So yesterday evening I had 23 deer come through within an hour and a half all just out of range however I was sorta hunting sorta scouting and I have them wired now! (Until I move a stand or 2 and they show up under where they just were!) Anyway the first 22 were all does and the 23rd was a bruiser buck! Biggest i've seen in this area in 15 years. People take fault nice deer here just the biggest i've seen personally on stand (guessing mid 160s) I watched him for about 3-5 minutes and then he offered up a slightly quartered away shot at 22 yards. I drew perfectly and was well composed and as I started ro release here must've gotten bitten or had a scratch that he flipped his head around forward his hind leg shed the arrow was on its way....... I hit him dead center in the neck from head to shoulder and about 2" high off mid neck..... he dropped from the impact and got to and made a big semi circle where he lost his footing 3 times but was still running well otherwise then the last I saw if him he was dropping into a big extremely thick brush choked canyon void of trees but waist high briars and fire weed..... I didn't pursue him except the first 50 yards and they're was zero blood. When the arrow hit it sounded like someone snapped a big stick over their knee and it didn't get full penetration so it had to have hit something solid? Needless to say I feel terribly bad, can't sleep and just waiting for light to start the search. Ive killed well over a 100 big game animals all with trad gear but i've never hit one in the neck? Any suggestions or experience with this? Thank you Trav

Well Travis,,,poop happens

I had a bad hit years ago with a rifle and couldn’t sleep and was worried sick It panned out but what a crappy feeling All you can do is get on it as soon as you can and take your time,,an extra set of eyes or two will help a lot Ah good friend and avid hunter had his first bad hit years ago and was so freaked he forgot the basics and was giving up He called me to tell me and I could hear his frustration I told him I’ll be over first thing in the morning and we ll go find him,,,big circles,,back and fourth,,and I found him under a log my friend musta walked by 10 times Good luck

I had a similar thing happen last year. I hit the buck in the neck he ran off with arrow in hm. No blood first 100 yards then he went into some really thick brush. The brush must have moved the arrow enough to cut an artery because when the blood started it looked like you dumped it out of a bucket. I found him 10 yards from first blood. Don’t give up. My bad shot had a happy ending yours could too.

I had a similar thing happen last year. I hit the buck in the neck he ran off with arrow in hm. No blood first 100 yards then he went into some really thick brush. The brush must have moved the arrow enough to cut an artery because when the blood started it looked like you dumped it out of a bucket. I found him 10 yards from first blood. Don’t give up. My bad shot had a happy ending yours could too.

It is a terrible feeling. Even at 22 yds, things can happen. Good luck finding it.

good luck, I hope it works out.

Bummer we've all been there.Unless he dropped anchored from the spine hit it will be tough to recover him.I hope we see pictures today!

Look for the birds to mark his location.

X2 on 4nolz@work. Good luck

Time is on your side, give as much as you can. My buddy loved the neck shot and recovered everyone of them, they just happen to run 3-400 yards. Also, remember hell favor the side he was hit on when he turns. Go slow and I bet you'll find him. Also, wildbill sad ice is good.

That is a spine hit. Since he didn't go down your only shot is get another arrow into him. If you can round up a couple of buddies and put them a some vantage points when you got look, they might see him when you trail.

I've got my fingers crossed for you. Odds are he'll be OK.

Bowmania

Good luck. Things happen now and then and yes, it makes you feel lousy. Hope you find him or see him later.

Good luck keep us posted

Hunt long enough and this type of thing will happen. Do your best to look, it's all you can do.

Good luck to you, I've been there more than once.

A hit above the neck bone might not be mortal, though it would have stunned him momentarily. It sounds like you're doing a good job of searching for him as thought it were a normal hit. We have that obligation and the hope that he will be recovered.One of my prayers is, "If the hit was mortal, please help me to find him/her."

mortal not normal

Been there , awful feeling ,but I think you may be surprised today, good luck , let us know how it turns out ,

Hope you find him

2nd Bowmania's comment.

