Coyotes and turkey vultures beat me to it

[supr78nova]

I took a 30 yard broadside shot with the crossbow at a doe last night at about 5:40pm. The shot felt good and the deer ran about 50 yards and fell over. I could barely see with the binos, but I noticed that it was laying down, but had its head up. I waited about 20 minutes and got out of the ground blind and walked back to my truck nearby to drop off my pack and to give it some more time.

 

I nocked another arrow and got ready to take another shot if needed. When I got back, I shined my light to the spot where it was laying and saw that it was no longer there. I could see the silhouette of a deer walking slowly away across the property and onto the neighbor's piece. I went to the spot where it was laying and found pretty good blood with some foam in it, so I figured I got lungs. It was broadside and a complete passthrough so I figured it got both lungs and would be dead pretty quick. I followed the bloodtrail for about 80 yards and and decided to back out and come back in the morning so I didn't push it too far.

I came back this morning and picked up the bloodtrail where I left off. I followed it for what turned out to be another 190 yards. When I was getting near the end of the trail I saw 3 turkey vultures so I knew I was getting close. Unfortunately, the vultures and more than likely a coyote or 2 found it before I did.

 

The shot ended up about 3 inches farther back than where I had aimed, and after it hit the rib on entry it deflected and came out even farther back on the opposite side, hitting guts. Must must have only caught the back of one lung , liver and guts.

 

 

Definitely not the way I thought this story was going to end

 

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[JHbowhunter]

well it's not going to waste - all you can do is learn from the shot and move on.   Wasn't much more you could do last night, you made the right call.   

[supr78nova]

well it's not going to waste - all you can do is learn from the shot and move on.   Wasn't much more you could do last night, you made the right call.   

I'm still trying to figure out exactly how it went wrong. I switched to stiffer spine arrows and sighted it in a few weeks ago. It was zeroed at 30 yards and was right on. I'm going to head back to the range and check to see if the scope was bumped or something

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[Trophy8]

The deer may have been quartering towards you and not broadside?

[Greybeard]

It's going to happen, and nothing you could have done any better.  I've gone back the next morning and had to chase down a liver shot deer to get another shot in it.   The coyotes don't give us that opportunity much anymore.  Ribs can deflect an arrow in the opposite direction if hit at the right spot with mech or fixed.  Are you sighting it in with a fixed broadhead, or practice mech broadhead, depending on what you're using?  They can fly different than a target tip, especially a fixed head.

[JHbowhunter]

5 hours ago, Sugar said:

It appears a rib was sliced by a blade  and if it is what it seems it looks to be back a bit...

that's a great spot to hit - when a deer is quartering away 45 degrees - otherwise, no good. 

[Buck154]

It happen to the best. Nature will take it back.

[Mountain Goat]

WoW!

[Stewey]

They didn't waste any time getting to the carcass 

[supr78nova]

was It a 3 blade head?

Yeah, spitfire maxx 1-3/4 cut 3 blade

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[supr78nova]

The deer may have been quartering towards you and not broadside?

I guess it's possible, but it was coming in quartering towards me and I waited forever till I got what I thought was a broadside shot. I could be wrong

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[supr78nova]

It's going to happen, and nothing you could have done any better.  I've gone back the next morning and had to chase down a liver shot deer to get another shot in it.   The coyotes don't give us that opportunity much anymore.  Ribs can deflect an arrow in the opposite direction if hit at the right spot with mech or fixed.  Are you sighting it in with a fixed broadhead, or practice mech broadhead, depending on what you're using?  They can fly different than a target tip, especially a fixed head.

I was sighting in with a spitfire practice head. They fly way different than field points, but very close to the actual broadhead. At least they did with the other arrows I was shooting. Now I have to go and shoot a few broadheads and double check.



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[Grassmans]

Some thing was hungry !!

[bushden]

That shot was pretty far back but it happens. Sorry the predators got to on you. You still got a couple more days

[archer36]

I'm glad I don't have issues with predators in my area. I have left deer in the woods overnight (gutted and ungutted) on purpose and never had a problem. Maybe a Fox will hit gut pile but no major damage to deer.  I guess that's the benefit of hunting "Suburban" deer.