Hey y’all. This is my first year bow hunting whitetail deer. Sitting in a blind has been awesome but my results have been less than stellar. Second time out I shot a fawn at 7 yards. My companion thought it was a heart shot, so did I. But there was no blood and I didn’t think the arrow penetrated very deeply. The thought was that I may have hit a rib. So no recovery. My third time out I shot a doe at 17 yards. She dropped and started to turn so I ended up shooting her in the lower back neck area. Again the arrow didn’t seem to penetrate very far and there was no blood. No recovery. I shoot a 40# bow @ 28, but my draw is only 26 1/2. I have great, sharp broad heads, muzzles. I am concerned that I am hurting the deer and not making a clean kill. Is it possible that I am not pulling enough weight so my arrows aren’t penetrating? Any thoughts would be appreciated. At this point I am so discouraged that I don’t want to go back out if I am only hurting deer with my shots. Maybe I need to move up to 45#s? Thanks.

Heavier bow... heavier arrows, maybe.

God fore bid if we would shoot a heaveir lb bows

Maybe your not getting good arrow flight? Closer ranges like that they need to straighten out quick.

X 2 what Tom said. Properly tuned arrows are extremely important. Also, what weight arrows at you shooting and what grain broadheads?

my first question would be what arrow weight and type of broad head using

then how well flying- are you short drawing in the excitement?

Have seen deer killed with less weight than that-don't take much to kill one but you need Ideal at that low end

Interesting quandry. First, at 7 yards an arrow flying sideways should penetrate the ribs of a fawn.

Outside of that, without knowing a lot of specifics, it's impossible to add any relevant information actually.

Get rid of the Muzzies. At that draw weight you need a better cut on contact broadhead. A rib will not stop a good 2 blade head.

Ok, I'm going to be blunt. You have no business hunting deer with a bow-arrow-broadhead combination that won't penetrate a fawn at 7 yards. Really, you owe it to yourself and the game you pursue to re-evaluate your situation. Sorry, if you think my post sounds rude but you're trying to kill a living breathing animal not just shooting at foam.

When emotion starts answering questions, then the answers are not necessarily correct. We don't know the particulars. Not penetrating the ribs of a fawn is ridiculous and it's not the bow weight. You may have terrible arrow flight, maybe hit a twig, or who knows. To assume anything without us being there is just plain wrong. I've seen 35 pound bows shoot through an adult doe with no problem so guys spouting off about bow weight need to hold their comments. You need to look at what you're doing first, and if you have some other things going on. Even the most astute here on the LW do not know what happened.

Heavier bow at your draw, Eskimos and a fine tuned arrow.i wish a had shorts everytime I was out like you lol . Look for a bow in the 48/50 lb range, something in a 64 in bow, should kill nocely.

More factors then you posted seem to be involved. The fact you brought it here means you care.

If you can draw more wight, you should. the point is with your short draw you will beable to get more penetration. For instance if you get a 65lb bow but only draw 26in. you are only drawing 61 lbs. But that also depends on the bow. some are marked 55lbs at 28in. when the bow maybe less or more wight. you realy need to put it on a scale, to be sure of the real wight. Usually it is 2lbs. per inch for every inch over 28 and every inch under 28 inch.

I also feel your pain. I shot a lot of deer and did not find them. the problem was not my bow wight it was where I was hitting the deer. I always shot the deer behind the sholder. that is where everybody told me to shot deer. And that is what I was doing. I still lost deer. I didn't know what to do. I mean I had no trouble hitting my mark. so what to do about losing deer. 3D deer target to the rescue.

So when I started shooting the 3D deer I found out that I was not hitting where I thought I was hitting. For instance when you shoot a deer tight behind the sholder and the deer is quartering and you shoot tight to the front sholder you may hit the hart, or you may hit one lung, or you may miss both the hart and lungs. I now aim back further.

I would get a 3D deer target and practice and look at the angle of the arrow. you will soon see how you may not be hitting where you thought you were. Good luck and good hunting PS: If you want you can Email me at [email protected] if I can be of any more help to you. God Bless Buckhunter.

