Kowi Anukasha
Active Member
As I posted earlier I was not there and didn't see the impact but I track a lot of deer for a lot of different types of hunters with wildly diverse experience levels as well as different methods of take. I absolutely don't know it all but have learned over the years. First is to listen to the hunter and his story combined that with the evidence left on the ground/arrow and my own personal failures and successes to determine the main point of the equation. That main point is are we tracking a dead deer or a live one? After following, listening and reviewing what you have posted and the hesitant nature of the dog tracker I'd lay money that she is still alive. I don't like to speculate what someone else is thinking but I feel the tracker thought that as well. I feel you hit the deer higher than you think and are in-fact over both lungs. I know you posted you saw bubbles in the blood but from experience that is not always an indication of a lung hit. A few things stand out in my mind to support this.
1. Your initial reaction that the shot was a little higher than you would like.
2. Your arrow not dispersing into the animal on impact tells me you hit dense muscle/bone. That area just above the spine is a known arrow stopper.
3. Having good blood at first then drying up is classic of a high hit that is over the thoracic cavity, spinal cord, and aortic artery. And rather in the thick muscle and above the center line of the vertebrae, this area has with lots of small capillaries that bleed profusely at first but will clot rather quickly.
4. If the deer did in-fact bead up but left no visible blood in the bed tells me she was licking the wound and possibly the blood from the ground. This also indicates to me she was not mortally wounded but is a survival instinct to keep predators off her trail.
I feel you done all you could ethically and responsible to recover this deer and I know it's a kick in the nuts but trust me I could go on for hours about my own failures but it does no good for you or the next one you get a shot at. However something that will help is to get your bow get in a tree and shoot a target preferably a 3D target but a target at least. Focus on a tiny spot and I have no doubt you will pound it but regain your confidence in your self. I do this my self and in teaching others and it helps tremendously. This and and as many have stated pick that focus spot slightly below the center line of the body cavity in the future. Get that big "C" back and my guess is that we will see an entirely different kind of post soon.
1. Your initial reaction that the shot was a little higher than you would like.
2. Your arrow not dispersing into the animal on impact tells me you hit dense muscle/bone. That area just above the spine is a known arrow stopper.
3. Having good blood at first then drying up is classic of a high hit that is over the thoracic cavity, spinal cord, and aortic artery. And rather in the thick muscle and above the center line of the vertebrae, this area has with lots of small capillaries that bleed profusely at first but will clot rather quickly.
4. If the deer did in-fact bead up but left no visible blood in the bed tells me she was licking the wound and possibly the blood from the ground. This also indicates to me she was not mortally wounded but is a survival instinct to keep predators off her trail.
I feel you done all you could ethically and responsible to recover this deer and I know it's a kick in the nuts but trust me I could go on for hours about my own failures but it does no good for you or the next one you get a shot at. However something that will help is to get your bow get in a tree and shoot a target preferably a 3D target but a target at least. Focus on a tiny spot and I have no doubt you will pound it but regain your confidence in your self. I do this my self and in teaching others and it helps tremendously. This and and as many have stated pick that focus spot slightly below the center line of the body cavity in the future. Get that big "C" back and my guess is that we will see an entirely different kind of post soon.