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First Pass Through and Blood Trail But Unable to Recover

Tknapp said:
Thanks, for sharing. Two seasons ago i had a 140" 8 point i single lung shot at 15 yards. I was too high up and the shot was too high for the angle. massive blood trail for 200 yards to then stop. I backed out and waited 12 hours and called a dog and never found it. It sucks but happens and is part of hunting.
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I’d have a hard time waiting 12 hours. In the areas I hunt, coyotes would be on the deer within a few hours. We are also not allowed to use tracking dogs, so I’d be inclined to get on the track while it was still hot. Bare ground tracking seems to be a lost art, but can be quite effective. But you really gotta strike while the iron is hot. So for me, in the areas I hunt, under the conditions I’m subject to, there’s a fine line between giving the deer enough time to expire and getting on the trail while it’s still readable and before the scavengers come to clean up. I realize we are All dealing with very different circumstances and that ultimately we all learn by trial and error.
 
I'm sorry for your loss but unfortunately, it happens with archery. One big lesson I've taken away is that waiting for the right opportunity is key. I lost a bull last year on a quartering to shot when I could have easily waited a split second for a broadside shot. Similar as you I've done my due diligence and setup is about as dailed as it can be. I shoot a ton & the only thing that would have saved lost animals was patience.

Also, this might be an unpopular opinion on this site (maybe not) but I personally think that a 2 blade has more room for error on shot placement. I don't like having to think about whether the broadhead was oriented on entry when a shot is marginal. But in my opinion a pass through is the goal

The difference in a 1/4" can be the difference between clipping something vital or not. I feel a lot more comfortable with a larger cut diameter sharp 3 or 4 blade on whitetail. They just aren't all that tough to justify a 2 blade in my opinion - especially when the 3 elk I've shot have been either pass throughs or penetration wasn't the issue. I got a full pass through on an elk frontal at 445 grains & 294 fps with a sharp 3 blade two years ago.
 
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