Arrow Busted Inside Deer

[JMDHunter]

Last night I accidentally shot a spike that I thought was a doe.  It happens and is at the butcher so it is what it is.  However, what is interesting is I shot the deer at a good angle broadside but the arrow must have hit the shoulder joint dead on because the arrow was not in the ground when I came down and I thought I saw the fletching in the deer when it ran away.  When I started tracking it I found one of the blades from the mech broadhead after about 10 yards  (Rage), another 15 yards and I find the back half of the arrow (bright blood on it) and another 15 yards and I find the front end of the arrow with the tip and both blades of the broadhead broken off!!!  Another 20 yards and I found my doe which turned out to be a spike buck.  Low light with leaves still on and not thrilled about that.  There was an exit wound which is pictured here and the arrow split in 2 and the broadhead itself.  That happened to anyone else?  The entry wound was normal and both blades deployed so no issue there.

[JHbowhunter]

any time you stick a deer in opposite shoulder and it stays in, just about ANY arrow made today will snap. Too much torque.  As for the BH damage, what else would you expect of it when it hits bone?  The blades are thin and held together by hinges.   Congrats on your deer - you will have another buck tag soon. (4 more - in fact, depending on your appetite for NJ permits plus 6-day)

Edited October 13, 2016 by JHbowhunter

[Rusty]

Congratulations on your deer.  Most heads will break blades when they hit bone.  Nice shot, and congratulations again.

[BowhunterNJ]

Congrats on the deer! As others have said, when that arrow stays in a deer and is IN or around bone...it's gonna get busted up.

[JMDHunter]

The saving grace on it is I spent a lot of time before the season practicing in my back yard making sure I was accurate again and I was right where I wanted to be with this shot and I know I'm back in good form.  I remembered to bend knees, proper form, nice slow trigger with release and waited til I had the best angle to take the shot and no surprise the entry wound location was pretty good just slightly behind right front shoulder and went translateral through the lungs. 

 

First 2 years bowhunting I was dead on and dropped my deer quickly with good shots.  Last year got lazy and missed a doe completely, gut shot one that I never found and killed a buck with a shot that ended up being fatal but I was not happy with myself.  Went to spend time practice shooting and next deer I took was like in the past, lung shot and down within 75 yards.

 

So moral of the story is practice, practice and practice.  Thanks for feedback and happy to have to replace an arrow and broadhead if it means I'm making a trip to the butcher for a drop off. lol.  Good luck to everyone else and get out there!

[LPJR]

Nice shot, nothing wrong where it was placed!

 

Congrats!  

[newjerseyhunter]

I had a very similar experience last year. It was a quartering away shot on a really big doe (120lb+). I believe the arrow hit her far shoulder and broke on impact. I found the back half of the arrow within feet of where she was standing when I released the arrow. It was covered in blood about half way up the shaft. She took off into some really thick brush and I had a hell of a time finding despite her only running 80 yards before dropping. For the life of me I can't remember if I found the second part of the arrow but I do remember I NEVER did find the broadhead (muzzy 3). When I dropped it off at the butcher I warned them that I had field dressed it and couldn't find the broadhead so I had no idea if it was lodged in her shoulder or fell out while she was running.

 

I can't tell for sure but it looks like that arrow is a Beman ICS Hunter... same arrows I was shooting.  

[JMDHunter]

Yes it is a Beman.  2nd or 3rd deer with the same arrow but now obviously retired lol.  I have found Beman to be my favorite so far.

[AlecsHalon5]

That's not a rage broadhead. That's a NAP killzone.

[outdoorslife]

Congrats!

[gregtpal]

I had same happen to me several times, last time using an Axis arrow.  When they hit in shoulder & run, that arrow snaps.  No big deal, obviously you wanted to hit just behind the shoulder & got close but no cigar...

[NorthNJHunter]

Chuck those mechanicals in the garbage! I agree, it doesn't look like a rage.

[rossbowhunter]

congrats, but that is why i never use rages, always muzzies or slick trick. 

[outdoorslife]

I hit the spine on a doe this year and the arrow broke in two on impact. Ive never seen that before especially on a pass thru like this one. I saw the dirt kick up where the broadhead passed and the back half of the arrow still in her. Ive hit the spine once before in the past and that arrow did not penetrate all the way and was stuck in the deer, but that was with a mechanical. The broadhead of choice this time was a wasp drone and was fine after I found it, a week later. Congrats again! 

[JMDHunter]

I had same happen to me several times, last time using an Axis arrow.  When they hit in shoulder & run, that arrow snaps.  No big deal, obviously you wanted to hit just behind the shoulder & got close but no cigar...

 

That was the exit wound.  The entrance wound was behind the right front shoulder and a slight angle quartering away but very minimal. 

Edited October 13, 2016 by JMDHunter