I have seen this happen on forums, just not to me.
At the beginning of November on Sat 11/3, the suns was setting fast and I only had about 20 min of legal shooting when this guy very quickly trotted up to the feeder. I shot him broadside with a rage broadhead out of a 130lb crossbow. He was hit and I heard a big thwack like it hit his Scapula. He stumbled when he was running at first then it looked like he got his feet under him. I looked for 5 hours that night and another couple hours in the morning. Not one drop of blood, hair, or the arrow.
I left and felt like [censored]. Two weeks later I check the game camera and I have these pictures of him. The last time I was out there was two weeks ago, hopefully he is continuing to heel, but this thing looks pretty nearly.
Hopefully I can get another shot at him. These animals are tough.
Re: Shot deer, it is still alive two weeks later
[Re: Ktexas14]
#736586012/03/1810:20 PM
Looks a bit high on the shoulder. Plus, you have the spine behind that area. Your bolt may have glanced off and gone Heaven knows where. They are amazing creatures though.
[IMG][/IMG]
Pay it forward - Kids are the future.
Rifles are similar to boats and young women...there's no end to how much money you can pour into them without making them any more useful.
Re: Shot deer, it is still alive two weeks later
[Re: Ktexas14]
#736587312/03/1810:33 PM
You would be surprised at how tough they are, and you witnessed it first hand. I've seen it myself several times, and I kind of get amused when people wring their hands over an arrow shot deer. Chances are if you look hard and make sure there is no deer to be found there is a better than 50/50 chance the deer made it, even with a heavy blood trail that just stops in a dead end. Broadheads are surgically sharp, and the wound closes up better than it would if it was jagged with a dull broadhead, so make sure your broadheads are sharp for the deer's sake. Yes a jagged broadhead may cause the deer to bleed, but it will open up the deer to infection and a slow miserable death, if a non lethal hit. I've hunted on large bow only military base where many hunters would bring in deer to the check station. I've witness to deer being gutted, and some being processed where intact broad heads were dug out of shoulders and chest cavities that were completely healed over that were clearly from past seasons and found while removing the hide. The deer were perfectly healthy and in great shape even while carrying the extra metal. I've also shot a doe a few years ago that ran off directly away from me with the arrow sticking out evenly from each side of it's shoulder, which appeared to be a lethal shot. After searching many hours I realized the deer was gone. Then toward the end of the season that same doe showed up, and stepped out in the exact spot where I had shot her early in the seaon. I knew it was the same deer because of the Y shaped scar on the left side, and when she turned she had the exact Y on the other side. She got a pass the second time around!
Last edited by Jimbo; 12/03/1810:44 PM.
Thursday at 12:45 PM #33 Once i learned that i didn't "NEED" to kill something, and that if i did kill something all the fun stopped and work began, i was a much better hunter.
Re: Shot deer, it is still alive two weeks later
[Re: Ktexas14]
#736588612/03/1810:43 PM
redchevy, It was a little over a week after being shot but then I saw him 4 days in a row. He must really like those protein grain blocks to come back. It sure was a big relief to see the pictures. I havent lost a deer before so it is good to see that he seems to be doing well. Going out there in the next couple weeks and will see if there are more pictures and maybe get a shot at him.
Bbear, definitely high. This is the first time i have attempted to take a deer without a rifle. My aim point was lower and a little back, I didnt account for the duck at the shot. The shot was at 20-25 yards.
Re: Shot deer, it is still alive two weeks later
[Re: Ktexas14]
#736591712/03/1811:21 PM
"Bbear, definitely high. This is the first time i have attempted to take a deer without a rifle. My aim point was lower and a little back, I didnt account for the duck at the shot. The shot was at 20-25 yards."
It's hard enough shooting them where they are than where they aren't. You cannot shoot at a deer that is on alert. Takes more than a few minutes for a deer to settle down. Glad your deer is OK and be back for another season.
Last edited by Walkabout; 12/03/1811:22 PM. Reason: Typo
Re: Shot deer, it is still alive two weeks later
[Re: Ktexas14]
#736592212/03/1811:25 PM
He will be fine. If it was me, he earned a pass until next year. He’s young and tough.
X2 on the pass!
Thursday at 12:45 PM #33 Once i learned that i didn't "NEED" to kill something, and that if i did kill something all the fun stopped and work began, i was a much better hunter.
Re: Shot deer, it is still alive two weeks later
[Re: Ktexas14]
#736644712/04/1802:32 PM
They are tough. Over the decades I’ve taken deer that showed signs of past bullet damage. One was missing a big chunk of hindquarter that had healed over. One had a flattened round lead ball that fell on the deck with a thump as I was skinning the deer. Apparently it had penetrated the deer and not exited and stayed under the hide. And there was one that had an arrow sticking out of its butt, and would not have survived that.
Not my monkeys, not my circus...
Re: Shot deer, it is still alive two weeks later
[Re: Jimbo]
#736648812/04/1803:04 PM
I had the same thing happen to me on a 9pt buck back in the late 90's while archery hunting. Hit him in the same location and broke off about 6" of arrow shaft and broadhead in him. I saw him 6 weeks later at the same feeder and gave him a pass. I killed him the next October with my bow when he was now a 5x5. Like stated above WT have a lot of will to live and can do so as long as they have food, water, cover and can get away from predators.
Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?
Re: Shot deer, it is still alive two weeks later
[Re: Ktexas14]
#736673712/04/1805:59 PM
Put him down if you can. Some will heal up and be fine bug some will get infected and die a slow death, there was one on the green screen last year, tough old buzzard suffered until summer.
Re: Shot deer, it is still alive two weeks later
[Re: jim1961]
#736694612/04/1809:27 PM
Put him down if you can. Some will heal up and be fine bug some will get infected and die a slow death, there was one on the green screen last year, tough old buzzard suffered until summer.
That is some good insight. I guess I will see if I see him again, I only have one MAYBE two weekends I can make it out there before the regular season. If it was up to me and the Wife didn't have other plans on some of the weekends, I would be out there every weekend or at least every other weekend.
Re: Shot deer, it is still alive two weeks later
[Re: Ktexas14]
#736697912/04/1810:06 PM
Happened to me on a solid buck in Missouri in 09. Had pics of him 2 weeks later. Shot a very nice deer in 2015 in Kansas. He had been gut shot 10 days prior. I know the guy who gut shot him. I say gut but the arrow hit his stomach low and didn't puncture his actual paunch. When quartering the deer, I found a rage boradhead stuck in his front shoulder that was clearly from a year or more prior. I guess 3rd time was a charm
Originally Posted By: Chief Joe
I avoid Dick's and hope they fold.
Re: Shot deer, it is still alive two weeks later
[Re: Ktexas14]
#736720712/05/1801:46 AM