HELP Just single lunged a buck

[Kurt]

I just hit a nice buck at 4:15pm. Shooting FMJs with a Rage trypan 2 inch cut. DaWiz9578 posted a deer picture with a grid overlay in the thread Need shot arrow input. Now I need my own shot arrow input. I hit my deer at 8 or 9 B on that deer with overlay from 25 feet up deer was at 15 to 17 yds broadside I got about 10 to 12 inches of penetration. I gave him two hours then I tracked him to where I found my arrow. Total distance 80 to 100 yds from the hit. High entry no exit, bad blood to the arrow. I backed out and now I'm waiting. Had to have penetrated one lung High. He took off like a scalded dog. I can't imagine that broadhead wasn't in there cutting as he took off. I saw at the arrow where he went through some pine saplings where blood was smeared about two feet up. Is this a dead deer, or is a single lung not always fatal? I'm thinking about going in around midnight to blood trail with a light, but was wondering if I should just wait till morning. Yotes will have a field day. Please light me up with some experience/ knowledge. I checked with United blood Trackers website and it's not legal to use dogs to track deer in Massachusetts. How F'd is that.

 

[Sziggy2.0]

I am no expert, but I would wait till morning. When I have tried to blood trail late at night it never seems to work out, I have just bumped the deer. Coyotes are definitely a concern here as well. It sucks, its gonna be a long night. Wish you luck.

 

[Sgt. Beardface]

I’d give till morning. Deer is dead but it can take awhile. Let him lay down and die and unfortunately the ‘yotes may get a meal, but bumping him isn’t gonna help at all.

 

[Back Strap M.D.]

If the shot was that high, no pass through, and you didnt see any spray from aspiration, you wont have much of a blood trail to track.

Dont push tonight.

Let him lay close and expire, youll have a better chance of recovering him when its light out tomorrow morning.

Good Luck.

 

[gadrenalin]

I think you would be ok to go in at midnight as long as you have a good trail, he should be dead by 10:00. At anytime you loose the trail though back out and wait till first light.

 

[Kurt]

Now the story. He came in on my 11 o'clock and went to my nine o'clock. I'm a lefty so weak side shot. I came over the bridge and drew as I turned. Yesterday I taped my leg straps to the back of my saddle because they were inconvenient and I didn't need them to be comfortable as I sat or leaned. I have a Mantis. When I rolled to my left to put the pin on him the saddle slid up and caused me to turn back to the right which caused me to let down out of the valley of my draw. I would redraw and turn back and the saddle would ride up and spin me and I'd lose my anchor. I finally got the draw and anchor but was so torqued I think it affected arrow flight. I hit where I aimed but I wonder if the poor penetration was due to poor follow through when I released. That coupled with an expandable head. I shot a deer last year from almost the exact scenario except it was on the strong side turned to about 5 o'clock. That arrow penetrated 20 inches. He's in the freezer. There's a reason to keep the leg straps on your saddle. I started shooting expandables last year to get a bigger cut. I killed three deer with them last year, all devastating wounds, all under ideal conditions. I need to start thinking about penetration performance when conditions aren't ideal. My setup will change.

 

[Bigterp]

I’d wait until morning as well, if you push him who knows ...... he may stiffen up in the cold ...

 

[Kurt]

Thanks for the rapid input I appreciate it. THIS SUCKS!!! He is a good buck.

 

[cspot]

I would wait for morning at this point. A little worried that you hit above the spine and didn’t penetrate the chest cavity. The steep angle should help but sometimes the arrow deflects as it enters. If it entered the chest cavity then 10-12 inches of penetration is good. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Bigterp]

So another thing w/ a high shot & no pass through , daylight will help you trail b/c there’s not gonna be a lot of blood initially. Just specks & sprays . You’ll be trailing tracks & turned up leaves as much as blood trailing. It could be one lung but if you hit where you described at that angle I think you’re gonna find him!

 

[Kurt]

I would wait for morning at this point. A little worried that you hit above the spine and didn’t penetrate the chest cavity. The steep angle should help but sometimes the arrow deflects as it enters. If it entered the chest cavity then 10-12 inches of penetration is good. Good luck and keep us posted.

I'm certain it's below the spine.

 

[Kurt]

So another thing w/ a high shot & no pass through , daylight will help you trail b/c there’s not gonna be a lot of blood initially. Just specks & sprays . You’ll be trailing tracks & turned up leaves as much as blood trailing. It could be one lung but if you hit where you described at that angle I think you’re gonna find him!

I hope so. Wish there was something I could do about the coyotes.

 

[Bigterp]

I hope so. Wish there was something I could do about the coyotes.

It sucks I know, we got foxes thick here same problem!! But if you get on him too soon he will definitely be watching his back trail and you’ll just keep pushing him.......

 

[cspot]

I'm certain it's below the spine.

It went below the spine on the entry side and angled towards the opposite side? If that is the case you should have 2 lungs but the one may have just barely been hit.

 

[slonstdy]

Wait till first light then get out there. You'll probably have to read the ground as it doesn't sound like there'll be a blood trail. Maybe you can sneak in and drop a canine too. Good luck bud.

 

[Kurt]

Would he be dead in 8 hrs. and would my presence in the woods keep the coyotes at bay? It's pretty crunchy out there so there's no way to go quietly. I don't want to push him either if there's a chance he could be alive after 8 hrs. I wouldn't mind being out there all night till day light if it wouldn't do any harm. I'm feeling a little desperate. I know I have to chill. I've been here before. It's always been shot placement, never penetration. I just can't get used to it.

 

[Weldabeast]

25ft up at 15yd and below the spine would be 2 lungs IMO......
I had bad luck with expandables when the hit wasnt perfect....heavy arrows with cut on contact fixed head is all i shoot now

 

[Kurt]

It went below the spine on the entry side and angled towards the opposite side? If that is the case you should have 2 lungs but the one may have just barely been hit.

I know on shots in the past from 20 feet up and at that yardage the exit should have been mid body on the opposite side. He was pretty thick. I'm hoping 10 inches gets me into some fatal realestate

 

[Kurt]

25ft up at 15yd and below the spine would be 2 lungs IMO......
I had bad luck with expandables when the hit wasnt perfect....heavy arrows with cut on contact fixed head is all i shoot now

I think so. I shot cut on contact for 27 years and just switched to expanables last year. Lesson learned. Unfortunately that buck had to pay the price for my education.

 

[cspot]

I know on shots in the past from 20 feet up and at that yardage the exit should have been mid body on the opposite side. He was pretty thick. I'm hoping 10 inches gets me into some fatal realestate

10” is enough penetration to get both lungs.