So here it is I am up in the stand after my last class of the day ready to hunt and relieve the stress of college life with some of Gods beautiful creation. It's about 3:35 and my buddy is in the other stand about 90 yards behind me. From 3:30 to about 4:45 all I had was a bunch of fuzzy nut eaters (squirrels) messing around my stand. Finally prime time deer time finally hits. At 5:30 I look behind my stand and see 2 big does about 70 yards out. So I stand up and get ready and watch them for awhile waiting for one to come in close. At about 5:53 one of them starts slowly heading my way as she is eating some acorns. Took her a solid 15 minutes to close from 60 yards to about 15 yards from my stand. I see my opportunity to draw as her head is behind a tree. I wait she comes out behind the tree perfect broadside shot. I release the arrow and WHACK! She jumps and runs off.......and then keeps running, and running, and running. My heart sank, surely I didn't miss I thought. I have been practicing all summer and still practicing and 15 yards should be insta kill after seeing my groupings. I get out of the stand retrieve my arrow and there is brown fur stuck all inside my Rage 2 blade broad heads. Blood, but only little spots on the arrow. One of the blades is bent. Dang it all, I hit the shoulder I bet. No blood trail what-so-ever. I grid searched with my buddy and everything from 6:30 to about 7:45 and got NOTHING! I am so upset. First time I have ever shot a deer with a bow and I can't even retrieve it. Gonna go look tomorrow. I hate to let the deer go to waste since I decided to take her for the meat.
You probably hit her high above her spine. The blade bent on a rock. If you "hit the shoulder" but still got a pass thru, you would also have a dead deer in front of you.
I had this happen to me last year, you probably hit her right above the lungs in that no mans land pocket she'll be fine.
happens to all of us man, dont get up set over it, obviusly it sucks, i lost a doe earlier in the season but hey thats hunting. What broadheads did you use? im always curious when someone gets a pass through and doesnt find their deer.
X2 I had what was a perfect shot complete pass through on a doe. I had great blood for a little while then it got less and less until none at all. I spent 6 hours tracking and went back the next day. after some back and fourth with some people on here and looking at the heavy tissue on my broadhead the shot had to be just above the lungs. It happens to all of us not a fun part of hunting but a reality. We can practice all season and forget to do simple things like align the peep. If you did all you could to recover her then you did your part!!!
I know, I just feel so bad letting her go to waste if she did die. Thought I'd have my first bow kill but alas I do not.
Take it a a learning experience. Aim small miss small. I missed my first shot ever last year at probably less than 10 yards. It made me work harder and I got a nice 8 point this year. You've got time, keep with it.
Hey I went out Opening day in IL this year, and shot at 2 turkeys and missed by a mile, then not 20 minutes later a doe was behind me at 20 yards and again I missed her shot right over her back. the good news is she didn't run far and came right beside my stand for a 8 yard shot. I hit right wear I was aiming, and she ran for only 40 or 50 yards. When you up in a tree you have to invision where you arrow will pass through. I was shooting downward at less then 10 yards, so I know my 20 yard pin would be perfect in this shot. you want the arrow to hit her a little high (slightly above the normal aiming point). if your arrow was to hit her in the center it could miss the heart or lungs, at that angle. I've never made a more perfect shot on any deer too date. The arrow went through the center of her heart. I knew I did well when I opened her up and she was completely filled with blood. I think your arrow went under her heart with her being that close. Just remember that you arrow needs to hit the heart or lungs. so invision how the arrow will enter and exit and in between. good luck next time. The 2 blade Rage is the way to go, but it was by just chance, that it didn't happen for you that time. Those blades (all Blades) bend very easily. The 3 blade may have helped this time, but if the shot had been perfect you would have had buckets of blood to follow and not spects. remember even the experianced bow hunter will miss every once and awhile. but you need to aim for the heart not the skin.
"Aim for the exit hole." In other words; imagine where you want the arrow to come out and put the pin there. If there's obstructions like heavy bone or a bad shot angle in the way of that exit hole, wait for a better shot. Stuff happens to us all. You can't take it back now so all you can do is learn from it and move on.
Not to start a mechanical vs fixed head peeing contest, but let me ask, why use a mechanicals? I have seen more penetration problems with mechanical heads than I care to address. I will not allow them on my land for a very good reason. Many outfitters are the same. I have been blow through bone, for over 30+ years, with simple longbows and fixed, two blade heads.
I decided to start with the Rage 2 Blades because from reading the reviews people said they flew like field points and would put a good size hole in a deer and the blood trail would be phenomenal. I just decided to give it a try and see if they worked for me. The blades did open up properly because they were both deployed when I found my arrow and the O-ring was gone. I am thinking about switching to a fixed blade for next season though.
i shoot the Rage 2 blade and 3 blade and i won't shoot anything but Rage, the blood trails are awesome you won't go wrong and when i found my arrow well actually it went right through but i found the o-ring half way up the arrow which i didn't care cause i found my first buck with them so i'll shoot them for now on.
