When is a gut shot not a gut shot?

[nycredneck]

I've been bowhunting for many years and have shot plenty deer but yesterday was a first. At 25yrds I put the arrow right behind the front right shoulder of a completely broadside deer, the arrow passed through although a tad lower than I wanted shooting from a blind. Deer ran about 25-30 yards and dropped, struggled for a couple minutes and expired. Now here's where it get's strange, when gutting this deer I smelled that gut shot smell even though intestines were intact and there was intestine like mater around the entrance and exit wound which was a couple inches from the heart. Even when I walked to where the deer was standing when hit I smelled it but knew the shot was nowhere near the gut. I have never seen this before, could it have been recently chewed cud? 

Like I said, the shot was right behind front shoulder only in the lower part and very near the heart, as a mater of fact the heart had a slice in it but it could have happened when field dressing.

Anyone ever see/smell this before on a deer that was hit in this area.

[Axiom]

Is it possible you cut the Esophagus..?..

[nycredneck]

I dunno, does it go that low? Does it contain that kind of mater?

[Axiom]

 

I dunno, does it go that low?

 

 

 I dunno either.. I googled it and didnt find anything.. Just the only thing i could think of...

[MackofallTrades]

Was there any evidence that the deer was shot once already?

[robnj]

my buck two years ago was low with a slice in the back of heart and had a nasty smell. I just thought it was from him being a rutting buck at the time. the smell was strong like the gut smell . same as you i smelled it were the deer was hit when i picked up the bolt.

[BowhunterNJ]

I guess it depends on the angle…certainly the lower you get, the more chance you have of hitting guts.  The lungs up high go back, so more room for forgiveness on the high shot.

If the deer had it's front leg forward, it possible "right behind the leg" is almost in the front part of the guts.

 

Check out these images for the anatomy side of it…especially the last one for the leg forward aspect.

Also if the deer was walking on a decline, it's possible for the guts to shift forward some and where you could/would hit them is low behind the leg.

 

 

 

[nycredneck]

Intestines were intact, the shot was right by the heart, front leg was definitely not back when I released, is it possible it was cud. I have no idea how a deers stomach works and where cud travels, it's the only thing I could think of.

[BowhunterNJ]

Yeah you'd have to be pretty far back to hit intestines, so that's not surprising.  The stomach not he other hand can creep forward at the lowest part of the body.  Not sure what the heck happened there.  I'm also not sure cud would smell anything like a gutshot deer?

[Matty]

I almost always do a necropsy of my deer to see what organs were hit and how they were damaged. Even if I'm mounting it, I'll cape it out, then saw through the ribs so the internal organs remain in tact. I don't always do it that way, sometimes I just check out the organs as I dress it.

 

I have some photos of the last one, but they are extremely graphic so I've never shared them before. Not sure I should either...I doubt my crappy pictures would have enough detail to shed light on this anyway. I'll look at them though to see if any answers lie within them.

 

The esophagus does go pretty low down through the body, and even though I've seen it a number of times, I can't picture the exact route. I know it is definitely right near the heart at one point though. So maybe it's gases from the esophagus.

[nycredneck]

Here is the pic, I don't think it's too far back.  Kinda low, yes, but it did kill her and only ran about 30 yrds.

Thanks for the diagrams BowhunterNJ, I looked at a bunch of them but could not find one that shows the esophagus or where the cud might travel.

Edited January 3, 2014 by nycredneck

[BowhunterNJ]

Hard to tell exactly, but it's definitely back a bit. I would say that might be the very, very outside edge of the heart and possibly bottom lungs if they are expanded and likely the very forward most part of the stomach.  Certainly going to puncture the diaphragm on both sides.  I think that shot would require some inspection to see exactly what you hit.

[Axiom]

 

 

[Rusty]

At the point of your hit it looks to be at the location where the diaphragm sweeps forward at that location the liver and stomach are pushed forward tight against the diaphragm by the intestines.

 

I would bet you hit an artery the liver as well as the stomach...

 

What he said.   Axiom's picture shows this well.

[robnj]

mine looks like the same spot as yours. its hard to see but the exit is by the patch of whiteish hair above the blood stains.