Feedback on Whitetail Shot

[TSAMP]

I wouldn’t worry about your set up. However, I would recommend hitting them in the lungs if you want the double lung shot to work.

This. Your shot placement is the issue not the equipment. Not throwing stones it's just the truth of it.

For informational purposes, care to share the cost/process in how you were connected with the drone recovery operation?

 

[SuperDUECE22]

It's making me reconsider my bow setup, arrows, and broadheads.

How do you come to this conclusion? You took a horrible shot and now have to deal with consequences. What you should reconsider is your decision-making process when archery hunting, these animals deserve better, and you failed..... not your equipment.

 

[Ron.C]

OP,

Bad shots happen. Many have been where you are now, few will admit it. Best you can do is be honest with yourself about what you could of done different and learn from it.

That said, don't make the mistake of thinking the outcome would have been any different with a different/faster/better quality bow/arrow/broadhead. Deer/elk have been and continue to be effectively killed every year with some pretty dated equipment in the hands of proficient bow hunters.

 

[Ralphie]

We went out this morning and he's still alive. The arrow has shifted in him and he's looking really rough, tongue out, shaking when he take a breath, and legs not curled up to his body but awkwardly laying out. He moved a little bit downhill maybe 100 yards. Once involving a drone I can't legally go in and shoot him again until 24 hours after the drone spots him so I'm stuck in a weird spot right now. The drone pilot said he has an loose legal obligation to continue to check on the deer if he believes it will die. We're headed out again tonight to see if he finally expires.

It sucks to see the buck like this and it's likely I'm just going to end up with a shitty story and some antlers since I bet the meat is bad. It's making me reconsider my bow setup, arrows, and broadheads. Thanks for the responses and I'll keep everyone updated on what happens.

Good grief. Go kill him already. Pay the fine if you have to.

 

[wind gypsy]

Nice buck. The shot doesn’t look that far back to me, what am I missin?

 

[JohnJohnson]

Good grief. Go kill him already. Pay the fine if you have to.

This. I don't think I'd be able to get anything done if I had this weighing on the back of my mind anyway.

 

[SloppyJ]

Nice buck. The shot doesn’t look that far back to me, what am I missin?

The point of impact is okay, it's the "slightly" quartering to angle that is the killer. Look at his updated picture from the next day a few posts back and check out the angle of that arrow. It's basically pointing at his offside femur.

I'm with Ralphie, go put this dude out of his misery. It's the right thing to do.

 

[wind gypsy]

The point of impact is okay, it's the "slightly" quartering to angle that is the killer. Look at his updated picture from the next day a few posts back and check out the angle of that arrow. It's basically pointing at his offside femur.

I'm with Ralphie, go put this dude out of his misery. It's the right thing to do.

Oof, yeah. I didn’t look at that pic. Thats tough.

 

[waspocrew]

Bad shots happen.

I’m with those above, go shoot the buck again and put him out of his misery.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

I hope you went in and stuck another one in him. No need to tell us if you did that... sometimes the letter and spirit of the law aren't quite aligned.

All that said... I do not understand why folks insist on shooting narrow two blades at whitetail deer with modern compound bows pulling a reasonable poundage. At least use a 3 blade head, or a wide 2 blade with bleeders.

 

[Murphy]

I am really hoping for the rest of the story?

 

[dr.mooseknuckles]

Law be damned. I would have shot him with a pistol by now. Is the drone guy that you paid going to rat you out? Ethics and law don't always line up.

 

[veres1210]

I am really hoping for the rest of the story?

We went back with the drone and twice in the last 2 days and combed a 1 mile radius with no luck. I spent 8 hours walking the neighbors properties and didn't see him. Maybe someone else found him if he died close to the road or a neighbor walked the property after seeing the drone. Maybe he'll be seen during gun hunting coming up.

For those saying go shoot him again, I get the logic behind that but you have to understand the laws. The drone guy had printed copies of the laws and showed that you risk a year in jail and significant fines. I have buddies in the DNR who confirmed this and highly recommended listening to it. He also had an obligation to check on the deer if he believed it would die which he did. To go and try to shoot him again, I would've had to lie to the neighbors, lie to the drone guy, create a story that justified me going in there knowing he was dead without being able to see him, and hope to get within 10yards since he was in super thick brush. Being an honest hunter who follows the law is not something I will regret.

As to the comments on rethinking my gear, they result from me believing a made a good shot. When said previously slightly quarting to, I mean maybe 5 degrees, almost full broadside by most measures. A 20 yard shot in those conditions and the placement of the entry side of the arrow shown in the photos to be right behind the shoulder is right where I'd want it to be. I'm not sure if deflection occurred off a rib and sent it back (which I've had happen before on a buck that I found right away) or what occurred. I've been a competitive archery shooter since I was 12 and even get to test shoot all of Matthew's new bows each year as I have friends who design them. I feel confident we'll out beyond 40 yards but I've never taken a shot on an animal more than 25 yards to reduce external factors of string drop or animal movement.

The outcome of this ordeal obviously sucks and I feel terrible for the buck. I appreciate those who gave feedback and opinions with helpful suggestions. Hopefully this will give closure to anyone invested in the story.

 

[N2TRKYS]

 

[MichigAndy]

Such a bummer OP…. Some deflection with the quartering to shot was my first thought when I read the original post…Is there any water in the area, pond, stream? If so, that’s where I would look.

 

[SloppyJ]

Welp, time to get a Hoyt with 80lb limbs.......

 

[Swamp Fox]

I hope you went in and stuck another one in him. No need to tell us if you did that... sometimes the letter and spirit of the law aren't quite aligned.

All that said... I do not understand why folks insist on shooting narrow two blades at whitetail deer with modern compound bows pulling a reasonable poundage. At least use a 3 blade head, or a wide 2 blade with bleeders.

Because they usually tune/fly right with minimal effort, and kill deader 'n a hammer with proper shot choice AND placement.

Bloodtrail? -- Not so much.

There are places to shoot a Stinger and places where it is out of the question.

It's hard to see where gear choice comes into play here, though. Where would you get severe deflection on a "minimal" quarter-to, if you made a good shot? This is why any quartering-to is iffy with a bow from the get-go.

This is a paunch shot, plain and simple.

Getting the drone involved may or may not have been a good idea. With no bloodtrail, what do you do?

On the other hand, with no drone available, would you make different choices?

 

[Ehunter56]

What craphole state are you hunting in that won't let you go after a wounded deer regardless of the legal method used to track it? If it's legal to use a drone to find it, and have proof like pictures, that it's wounded, it should be legal to go after it and end it's misery.

 

[waspocrew]

Sounds like the drone tied your hands, which is weird. The buck was clearly hurting and likely going to die a slow death. So the drone guy had to check again, which then delayed you another 24 hours after each check?

 

[dirtshooter]

This thread did not have the ending I'd hoped. Sad really.