Three seasons ago I shot a nice buck (9 pt) where the neck meets the shoulder. The shot knocked him off his feet then he was uo and gone. I gave him about 20 hrs then I and 2 friends went looking for him. Very short blood trail and no deer. I searched for 2 more mornings with no luck. 5 days later I was in the same stand and the same buck walked in to the same spot again but I didn't get a shot this time. He was quartering towards me at ten yards. He had a slight limp and a large blood stain on his neck/shoulder. Three days later on the last morning of the season I thought I kilked him. But ut turned out to be

I pray you find him today. Those things are great at hiding under a single leaf and even more so in thick brush. My brother shot one in the neck with a 270. Stunded the deer for a moment then he ran off with his head dang near dragging the ground. Found the deer a week later walking around and browsing on beauty berry. Tough critters. Keep up the search. You never know when you will trip over him. (Quit literally, I have tripped over a deer I was looking for!)

I agree sounds like spine hit. Hope you find your buck.

Sorry!! Continued!! The one I killed turned out to be his twin. Looked the same but with ten points. I said alot of prayes for that 9pt. I hope he surrived.

Good luck finding him today. Keep us posted.

good Luck, I lost one last year. It sucks and is a horrible feeling. I'm pretty sure mine survived--its amazing what they'll bounce back from. My father shot a nice 10 pter with his 7mm08 a few years ago and when we skinned it we found a WASP BH embedded in his spine just behind the shoulder. We were amazed. It had to have been there for years and years...

Why are you talking about this? There is no glory in a mis or a wound!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These things should be kept to yourself!!!!!!!!!

It does no good to tell others unless they are going to help you trail.

Go trail at the light and learn where the animal went. First off find your arrow so you clarify where you hit on the animal. If gut shot then look around water.

You owe it to the animal to figure it out.

Anyone that sympathizes with this and talking about mis's or wounds should rethink what it does. And that is no good.

Not trying to bust on you just stand you up so you learn.

Sounds like you hit above the spinal cord.

Not much for big vessels up there.

Also sounds like he was weak or numb on one side, causing him to turn in toward that side when he tried to run off. Was that the near side that you hit, or the far side? And were you ground level or up in a tree?

What kind of arrow? Carbon? Wood? Alumalog?

I’m gonna guess that unless the arrow gets caught on something and yanked hard enough that it cuts fairly deep into the spinal cord, he’s going to be in decent shape. He’s probably been gouged nearly as bad in sparring with other bucks.

RC sometimes your posts do more to damage our image than the OPosters post.

RC. Do you actually hunt? The fact he has the courage to admit he made a bad shot is a good thing. I'd hate to know the actual number of guys who make bad shots and say nothing and do nothing, give me a break. By your statement I'm going with your one of the latter guys.

There is no shame in making a bad shot or missing a deer as long as it was an ethical shot in my book. Good luck with finding that deer, or at least the satisfaction of knowing he's scarred but still alive.

Highcounty, don't let some of these guys get you down. There's nothing wrong with posting if it could help someone else learn or yourself for that matter.

From my experience neck hits are all or nothing, give it a solid effort if that arrow is stuck in it you have an extra shot at it cutting arteries. If not I would say he will probably live and recover fine.

Whether you're against trail cameras or not put some up and try and give yourself some peace of mind if you can't find him.

Rymancat or whatever you call yourself...... i've been on this site for over a decade and have taken hundreds of big game animals with trad gear and i'm not talking i'm asking bc there's a lot of info on here and as a mass the accumulated kills and hits are infinite so i've never got an animal in that exact spot but someone else might have and could've been the reason I may have recovered it? Which I haven't yet....... instead of talking about others on your computer stop typing and look long ahead hard in the mirror...... are you perfect? I feel terrible am worn out from looking from sun up until now which is the first time i've sat down and i'm still here glassing so chill out....... I know a lot of people in the archery world and if you know anything about that world i've hunted and call some hunters books you've read or DVDs you've watched good friends and someday you may have had a question or in need of something but it won't be coming from me...... I didn't write that to brag about a wound I wrote it bc i'm not beyond advice. That being said i'm sure you're perfect? Sorry everyone just frustrated and I can't stand peo people typing behind their screens..... yes I feel horrible. I'm not afraid to look all week and tag that buck if I find him good or bad meat bc it's the right thing to do ...... I did grow up with outdoor morals..... I should be use to it as i've been completely bodybuilding for 20 years and it's always funny the things people say on the computer until they see me at a show and all 130lbs of them wants to shake my hand...... ugh...... the deer hasn't been found but i'm not close to giving up. For those of you that gave advice and support thank you! It does help .....

