning. Good luck.

If you hit him "in the middle" both directions, you likely hit stomach. The "thwack" was the arrow hitting ribs. You may have hit the liver.

What I think is I would have at least looked for blood to see if it was a liver, lung, muscle, or gut shot. Then backed out or go in based on that. Also, if an island surrounded by water, I would have circled it to determine if tracks with blood exited it or if deer remained on island. Look for water and blood on rocks or fresh tracks in mud at isle edge.

If you mean just an 'island' of thick cover, look for blood on vegetation going in. Circle the cover and determine if exit occurred. Good luck, hope you find it, and meat is still good and coyote free.

sorry.... the island is an island of woods in the middle of a bean field. Not water.

Probably not going to have much blood . I would back out for 5 hours and then go get him. It is cool enough to wait till first light also.

The sound was probably him going down hope so

If it’s liver and you heard a crash I’d go check tonight but it’s hot as hell here so I would have nothing to lose trying to recover. If I can’t eat it I won’t hang the horns that’s just me though.

Liver hit is my guess too.

I'd be willing to bet you hit him better than you thought. I think you will get him.

What stonepoint said

Most likely laid down in the thick cover. I believe he will be there since you didn't disturb him. Good luck.>>>----> Ken

Sounds like a dead deer to me...I`ll put money on it.

if the shot was where your saying im guessin liver and that's a dead deer. probable dead in that brush he crashed into. report back im betting youll have found your harvest! good luck!

Thanks all. Shot him a little more front than I thought. Easy find. Fedora, Zwickey , and paul at elite arrows set me up. Have a great season all.

Nice job. It looks like the shot was better than you thought.

Great shot. Great buck. Congrats!

Congrats to you! Awesome!

That's a great buck, and nice shot. Glad you got him quickly. Beautiful eastern buck! Hope I get one like that someday here to the north of you!

Looks like a pretty good thwack to me.. congrats.

Way to go.

Well done sir.

Cheers folks! Thanks for well wishes and have a safe season!

Nice going.

Nice buck

Looks like you made a better hit than you thought. I'd say backing out was the right call. Congrats, good job.

Nice buck. I told you he would be there. >>>----> Ken

Were you able to determine if a rib was hit going in and what stopped the arrow on the off side? Great deer by the way!

Congrats. Nice buck.

Congrats! I think you played it right. Its hard for us all to be patient.

To the question as to whether I was able to see the origin of the thwack, answer is no but I suspect several guys got it right when they said " rib". The arrow did get all of the way through him so there was an exit. But when he ran off , he ran directly away from me and I say at least 8 inches sticking out. So I surmise it blew all the was to the other side, hit a rib, explaining the sound, but not preventing a partial exit wound . I am not sure if the arrow eventually made its way all the way through or if it backed out when running through some debris( found 20 inches of the pointy end, no sign of the remaining fletched side).. The blood trail looked like i hit him with a chainsaw and it was coming from the lungs and from both sides. I am a believer in Zwickey. Thanks agian for all of the input. Its a constant learning process for me.

Smoke city!!! Awesome job and congratulations on what to me looks like a dandy buck and a fine shot!

Nice deer! Paul Jalon will be tickled pink to here of it.

NICE VERY NICE!!!!!!

That's great to read. Grats on the clean kill!

Congratulations...

Sweet whats to review. You got him. He ran hard maybe because he was shocked and the noise that's a sound that's a beauty to my ears. He was crashing into things he was sideways and out of his mind he din't have his faulty's. Off trail and trying to leave.

Good job, congratulations!

Good follow up. Glad you recovered him.

Beautiful buck. I'd say from all the blood around his mouth you definitely got both lungs. Great shot.

Good deal bud.

Congratulations on a nice buck!

Congratulations, good story and great picture.

I suspect the second ruckus you heard was him spooking, as the arrow point snagged and broke the shaft inside him.

Great job and nice deer!!!!!

Great job and nice deer!!!!!

Congrats to you!!

Congrats!!!

congrats

Nice buck. Love it when it works out that way.

Congrats!!

Beautiful buck Chris and a good shot. Congrats!!

Great job on a nice buck!

Joe

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