[yoda4x4]

I've got a question for all you bow hunting experts. While I love the damage my Spitfire broadheads did on the only deer I've ever shot, there didn't seem to be much of a blood trail with it. In fact, besides the blood right next to the arrow, I didn't see any blood until I was within 10 yds or so from where the deer piled up.

Here's some details of the damage that was done:
Quartering away shot
Entrance behind rib cage
Exit just behind opposite arm pit (so to speak)
Bottom of heart was cut and at minimum opposite lung (I didn't check the front one).

What do you think?
David

 

[mysticguido]

Well I like the cut-on-contact 2 & 3 blades, didn't have much luck with the spitfire's. Magnus is my BH now.

It sounds like you hitting way low, I have found that going just for a double lunge hit is way better then trying for a double lunge & heart shoot. I also feel that a good 45 deg hit is better the a 65,75, or even a 90 deg shoot.

You also have to know that when a deer runs the blood is forced to the back end of the deers cavity, It takes time to fill up and pour out. You will see better blood trails if the arrow is sticking part way out.

I hope this helps.

 

[nightstalker911]

When you destroy the heart it stops pumping the blood. I have found it better to avoid the heart. Double lung them and let the heart pump away, so the bleed out.
They say the brain on a human can function for 8 sec. after the heart stops. If that's true in a deer, he can run a long ways with no blood pumping.

 

[yoda4x4]

I had a complete p [no swearing please] through with my arrow. I just went and looked at the pic of the deer and you can see the exit wound. It appears as if it was ~ 3 inches behind the armpit.

Can you tell me if that is too low?

Keep the feedback coming...
David

 

[NJDiverDan]

David,

I have found almost the same result. Very little blood for the first couple seconds of the deers run, which can be 10-20 yards easy. It is because the chest cavity takes some time to fill. I bet when you dressed her, a ton of blood came out the minute you opened her chest?

-dan

 

[Bacs]

Dbl lung is the best shot, especially when they start spraying out of thier nose. Easy to follow bright red bubbly blood.

I agree with Mystic some what, I shot two last year and had a minimal bloodtrail (fixed blade broadhead). What I come to believe happened with my deer was this, and Dave it could apply to you as well, it was thye shot angle. Both were 1/4 away shots, both hit middle of the body going in and came out low on the opposite shoulder. For the life of me I figure that it was the diaphragm that held the blood back from pouring out of the low exit wound. The arrow passed through the diaphragm high enough to prevent blood from getting to the exit wound and with the entry wound being in the middle back on an angle, by the time she filled with enough blood to leave a trail she was all ready down.

When I opened them up, they were both like swimming pools.

 

[bloodtrails]

Think of a deer in 3D. You are shooting for the EXIT hole. This means from a treestand you must shoot higher to hit both lungs. With a quartering away shot from a tree you must aim high and back.

Any razor sharp broadhead will do the job. Also remember that in general, the higher the exit hole the longer it will take for the blood to start pumping out.

 

[nightstalker911]

Everyone is right about them not bleeding alot at first. Go to the point where u saw the deer last, then start your tracking. You can get REAL discouraged when you don't find alot of blood at the point of impact. If you hit then good they won't go far. Be persistant, don't give up easy. A lost deer will stick in your mind as much as a recovered trophy [sad]

 

[yoda4x4]

Just a question, upon examining the deer when I found him, part of the right lung was hanging out of the exit wound. Would that have anything to do with the lack of blood?

David

 

[luv2hunt]

Bacs is right, a double lung shot is the best shot. Even when I gun hunt, I never try to pick heart shots. If you double lung a deer, it's going down fairly quickly. I've double lunged deer that have gone 100 yards, but most fall within sight or I can hear them crash.
As far as broadheads, some guys may disagree with me on this, but here it goes. When stand hunting, the most important hole is the exit wound. The entry of your arrow "should" be fairly high on the deer, and the exit should be low. The lower the exit hole the better, because the blood will exit that hole quickly. Some guys swear by fixed broadheads, because you get cut on contact, but that wound "should" be fairly high on the deer, so it won't shed very much blood to trail, if any at all. It's the exit that is key. Just my .02. Hope it makes sense.

 

[DBuck]

You are shooting for the EXIT hole.

I've never really understood that statement,what exactly is meant by "shoot for the exit hole". I just shoot I don't picture the arrow coming out.

 

[mysticguido]

I found him, part of the right lung was hanging out of the exit wound. Would that have anything to do with the lack of blood?

Yes it would help in blocking the blood from coming out.

 

[imb21]

Usually when you have Large exit wounds, the plug up easily. A guy I hunt with one time, skin the belly of a doe and watch as the guts hung half way out. Couldnt trail it cause there was little blood, but he eventually found it with the entire guts hanging out

 

[bloodtrails]

I've never really understood that statement,what exactly is meant by "shoot for the exit hole". I just shoot I don't picture the arrow coming out.

What it means is the spot where your arrow enters the deer is not important. In some cases it may enter outside the vital area (quartering away or high angle treestand shots) What is important is the arrow p [no swearing please] through BOTH lungs and in the best case exit the other side. The exit hole in most cases should be closer to the vital area.

 

[MS22]

What they are talking about when they say shoot for the exit hole they mean that you should envision where your arrow should exit given the trajectory of the arrow and the deer's orientation to you the hunter. You should aim for the spot on the deer where you believe the arrow will enter the deer at such an angle that the arrow will p [no swearing please] through the vitals and exit somewhere low on the opposite side. Depending on the deer's orientation to the hunter (quartering away, quartering to, etc.) this spot will not always be behind the shoulder.

 

[yoda4x4]

I was taught that for quartering away shots, to shoot the arrow as if you are trying to take out the opposite front leg. Of course, that is for left to right aim only.

David