Sleepless night ahead

[JMF]

I wouldn't right it off as a miss until you find that arrow. A high hit above the lungs would explain why he was walking goofy and why you didn't find any blood. Not sure what your bow set up is but if I hold my 40 on the vitals of a deer at 20, he is gonna get hit.

 

[Brooks]

Sounds like a hit to me. I wouldn't assume a miss by the deer's body language u explained or for it to be a reason to go out and shoot another.

 

[dean nelson]

Aiming 40 at 20 unless your holding on the hart your going over the top or snapping his spine 9 times out of ten. Then add in many deer drop a couple inches or more at the shot and things add up. Don't forget after the shot we are all looking for any sign of the wobble and we can easily read to much into something because its what we want to see.

 

[Rizzo]

I wouldn't have quit looking if I wasn't absolutely sure about it. If you want to technical info. I shoot a 60pd draw weight at a 30 inch draw. At 20 yards my "20 yard" pin is an inch and a half high which puts my arrow just a hair low at 30. So my next pin 40 yards set an inch high so at 45 is a hair low. I will find a good backstop and shoot my 40 pin at 20. To see what the point of impact is. If the arrow would have gone through the deer it would have been stuck in the dike behind him. If it was stuck in him I should have been able to see it sticking out. Oh and for you Brooks I would not even think about going back out for "another" if there was a shadow of a doubt in my mind. I would keep on him until found. As for his body language yes it looked convincing but there is the possibility that when he slowed down he might have been turning to go back into the corn when the other buck ran past him so he just turned and followed.

 

[DustyG33]

Don't think it would clear his back. My bow is at 63# and I'm 6-7in high with my 40yd pin at 20yds. Wouldn't shoot over a deer unless he jumps the string really bad. I'm with others who say gut shot.

 

[svnmag]

Rizzo did good. Rizzo did right. We've all lost an animal. My uncle back in the Hills shot a forkhorn directly below him. The buck tripped over the arrow when it ran off. He shot a forkhorn during gun season with a perfect WASP scar at the top and base of it's neck just forward of the shoulder, healed nicely. Shiite happens.