This actually made me smile for the first time today.....idk how many of you know or remember Peter iacavazzi? We use to live together and he is a fantastic writer,hunter, human being and him and shaeff were great friends and we spoke one day about writing and showing you're mortal by seeking or asking for help and how many people will pounce to make themselves feel better? Made me smile bc those were good days living and hunting with him and all the other guys he knew that I only read about when I was younger...... soooo thanks for the good memory. My dad passed away 6 months ago and that buck was in his favorite area and that's why I was hunting there and that's why i'm going to find him yet..... cheers everyone...

I made the same hit on a buck years ago. He was on a food plot he spun and ducked so quickly at the shot, I was shooting at his left side and hit him in the neck on the right side.

I was trying 145gr Snuffers and the penetration was abysmal. If I had been shooting my normal Zwickey Deltas he would have dropped on the spot. He ran off with a arrow in his neck waving like a flag, I never found him, there was no blood.

There is one guy on this thread that has a habit of making caustic remarks, always has and probably always will, just ignore him, I do.

Gee me to I've also taken hundreds as well and have the trophy's and museum to prove it as well. I don't talk about things like this. I don't believe you should either that's why I said what I did to you! There's no glory in it so stop doing it. If you truly have taken that many you would have no need to talk like this. When we talk it shows how little we really know about animals arrow shot and if you did take that many you certainly would not be talking to glorify the marginal shot as its being called. I have no sympathy and Its a same for you.

Its that simple!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry if none of you like it or you approve what he's said. Most don't even know enough to be able to say something like I have because they don't have the experience with hundreds of arrow shot animals.

I don't know how old you are but I'm winding down myself my proving days are done. Leave it to the pups to measure up.

If you say you have taken hundreds then I question this because if you have you would know most of all you would of learned and not be asking or talking on an open forum like this because its foolish. I read right through it all .LOL

I'm sorry you don't like what I have said. What I say is highly unpopular anyways. If you have been around here forever you also would know who i am by the things i write and stand for then as well!

This is not a challenge its an observation of mine. Learn from it or you will be faced with it again.

Coyotes birds and bears all need to eat. Variables in the field are and have been a fact and always will be.

Beside many of you seen the animals I shot so I don't even have to go there now do I.LOL And many of you hated to see them.LOL

2 things will happen with a neck shot wind pipe or a vein will kill the animal only unless its spined and you break the the vertebra!!!!

If you arrowed animals you know how animals die! Perioud!

No in between guys, sorry again! We all make shots that go bad no matter who you are if you shot enough arrows you would know.

Yup there's many variables that's what I say all the time is the variables. We can do our best but things happen.

Like I said when you arrow enough animals things happen and its those things that teach us. Then you know.

If the arrow don't fly the animal don't die.

Now with this sad your only as good as your last arrow!

Sorry buddy for scalding you not for the shot but for presenting this like this and the things you said.

Many can't take it when I have shown my animals before so I stopped. You want to hear about my wounds and horror story's I could write a book on it and they lived or we found them. That's right I have had help learning over my years but not on the internet! Master trackers have taught me the hard way.

I'm 65 and only been doing this since I was 8 yo when I arrowed my 1rst game. I know how things die and the 1rst thing I do is wheres the arrow and what evidence is on it. Do not wipe it off ever it tells you where your shot was. we can question shots the arrow don't lie!

I didn't hear him mention anything about his arrow? Now did he? The slap he herd was the vertebra hitting bone is what happened. No artery it would have started guessing. No couching like he couldn't breath so no wind pipe.

Now wheres your arrow and whats on it. The force of the arrow and how it hit shocked him because the vertebra was hit.

Now this is all based on what he said to us in his first caption.

Wheres the rest of your experience guys to know all this when you weren't there? Oh do you even hunt? Well based on what I just said I answered your question. I hunt and set for the shot!

