Gonna be a long night

[Lphunsjr]

I was in tree Stand, probably 17' up,,,20 yard shot. Searched that entire piece of woods and never found bolt. No exit wound on other side. You would think w a crossbow, it would blown thru there and hit something!

[Pqreturn62]

This is why it’s called hunting and not killing. 

 

Take 50 shots from a practice stand and get back in a tree.

[birdshotnj]

That's one tough SOB. I wonder if that wound will affect his rack next year... Simple solution is kill him this year so you wont have to find out. Good luck

[Lphunsjr]

Other side,,,,,,clearly limping. I would've been better off slightly right in the mud star

[JHbowhunter]

Two possibilities -

1) you got the meatiest part of the ham but hit leg bone and bolt stopped there - BH could still be in there and bolt snapped off, or bolt and BH simple worked itself out

2) Based on angle downward, there is an exit hole but it's on other side of same leg but somehow missed entering body.  All meat, just a flesh wound. The bolt is there somewhere, may have bounced off ground and gone in a direction you weren't looking or is buried so deep in ground you can't find it.

 

 

Either option  soooo close to femoral -had to be by inches.  Look at diagram.    I am thinking option #2 - especially if he's not limping.  Had you hit leg bone with a crossbow, may have broken it. I  bet there is an exit hole just won't ever see it from camera because it's other side of the same leg.

[JHbowhunter]

well now that I see his leg is just not quite touching ground, wondering if maybe you did break his leg.   If you did just pass through meaty part of the ham and get an exit (that you can't see) he still could be limping from that though - and should fully recover.   Hopefully you get another chance at him soon.

[Lphunsjr]

3 minutes ago, JHbowhunter said:

well now that I see his leg is just not quite touching ground, wondering if maybe you did break his leg.   If you did just pass through meaty part of the ham and get an exit (that you can't see) he still could be limping from that though - and should fully recover.   Hopefully you get another chance at him soon.

So glad he's alive. I'll put in a few all day sits soon! 

[JHbowhunter]

46 minutes ago, Lphunsjr said:

Even in this pic - looks like that leg is gingerly touching tip of hoof to ground whereas all other legs are flatter, bearing all the weight.   Hope his leg isn't fully broke, but he probably is very sore and maybe sliced a tendon that will impair him regardless if bone is broken or not. (as in "the hamstring").

[Live to Hunt]

Glad the mystery is solved and he survived.  The story went from bad  to great.   Good luck Larry. 

[Buck154]

Glad he is alive Larry. By the way that good shot is called BUCK FEVER!!!!!. You gave him a chance now get him.

[Devil Horns]

Glad he is still around. I have a feeling you will cross paths again. He is still in the area and the does will bring him around. The best hunting is in the next couple of weeks and even the oldest and smartest bucks make mistakes for love. Good Luck! 

[Lphunsjr]

19 minutes ago, Buck154 said:

Glad he is alive Larry. By the way that good shot is called BUCK FEVER!!!!!. You gave him a chance now get him.

Apparently! 

[JHbowhunter]

next set of antlers might be a corkscrew spike on his right side and a giant fork horn on his left... And you can name him "tripod" next year if you don't get him!

[Haskell_Hunter]

1 hour ago, Lphunsjr said:

I was in tree Stand, probably 17' up,,,20 yard shot. Searched that entire piece of woods and never found bolt. No exit wound on other side. You would think w a crossbow, it would blown thru there and hit something!

I shot a deer and a turkey with a crossbow and couldn't find the bolt either time.  15 yard shot, so the bolt still had a ton of energy behind it.  Good chance you buried it.

[Woodsman416]

Glad he made it. But, please, no more warning shots! Next picture needs to have both of you in it!