Made a good shot on nice buck about 7PM Thursday night. Gave him 45m to an hour. No blood at the scene or where the arrow broke. Arrow broke off about 4-6" from the point. Clean as whistle but sitting in water. The arrow looked consistent with a shoulder hit but there was no blood or hair at the sight and I was still confident in the hit I saw.
Looked on hands and knees real hard and could find no blood, hair, or tracks along the path I watch him exit. Still positive of the good hit but confused at the lack of sign at the shot location.
After a few hours of tracking, I start really focusing on where I last saw him leave the creek bed. Pulled out my compass and started working that direction carefully. A tip I learned first here on Trad Gang from Roger Norris via Ron LaClair. The travel direction was also into the wind and he smelled to high heaven like a rutting buck so I thought I might get a wiff. Did this for a long time and I finally stumbled on some blood while checking a runway. Once I found blood, it was a good trail and he was piled up right there. Found him about 10PM.
Hit was just like I thought. I think I got the stuff above the heart. Pretty much where I'd like to hit every one. Leave the pump, take out the plumbing. He went about 70 yards before I found blood. Only another 30 after that. I was real close to calling it a night and working on a plan to do a body search in the daylight. Discussing the situation with Steve-O, we agreed the shoulder muscles may have blocked the entrance hole to delay blood loss.
Love to hear other's thoughts on the nature of the blood trail. I'm sure this has happened to others throughout the years. I tend to go overboard writing about blood trail details but I've learned so much from these forums on the subject that I think it is very important for we as bowhunters to share information and recover every animal possible. I'm afraid this is the type of deer that would not be recovered with out some knowledge and persistence.
Got this trailcam pic right before the shot. Just a few steps from a "Whip":
(http://mick.lcparks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/buck_before_shot_sm.jpg)
My best buck yet.:
(http://mick.lcparks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/big8.jpg)
This is the first time I've used a finger tab for hunting. I tried it a few days ago and it seem to fix an apparent torquing of the string habit I had somehow developed. Black Widow 3 under tab.
Tall Tines 60# @28". Easton 400 FMJ. 145gr Grizzly broad head with 100gr steel adapter.
GREAT BUCK...what a stud. Your persistence paid off!!! Beauty of a deer and shot
Beautiful buck!
:thumbsup:
Wow. Great buck! Congrats!
Tab convert!!
That is a real beauty, well done. :thumbsup: Black Widow 3 under tab is my favorite.
Can you tell us about the head you used, the bow weight and about penetration. Seems like you should have had at least a light blood trail from that shot placement. By the way that is a beautiful buck, congratulations and great tracking.
Great buck and great work on finding him!
Sounds like you got a solid impact on the offside shoulder joint, so he quickly broke off the projecting shaft then bled internally from the severed aorta but no exit hole for the blood to drain out. If you don't get a lung, blood wont back up and out the higher entrance wound until the chest cavity fills up. Happens when shooting from an elevated stand into a deer quartering or turning away slightly.
Stud of a buck congrats
It happens. My bud Ron Thomas shot one several years ago in a foot of snow. Not one drop of blood from the double lung. Not 1!! He showed me pics of the trail. Nothing.
great buck congrats
Great job that's a big Michigan buck there
I'd say Mangonboat is right on the money. I was 15' up and it was only a 10 yard shot. I could find no damage to the heart or lungs themselves on field dressing. I will aim a little further back on that angle next time. I believe the arrow broke very quickly. I had to use pliers to pull it from the shoulder.
John, it was a very sharp Grizzly single-bevel. 250gr total with the 100gr insert.
Nice deer. I too recently switched to a tab after years of glove use and it's made my release much more clean and consistent.
Beautiful buck.. Congrats..
Congrats to you! What a buck and way to be persistent on the tracking job!
Nice deer and good job not giving up! You are correct that blood trailing is one of the most important things we can know how to do well. :thumbsup:
Beautiful buck mick!! Way to stick with the track job and remembering your shot placement
Great Job working out that like of blood trail.
Congrats! :thumbsup:
Congrats on a fine buck! That bow looks familiar :)
Nicely done on both counts; the shot and the trailing. And a great buck at the end of the trail.