You Einsteins have any other questions you want answered maybe?

Have at the Cat.LOL

Gosh Ryman,, it must be great to be able to read right through other peoples' posts. I for one appreciate what highcountrystykbow did. He came here to get insight about a shot that didn't go where he had planned. Nothing in the world wrong with that. Not "foolish" at all.

Unfortunately we can't do a thing about what happens from the time we release the arrow, until it gets to the target.

fdp said "Unfortunately we can't do a thing about what happens from the time we release the arrow, until it gets to the target."

True, so I'll add to RC's rant.

I shot a doe yesterday evening at about 23 yards. I could feel, just as I released, the wind swirl and her head snap around. She actually completely swapped ends before the arrow got there and it hit her in the top of her hip. Just hit bone, but I still looked for her the rest of the evening, and this morning, even though the arrow had no blood, just a little meat. No blood on the ground. Stuff happens in the real world.

I had a similar hit with a compound bow on a doe. Fortunately for me she started leaving blood at the impact point. My son helped me trail well into dark before we found her. I have no idea how she traveled so far, but it had cut the artery just below the jaw line and had a steady pour running down her neck. Really thick brush made that hard to stay with. Like Mountainman said. An extra pair of eyes may be all it takes.

-Bones

He came on here to brag! He talked about the size of the buck as it was biggest, then he goes into the what happened. Ok we feel sorry for him I get it but get over it and it will stay with him forever as it is anyways.

So why not say something like this hey I had a little issue or however he wants to start out and takes the focus off the size of the deer and just relates to the shot and the impact and what he has on his arrow 9 Picture so we can see it). If he wants help or its just a story and we all have them! well some of us do who arrow game.

Dude wheres your darn arrow? Frisky can't find his arrows either ya know.LOL

Ok if the experience is there taking critters lives then we learn how animals die from suffocation and bleeding.

No bleeding, no suffocation as I pointed out as in the couch like from chocking. The whack is the bone and the way deer acted the shock that freaked him then he left dodge not tripping or falling down through the bush. That all would indicate he's hurt and he can't get his faculties strait to go straight down his trail. Want to find deer walk out all trails coming and going before you do grid search and see what you find.

Wheres the arrow. If its found I bet it will have a smear from the fat on it and a small trace possibly of blood.

Once again experience I don't have to be there to know I see just what happened as it's described and you who has experience should as well. Now if its something else then tell us.

Next day after 8 or 9 am look for birds if dead they will find him.LOL

HOW ABOUT THE NEXT TIME SOMEONE COMES ON HERE AND WANTS TO TALK ABOUT A WOUND WHY DON'T YOU SHOW YOUR ARROW! HOW'S THAT BOYS IS THAT TO MUCH TO ASK FOR?

Let this all be learning for you all. Only you can benefit from what you hear and understand.

Don’t mind Cat. I once offered to compile the data from as many hits as people were willing to report on; draw weight, draw length, bow, arrow, head, GPP, FPS, animal, range, angle, depth of penetration, etc.

He told me if I wanted to know what will kill an animal I should go out and do all the experimenting myself. After all, what coukd everybody else here (all put together) POSSIBLY know that I don’t have the time, money and preference points to figure out on my own?

LOFL

“I am curious as to what the arrow composition would have to do with . It is the Broadhead that does the killing ,but I would like to know what usable info you would get based on arrow material.”

Pure conjecture on my part, but from what I’ve seen, carbons are a LOT tougher than Al or Wood. Seems to me that the amount of force required to break off a carbon shaft could be enough to break the bone surrounding the spinal cord if the head were wedged in there pretty solidly. Aluminum or wood, not so much.

So I was thinking that crashing through some heavy brush might break the arrow off, or it might apply enough force to sever the spinal cord...

Man, I sure wish my s#&t didn't stink. Ryman, any pointers on that while you're dishing out other "advice" from your high horse? To the OP, keep at it. Stuff happens in the real world. Exhaust every option looking for the animal and accept whatever result. If you can admit to yourself at the end of the day that you gave every effort possible to fi doing it then no other opinion matters.

Every animal I wounded has a place in me that I wish I hadn't and most of all the pride those animals carried that many of them were book animals on hunts I was on and spent big money pursuing them.

