When you have lost an animal, what do you believe was the cause?

[Bump79]

When you have lost an animal, what is the most common cause? I'm trying to get an actual gauge of what the most common problem is. Select as many times as you've lost an animal.

If you've voted on Archery Talk please don't duplicate votes.

 

[Beendare]

I have seen all of the scenarios you listed.

As bowhunters we have to balance so many things;
Our capabilities
Our equipment and arrow choice
Matching that arrow to the right BH
Getting perfect arrow flight
Shot Selection

Thats what makes it challenging.

I can say, in 4 decades of bowhunting I have never lost an animal where I shot all the way through them. Not a one. There is something about an arrow completely through them that just works.


I have seen many shot by friends and clients lost that had arrows hanging out of them.

 

[KHNC]

Its always shot placement, no matter what the other reasons are.

 

[Marbles]

I'm new to bow hunting, the one I lost was a complete miss, I watched the arrow pass under the animal. It was because I went to a heavier arrow and shot low. More range time would have prevented it.

 

[Beendare]

Its always shot placement, no matter what the other reasons are.

In general thats true…but I’ve seen cases with poor flying arrows and big mech heads on light arrows that did hit in the right spot…they just didn’t have the Uumph.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

I think shot placement has got to be number one. You can miss by an inch and that inch can be the difference between a short/easy recovery and a lost animal.

If the animal is hit hard in the boiler you can start tracking too early and you still will recover him cause he will be dead.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

In general thats true…but I’ve seen cases with poor flying arrows and big mech heads on light arrows that did hit in the right spot…they just didn’t have the Uumph.

Penetration is number 2 to shot placemat in overall losses though i’d bet?

 

[hh76]

Possible voting option

"Couldn't track it"

I nearly lost two deer that were hit in the lungs and died within a few hundred yards. Both left nearly no blood trail, and had to be found through grid searching. Both were hit from a tree stand where the arrow hit high and back on the animal and lodged in the opposite shoulder. No exit wound, no real blood.

 

[KHNC]

In general thats true…but I’ve seen cases with poor flying arrows and big mech heads on light arrows that did hit in the right spot…they just didn’t have the Uumph.

Yeah, i guess thats true. In my case, there has never been an arrow that left my bow after an elk with an arrow like that. But i admit, I have hit a few deer with mechs and light arrows. They still died, but only if i hit the right spot. Otherwise they ran off with my arrow and got away. LOL

 

[5MilesBack]

I've only lost two 6-point bulls, and both were from hitting a twig or small branch etc that I didn't see. On the last one, the arrow actually hit where I was aiming. I saw the arrow hit a small pencil lead-like aspen branch with leaves that was above the line of sight to the vitals, but caught it on the way to the bull. The bull hunched up like it was shot in the paunch then walked about 20 yards. I could see the entrance right where I was aiming right behind his left shoulder, but for that entrance there should have been blood all over the ground.

The only thing I can think of is the leaves and branch kicked the tail end to the left, the point still hit the spot, but then deflected the arrow to the right through the paunch. There was just a little bit of blood on the ground for what should have been a double lung shot and real easy recovery. I watched the bull follow his cows off a drop and they all disappeared out of sight. I couldn't find blood at that time, nor could I find the arrow. I had no idea that he bedded right below that drop-off less than 50 yards from the hit, and I bumped him. Watched him run off into a bottom and then disappeared. We searched for three days and never found him. We found birds on two different days and grid searched the whole area but still nothing. Found blood, but never found the arrow. I figured the arrow stayed inside of him because I didn't see it sticking out of the entrance, and I never saw any evidence of two holes.

 

[doc holiday13]

I can only recall 2 that I've not found.

One I knew it was a far back shot but I lost daylight and had another on the ground. It was a 2 mile hike in and out. I got my gear and the first deer out and planned to come back the next morning to track the 2nd deer. Well it ended up raining overnight...

