I recently shot this deer who was just slightly up hill from me in my treestand. You can see the entrance right above the elbow and the exit was where the red "x" is. The shot took out the heart and offside lung, complete passthrough. The deer ran about 60 yards stopped to look around and tipped over. In that 60 yards I found exactly one drop of blood. What gives with a shot like this? I really like my 4 blade Magnus Stingers and Buzzcuts (flight, toughness, accuracy) but again on this deer, the blood trail was non-existant. The lack of blood is pushing me closer and closer to switching heads. So in this shot, was it shot placement or was it the broadhead which resulted in no blood? Time to switch?
You've brought this up before Craig. I know what I'd do, stick with the Magnus head but throw a 3 blade on there Instead. Or try a little bigger 2 blade like the Magnus II (1 /1/4 cutting diameter).
Doesn't make sense on a shot like that - with ANY head. The more I hunt, the more I think some things are just unexplainable.
Guys, I shot a buck with a .50 cal muzzleloader in 2004. He ran 50 yards and fell over dead. I found one drop of blood between where I shot him and where I found him, and I had literally blown his heart into pieces. He had run over a hill so I just tracked like normal because I could not see him as he crashed, even though I heard him. These things happen.
I shot a doe once just like you, found very little blood. Ol' Uncle Ted says to remove the blood trailer blade on the broadhead and just use the main blade, which would make it a single flint style blade...he says it's more lethal and leaves a much better blood trail. At least you found your backstraps!
can't argue with the end result...nice shot. One thing to always make sure of is extra sharp blades on BH...the sharper the better chance for bleeding...don't think this is the issue in your case as he died very quickly...but others that shoot deer and track without blood many times do not have the sharpest blades...just a reminder.
It's not unusal for there to be no or little blood from a heart shot. The minute the heart stops pumping.... blood stops flowing. More times than not the pump quits when it's drilled dead center. Then the only thing to put blood on the ground is gravity. With the speed a deer clots gravity just doesn't do it. This buck left one spot of blood.... of course he didn't make it 30 yards either. 2 hops and walked away. I'll take a double lung over a heart shot any day. I like to see a blood trail. If you get a lung and the heart you'll like get a little lung spray at least.
I'll agree with ya david Also, that leg entrance hole can do wierd things covering the wound channel and not let blood out. and lastly, strange things happen with blood trail not matter what head you use. I had a doe go 120-150 yds on a double with the WORST blood trail I've ever seen. We followed kicked up leaves. Sometimes weird things happens. that's just how I see it.
I think blood loss is relative to how quickly it can drain, and often it takes X amount of time before the body cavity fills to the exit hole. Also, there's always a chance the exit hole can become clogged, slowing the bleeding.
I didn't find a single drop of blood on the buck I killed this year. I was 22-23 feet in the air and he was 7 yards in front of me, so my angle was steep. I took out both lungs, but not a single drop of blood. I was almost ready to give up on the search until my friend stumbled on him.
That can happen. I had a shot almost the same once. The arrow entered at the 5th rib high and came out under the offside arm pit. NO blood really. It was kicked up leaves and hunches for 100 yards. The autopsy revealed the arrow went through the food pipe. The deer reguritated a big glob of chewed up green junk or the arrow passed through it in the food pipe and it followed the arrow out and plugged the exit hole. Laying between the shoulder and the chest cavitiy was a glob of green chewed up gook as big as a baseball. It plugged the exit hole. The arrow was covered in green slime. I had clearly seen the hole open up when the arrow hit. My buddy said you gut shot him. I assured him not. When it was all done I was proven right.... but the physical evidence said something else. Stuff happens folks. Be flexible and persistant.