Woooooooooow! Nice buck. Way to stick with it and recover. Congratulations
That is really a beautiful buck. Good job finding him.
Great buck Mick :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Great deer Mark and way to stay after it.
Whoa! Nice deer.
:thumbsup:
Very nice buck!
:thumbsup: :archer:
Real nice buck!Ground or tree stand shot. My experience with big bucks is they are tough. Without a pass through, I'm sure most of the blood was in the chest cavity instead of on the ground. Good work sticking with the trail and recovery of a great animal.
good one son!
Great deer and a great recovery job. Congratulations.
Great deer! Thanks for sharing.
The good thing is, you found him!
What a buck, he would be a lot of our best buck lol nice job!
Stud for sure , Well done sir....
,,Sam,,
Holy wah! what a buck, congrats.
Major congrats on a very good buck! You did very good.
Fine buck! congrats!
congratulations, blood trails are a ongoing learning curve.
Well done!!!
Mick,
Congratulations on a fine buck and way to stick with the tracking/search. You done good... really good!
That's a beauty
Congrats again.
way to stay with the tracking and recover him.
Thanks for the kind words guys.
Here are a few more trail cam pics I found.:
(http://mick.lcparks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/bucktc2sm.jpg)
(http://mick.lcparks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/bucktc1sm.jpg)
Mick
That's an awesome buck. Great job. You worked hard for him.
Beautiful buck!
You and your catchy thread titles...I never realized there was a dead deer story here.
Great lesson in persistence and trusting what you see.
Nice, well done!!!
Man, that is an awesome buck!
Congrats!
Blood trails are what they are. Some are profuse, and some really suck. The following pics are of the entrance and exit holes on a doe I shot a couple years ago. I found 5 drops of blood in a 10' area about 15yds from the shot, and not one drop more anywhere. She only went about 40yds, and I found her doing a grid search. I don't understand why they don't bleed out sometimes, but it sure is cause for stress!!!
Entrance hole:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/Mobile%20Uploads/2013-09/7183F67E-96B8-474E-B151-275BA53B4AC6_zpszeyhh5qg.jpg) (http://s579.photobucket.com/user/archeryrules/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2013-09/7183F67E-96B8-474E-B151-275BA53B4AC6_zpszeyhh5qg.jpg.html)
Exit hole:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/archeryrules/Mobile%20Uploads/2013-09/F0C81622-5180-450A-BB78-B7EDBDEA55AC_zpsnauhjciw.jpg) (http://s579.photobucket.com/user/archeryrules/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2013-09/F0C81622-5180-450A-BB78-B7EDBDEA55AC_zpsnauhjciw.jpg.html)
Bisch
One never knows the what till the critter is found... the WHY may never be answered.
Way to persevere! Nice recovery and great reward for the effort!
That's a great buck! Congrats sir!
Sweetness!!! Congrats on a Beauty! Nice shooting!!!
Great buck. Good recovery. I use a glove because a tab just don't feel right to my anchor. Maybe if I used one more I could get used to it but sticking to my glove.
Nice buck. Congrats
Excellent job! Congrats!
Steve
What a beauty!!
Classic buck...!!
Classic buck...!!
Congrats! That's a great buck!
Excellent work, and a great buck! Congratulations!
I was helping teach an IBEP class this fall, they let me do the bloodtrail portion. We laid out a trail with glycerin and food coloring, with a deer hide at the end. The first thing we talked about was the compass reading....some of the attendees chuckled when I showed them I carried 3 compasses. ..1 around my neck, one in my pocket, and one in my tracking bag.
Again. ...great job! !
Nice buck! Great story of how persistence pays off!
Congrats
chris <><
Nice buck! Great story of how persistence pays off!
Congrats
chris <><
Thanks again guys.
Roger, I'm typically hunting spots close to home that I know real well. I wasn't sure my compass was even in my pack but i was sure happy to find it. I used it on the drag until I realized the moon was on a perfect line.
The only way I could move this deer was holding on to the antler bases and backing up a few steps at a time. Just kept looking at the moon over my shoulder to avoid pulling that thing an inch off line!