The 2nd was lost because there was literally no blood trail. It was the 2nd animal i ever shot with a 2 blade broadhead. Complete pass through and the arrow was coated in blood. The blood trail went for 20 yards and disappeared. I think the exit wound sealed up. I went to 2 blade with bleeders after that

 

[Tick]

Lucky to have only lost 3 deer in 25 years. Poor shot placement was the reason for all 3. 1) First shot at an animal. High pass through. Deer lived and was seen several times a year later. 2) Gutshot found a week later about a quarter mile away. 3) Hit shoulder little penetration. Never saw the buck again. I blame the shot but it was the only time I've experimented with a mechanical on an animal.

 

[Bump79]

Thanks for the responses! Let's keep it going.

 

[Geewhiz]

I have lost 3 bulls with what I would have considered 10 ring double lung shots. I'm going to get haters for admitting this but I can say with 100% certainty they were all 3 double lung broadside shots that should have resulted in dead elk within just a few yards. And yes I looked and looked and looked and had help looking. You say "if they were double lung shots they would have died immediately". Well thats what I thought too.

1 of them I found 3 days later 1.24 miles from where I shot him. Absolute needle in a haystack luck that we even found him. Fixed blade broadhead intact and stuck in an offside rib. Similar elevation but sidehilled around 3 ridges.

One of them I found 7 days later 800 yards away, up hill 600 yards and 200 yards down the back side of a ridge. Devoured with no sign of an arrow or broadhead.

One of them I never found.


3 Very odd situation that I really have no explanation for. Shuttle t lock and montec heads going about 285. Weird deals.

 

[Ckenny22]

When you have lost an animal, what is the most common cause? I'm trying to get an actual gauge of what the most common problem is. Select as many times as you've lost an animal.

If you've voted on Archery Talk please don't duplicate votes.

For me it has always been either shot placement or ballistics. Everyone knows shot placement, but I have learned that my shot placement changes depending on distance and bullet speed.

 

[bigmike23]

Buck fever

 

[Dos Perros]

I've zipped ribs, hit a shoulder blade, and pretty sure had a low shot because I was dropping the bow too early to watch my perfectly executed shot kill a giant. Shot placement shot placement shot placement. And execution.

 

[GuyinIdaho]

I have lost 3 bulls with what I would have considered 10 ring double lung shots. I'm going to get haters for admitting this but I can say with 100% certainty they were all 3 double lung broadside shots that should have resulted in dead elk within just a few yards. And yes I looked and looked and looked and had help looking. You say "if they were double lung shots they would have died immediately". Well thats what I thought too.

1 of them I found 3 days later 1.24 miles from where I shot him. Absolute needle in a haystack luck that we even found him. Fixed blade broadhead intact and stuck in an offside rib. Similar elevation but sidehilled around 3 ridges.

One of them I found 7 days later 800 yards away, up hill 600 yards and 200 yards down the back side of a ridge. Devoured with no sign of an arrow or broadhead.

One of them I never found.


3 Very odd situation that I really have no explanation for. Shuttle t lock and montec heads going about 285. Weird deals.

I lost a bull with a montec head. Broadside shot at 40 yards, did not pass through. Looked a little high but I was uphill. Looked for 3 days and then the next week with no luck. It happens. I have since gone with a heavier arrow and different broadhead. Last bull was very close to the same shot placement but with full pass through. He went 60 yards.

 

[DanimalW]

I think shot selection/decision has to be number one. Most of the bad ones I’ve seen were shots that probably shouldn’t have been taken in the first place. I think we’re all guilty of it. You really only learn that from experience, and you gain that by screwing up (and helping your buddies that screw up).

 

[Geewhiz]

I lost a bull with a montec head. Broadside shot at 40 yards, did not pass through. Looked a little high but I was uphill. Looked for 3 days and then the next week with no luck. It happens. I have since gone with a heavier arrow and different broadhead. Last bull was very close to the same shot placement but with full pass through. He went 60 yards.

Im not really sure what to attribute that to. When something like that happens I like to look for what went wrong so as to learn a lesson from it. When you stick an elk right where you aim and get good penetration and it takes off and you cant find it, its one of the most frustrating things i've encountered. You feel like you did everything right and you dont know where you fell short. Just one of those things I guess. Im telling you these 3 instances were perfect shots, there was no second guessing on placement or penetration. With archery equipment I dont aim for the heart I aim for a clean double lung. The most recent was a big 6x7 broadside at 23 yards. I saw the arrow hit its mark clear as day.