Gee I would say that would be your issue if you think my dump don't stink. I guess there might be some who feel funny about how it effects them and cuts to the very heart of things don't it. Think about those words and learn by whats being taught rather than worrying about the smell of the crap.

Look through the crap and learn. I'm not on a horse but standing in front of the class though. Don't shoot or hate the teachers now. That's why we don't learn because of narrow mindedness.

What color is the sky in your world Ryman?

It's funny you should mention narrow mindedness. Comments such as yours are a huge contributing factor in the lack of recruitment of new hunters. as well as fuel on th antis fire. Attacking a fellow hunter on a hunting forum for asking for advice in a trying moment where he may or may not have the experience or knowledge on how to approach a difficult situation is the purest example of a "keyboard warrior". If this was an acquaintance of yours that called or knocked on your door would you have the same response? Take a step back and look at the big picture every now and then. Your attitude all over this forum reeks of the "old guard" mentality. Give the guy the benefit of the doubt before the crucification attempt.

Hey he passed up 30 bucks last year and has 30 stands and 30 game cameras.

It must suck to be RC...

Only thing I have to say about this all is I come here to gain knowledge and chat with friends. With friends sometimes you just need to talk and tell them your stories and ask advice. That's what friends do. All the conversations you may not be into, but you just need to listen sometimes...no comments just listen and it may turn someone's day around. Just saying

Good luck High Country.You obviously have a lot of experience and its kinda an unusual hit because of the movement of the deer.It could happen to me and anyone on this site or off this site.Its just the way it is.

No need to cast aspersions on your thread at all!

I commend you for looking for a scintilla of info to find the deer from fellow deerhunters.Its the upstanding thing to do IMO.

All the best in your followup.I feel your pain.

Talk about doubling down on stupid....

would of took that shot if the deer was not the biggest buck you every seen??? the op stated that it was the biggest deer he has ever saw while hunting,

RC - Your posts are similar to bad accident scenes. One can't help but look and is always sorry for having done so.

Travis (Highcountrystykbow), from the sound of it you made a good shot, but the buck didn't cooperate.

I had the exact same thing happen to me on a muledeer buck, that decided to lick himself just before the arrow got there. I was lucky, and recovered him after a long (very long) tracking job, and having to arrow him again to finish him.

There are a few things you can do to help diminish these things, but there is absolutely nothing you can do to completely avoid them. You just have to hope they don't happen, and carry on.

Only you know all the circumstances, and conditions of the shot, but as far as I can tell, there's absolutely nothing you did wrong.

Rick

Don't you just love it when someone has to tell you how good he is and how many animals he's killed and how big they are.... Remember, a lion never has to tell anyone who he is...

Personally, things happen. Some say nothing can change that. Maybe there is... I don't talk of wounding or loosing anaimals, and outfitting, you see your fair share. I would say, however, slightly quartering away and he turned his neck and center punched him...umm... You shoot way off your mark!! Slightly quartering away, hit him center of neck... If his head was bent back, and to hit him like that... I'm always intrigued about guys shot placement when they loose game. I'm sitting here thinking about the way the animal was turned and the way his neck was in order for you to have hit in that way. You were way off your spot you were trying to hit. Think about it...

The OP was there and we were not; I'm happy to take his word for what the deer did to change its position. We all know how much can change in the blink of an eye when a deer decides to move...almost anything is possible while that arrow's in the air.

Best of luck in your search.

Last time I checked lions couldn't talk

“would of took that shot if the deer was not the biggest buck you every seen??? ”

OP says 22 yards slight quarter-away. Assuming he is realty-based Confident in his shooting at that distance, that sounds like what we’re all looking for.

Buglmin - I think the auto-correct made the situation difficult to understand...

But a buck can reach quite a ways back. Entirely possible to have hit (roughly) center-neck. And since the deer dropped on impact, youdcexpect that the OP would have had a moment to get a good look.

Not saying that you haven’t witnessed more than most, but maybe we ought to give the OP the benefit of the doubt.

Talk about beating a dead horse! OP hasn't posted for a day and a half, just a pi##ing match now.

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here