The "No Dead Zone"

[Serpentine]

I dont think this has been discussed for a while but now the opinions seem to have shifted somewhat.

 

I shot this buck a years ago in late Oct. and the buck had  fairly fresh broadhead pass thru in "vital area" below the spine, confirmed by butchering the deer. Deer acted fine. I pole axed him straight down he died within 50 yards quickly.

Notice the old wound in pic seemed like fairly fresh.

Notice the healed broadhead wound both sides of deer. First pic is entry second is exit 3-4 inches lower.

Looks completely fatal. so deadzone?

 

Edited April 19 by Serpentine

[Serpentine]

One lung was gel, the other nicked top. Not survival hit.

Edited April 19 by Serpentine

[hunterbob1]

2 minutes ago, Serpentine said:

One lung was gel, the other nicked top. Not survival hit.

Congratulations nice buck

   I'm not surprised,not the first time I heard this, yes they can live/survive on one lung.Whitetails are tough SOB's!!!

[Serpentine]

Thanks Bob, so there IS a no dead zone.

[chris n]

They can definitely live on one lung. People also don't factor in that the lungs inflate and deflate as the deer is breathing. They change size because of this and taper off the further you go back in the cavity. 

[vdep217]

Below the spine you will hit lung.  Deer can survive on one lung but the hole you show seems above spine.  The spine does dip

[Silkcitymedic]

It is true deer and even some humans live with only one functional lung.

If there is a hole made in the chest wall it will interfere with breathing by allowing air to accumulate in the chest cavity and collapse the lung. 

Air can also escape the lung and become trapped in the chest cavity and cause a tension pneumothorax.

Making holes can cause bleeding or infection or the things listed above. There are a lot of large blood vessels in the chest and some run just bellow the spine. Therefore a broadhead bellow the spine would most likely cut or transect a blood vessel that would cause fatal bleeding. 

The void does not exist its just bad shot placement and wishful thinking. 

So many factors go into what a broad head will pass through, angle of shot, deer movement, etc. 

Keep in mind when a deer is dead, butchered, or gutted the lungs are deflated. Normally the lungs will be right up against the chest walls with no spaces even during exhalation. CT images of an animals chest would show this well.  The diaphragm pulls down, ribs expand, the chest becomes a negative pressure space and air rushes in to fill the lungs. Holes in the chest wall interfere greatly with this process.

See this post by Tater 12 with CT images of various animals. 

https://www.archerytalk.com/threads/deer-anatomy-101-no-mans-land.241902/

In the image bellow we have excellent anatomy and labels. This is of a dog. I cant find CT images of a whitetail deer immediately. 

[JFC1]

1 hour ago, hunterbob1 said:

Congratulations nice buck

   I'm not surprised,not the first time I heard this, yes they can live/survive on one lung.Whitetails are tough SOB's!!!

All hail Hunter Bob! Welcome back, old timer

[mazzgolf]

I always thought this is what people are talking about when mentioning "the void" (see red arrow) - basically over the spine... in this case, doesn't seem to hit anything thus hitting "a void" where there are no internal organs.

[Devil Horns]

I would say entry was above the spine and exit sliced the top of the offside lung. Deer was surviving on one lung. 

[Rusty]

4 minutes ago, mazzgolf said:

I always thought this is what people are talking about when mentioning "the void" (see red arrow) - basically over the spine... in this case, doesn't seem to hit anything thus hitting "a void" where there are no internal organs.

That IS where they hit,  but they think that they went under the spine, leading to the belief that there is an empty space between the spine and the lungs.  But there is no space between them, if you hit below the spine you are hitting lung.

P.S.  I’m not saying that is where Serpentine hit,  I’m just responding to the Golf Man.  

[Serpentine]

I took the shot 5 yards from stand straight down bwtween shoulders (super thick stuff). See pic.

Those other 2 pics were of were old wounds maybe a month old?.

My arrow cut edge of spine and plunged into heart lung but when i butchered the deer the exit fron cross section was mid body and the broken ribs looked below spine and lung was gel i dont think from my arrow.

I documented becuase i could not believe it.

Edited April 19 by Serpentine

[NotJust22s]

Any pics inside the chest cavity? Or ribs with skin off?

[Lunatic]

21 hours ago, Devil Horns said:

I would say entry was above the spine and exit sliced the top of the offside lung. Deer was surviving on one lung. 

I think it is geometrically impossible to enter above the spine and scratch the lung on the other side unless you go through the spine and then deer is down anyway. 

[JHbowhunter]

I think my buddy @3Blade needs to weigh in on this.  Has some real life experience.