Low shot on deer. Couldn't find. Your thoughts?

It's such a sick feeling to wound a deer and not find him.

I just got into bowhunting (with a crossbow) and spent all summer practicing. I am very confident with it.

Saturday morning a very big bodied and mature buck came within 15 yards. My stand is 20' up so my shooting elevation is probably 23.5'. He was perfectly broadside, however I felt like I definitely shot low. I've replayed the image in my head and thought I saw it hit the lower 1/4 of the body, but right behind the leg where I'd like. (With all the adrenaline, maybe my mental recollection is unreliable?...). With the steep angle at that distance I know it's questionable if vitals were struck.

The arrow was stuck in the ground with virtually no blood on it. It was probably 2' feet behind where he was standing. There was a little blood on the fletchings and absolutely nothing on the shaft or mechanical broadhead (Rage 125). It was as if you dropped 2 drops on the fletching and smeared it with your fingers. This was on 2 for sure, I can't recall if it was on the 3rd fletching as well. There were a few white hairs lodged in the broadhead.

Where he was standing, there was probably 15 drops of blood. It took me close to an hour to find 2 small drops of blood 80 yards from where he was shot. Then, absolutely no blood or sign. 2 people looked for hours and came up with nothing.

Do you think this deer could've lived?

 

I have a feeling that your deer is just fine...based on what you found, you definitely hit real low and probably just a flesh wound.

 

Without a doubt he could have lived. The only way to know for sure is to see him again or find him later.

Sounds like either single lung or brisket. Single lung he could run for a long ways and possibly even live depending on how much damage was caused. Brisket he would likely live unless infection set in or predators were able to take him down. Not sure of your locale and what predators you have.

Hopefully he lived

 

I was thinking brisket too due to only finding white hairs.

 

Aiming point is always dicatated by the exit point for me. The closer they get into our stands the easier it is to have this exact mistake happen. I'd say 50/50 chance the deer lives, infection would be the thing to take it if it dies though....so odds are probably more in favor of living than not but who knows, i've seen um live through worse.

 

This is the best practice IMO! Works the same for the steeper quartered away shots as well.

 

I did the exact same with a xbow. I already posted so i wont tell the details again but it turned out to be the only deer ive hit for sure and not recovered. Made me sick. But like ty and fitz have already said on those steep shots you have to think exit and everything in between. Your arrow will almost hit backstrap. It wont look or feel right until you field dress and see how you destroyed the vitals.

 

Was there fat on the arrow? Any low hit through the brisket I've seen the arrow is smeared with fat and they bleed good for a short distance then nothing.

 

This. Fatty arrows are a sign of low brisket hits.

 

I agree I always aim for an exit not the entry.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

Good news for anyone curious for a follow-up!

He's alive and well.

I'm still shocked I missed so bad, but I learned some good lessons.

Thanks for your thoughts and input.

 

I "scratched" one in bow season and shot him a month later with a rifle.
His belly scratch was totally healed and the cut on his leg was almost.

 

Hey that is good to hear, lesson learned. I pass close shots myself I would feel more comfortable taking a 40 yard shot than a 10 yard and closer shot.

 

Ditto.

I've found quite a few deer over the years that were shot almost straight down and the arrow sticking out their back. Dang hard to get both lungs and they leave so little blood trail.