Thanks for all of the ideas. I do believe my arrow weight is good and my arrows have been tuned. I am a good target shooter, just need to transfer those skills to a hunting scenario which will take time. I live and hunt in MN where the minimum bow weight is 30# so I am legal, still I will try to move up to a 45 or 48 pound bow next season. Next time I go out this year it will be with a camera. I’ve waited for 64 years to hunt, I can wait one more to get all of these issues handled. Thanks, friends.

I shoot three fingers under on a simple, sleek long bow. No bows with training wheels for me. It was a wonderful find from the Footed Shaft in Rochester, MN and took my shooting to a new level in terms of accuracy. My bow is a Vanguard Model from New Wood Long Bows. I will check in with them to see if I can bump up to a 45-48 pound bow for next season. As to the MN DNR - well that is another can of worms - one I won’t open!

Just stick with your bow and work on accuracy, etc. The first deer I ever killed with a recurve was an adult doe, shot with a 40# Ben Pearson Hunter pulled to 27"...or about 37#. I shot the deer with a 3 blade Hi-Precision head and had complete penetration at 30'ish yards. Accuracy and a quick cutting broadhead will do the job moreso than weight. Sure weight will allow you to shoot a heavier arrow faster, but it's only one part of the lethality equation. Work with what you can handle comfortably. My bows are in the 45# range and I draw 27"...never any problems with penetration and many pass through shots.

Two blades. Well tuned arrows. Good shot.

IMO, Id say you need some experience in hunting and a recurve probably isn't the place to start.. I'd discontinue hunting with the recurve for the year too...

I’m guessing probably buck fever? He’s a beginning deer hunter.

"IMO, Id say you need some experience in hunting and a recurve probably isn't the place to start..."

A recurve is where most of us started... and many of us still exist.

"I’m guessing probably buck fever? He’s a beginning deer hunter."

buck fever ?? I've hunted whitetails since 1968 with a recurve bow. Still rattled when the big boy steps out.

Practice consistent form as you shoot throughout the year....and shoot alot! Eventually that will morph into a truly instinctive form where you will not have to think (miss)...

"A recurve is where most of us started... and many of us still exist."

Yep, agree, and in many cases, a lot of the people who shoot them should probably quit hunting with them due to poor shooting skills...

It sounds like you are hitting solid bone if you you are getting poor penetration. Depending on shot angle like quartering away what can look like a heart shot maybe into the shoulder bone. Many times on a 3D coarse on a quartering shot me and friends of mine have thought we made a great shot until we walk up to the target and the arrow hit further forward and into what would have been the shoulder, being off an inch left or right on a quartering away shot can make all the difference in the world as to a kill or wound depending on the angle. Even if the deer was broadside and the near side leg is rearward the heart area is covered with leg bone. That is why you should wait to shoot when the near side leg is extended to open up the chest area as much as possible. You said the second deer dropped and turn, the shoulder blade moves upward when the deer does that again I believe you hit shoulder bone. Just my thoughts on what you described. Shoulder bone has stopped many an arrow from penetrating in to the chest cavity depending on where it was hit and the angle in which it was hit. Also a 2 blade head has a "better chance" (because of less surface area) of penetrating it, than a broadhead with more than that, especially with the lighter poundage you are shooting. DANNY

I agree Muzzey is not the head you should shoot. Have someone watch over your shoulder as you shoot a target, and determine if your arrows are flying without correction. You can also shoot through paper at say five feet, if your tear is less that an inch, you should be good. I shoot a 390 grain arrow with a two blade broadheadout of a finely tuned Samick Sage that I draw 26" and 35#. I have harvested two deer so far this year with it with complete penatration and easy recovery. Just change your broadhead and tune your bow.

To clarify I pull 35# at my draw. My last arrow was sticking in the ground after passing through the chest of that deer at 18 yards. Thirty yard recovery. Its about all placement.

A big THANKS to all of you for your suggestions and ideas. I have appreciated those of you who told me not to be discouraged, bad shots happen. As it turns out, a hunting partner of mine called tonight to tell me he had taken a shot at one of his target bucks, but shot him in the neck! He has been hunting for over 50 years - so yeah, bad shots happen even to experienced hunters. Happy Hunting!

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here