Need advice quickly. Shot a deer this afternoon...

[silvergts1998]

I have about 4 more days of Archery let this season. I went out this afternoon to try out the Vertigo Camo from Scent Lok. I had two deer walking up a steep hill and where about 25-30 yards away. It was getting a little dark out but light enough for my pins to light up. I had a good size doe turn broadside of me and I took the shot. I was aiming for the heart/lungs. When I took the shot the deer jumped and kicked back like I see so many deer do. Since it was getting dark I wanted to retrieve the deer. I think in haste I cause the deer to move. When I went to go look at my arrow, it was laying on the ground not far from where I hit the deer. Take a look at the broadhead and see the material on it. Not quite sure if it's lung matter or not. Does it have a certain kind of smell? If so mine smells a little fishy.

Okay, I went to track the deer and saw no blood for about 20 yards. Then I started seeing splotches of blood here and there. Maybe about 70 yards I saw where the deer looked liked it kneeled down on it's two front legs. Blood was on the right side of the deer. The deer kept on moving for about 1/2 mile-3/4 mile is what I tracked it. If I could redo it again I would have just left it alone and came back in the am to see if I could find it. But I made the mistake of going after it too soon causing it to run. Since it moved about 1/2 to 3/4 miles around the property I take it my hit wasn't good. I thought I hit it right but something tells me I didn't since it traveled so much. I know what a Rage broadhead can do and I am not sure where I hit this deer. I don't think it was a gut shot because it did not have that nasty gut smell to it. I think I hit in the front somewhere. Can anyone tell me by looking at my broadhead what I might have hit? I am going back out early am to continue to search for this deer. The weather is in the 20's which I am not sure if that helps the deer stay up longer when shot. The blood trail would be thick here and there and hardly any blood in some areas. It almost seems like the deer may have been coughing up blood but not sure. I hate this! It's suppose to snow sometime on Monday so I got to act fast. This is when I wish I had a dog who could track the deer.

Any advice is appreciated. here's the pictures.

[silvergts1998]

By the way the arrow was a complete pass through. I shot it with my PSE Omen and at 70lbs. What's weird is that the arrow was just laying on the ground where other pass throughs would be stuck in the ground. Wonder if I hit bone?

[Jaypo]

Looks like meat on the arrow. And if it smelled fishy, I'm thinking maybe some gut?

[silvergts1998]

Thanks for all the advice people! Just kidding.

Just wanted to follow up. I was able to get out early am before it snowed. I found where I left off last night. The blood trail was very light but about 15 yards to where I left off last night, I found the deer laying on the ground. This deer had me tracking it for about 1 mile or so. It went around the 100 acre farm I hunt on. Come to find out this wasn't a doe. It was a young button buck. I must have had beer googles on or something. It looked bigger to me from my stand. The main thing is I am happy I got the deer and didn't give up on it. Feel bad for the deer because it had a slow death. But if I look at my shot placement you would think I hit it perfect. After studying the down deer, it appears since it's still young the internal organs are more towards the front of the body rather than behind the front legs. I take it that the organs move back when it matures? Am I correct to think this?

Thanks.

[DouglasSpear]

On a small deer, the vitals are harder to pinpoint and the margin of error is less forgiving. It's not a bad shot necessarily but on small deer, it's easy to hit the liver or stomach if aiming for the heart. Sometimes it's best to go for the lungs (a little higher than where you hit) on smaller deer. Nevertheless, you done good. Glad you found it.

[DocHolladay]

Congrats on finding the deer. I dont think that the organs move at all, its just that the deer grows and the target area gets larger like Douglas mentioned. A liver shot is a killing shot, it just takes a little longer than heart or lungs.

Dont worry about it jumping the string. It doesnt matter how quiet or fast your bow is, is the deer see or hears the shot, it will flinch(drop out). The only way you can beat it, is to invent a bow that shoots faster than the speed of sound..... and then you would have to deal with the 'pop' of the sound barrier being broken.

[silvergts1998]

Congrats on finding the deer. I dont think that the organs move at all, its just that the deer grows and the target area gets larger like Douglas mentioned. A liver shot is a killing shot, it just takes a little longer than heart or lungs.

Dont worry about it jumping the string. It doesnt matter how quiet or fast your bow is, is the deer see or hears the shot, it will flinch(drop out). The only way you can beat it, is to invent a bow that shoots faster than the speed of sound..... and then you would have to deal with the 'pop' of the sound barrier being broken.

What I meant by the deer jumping is when the arrow hits the deer in the vitals, the deer usually kicks back/jumps. As far as a fast bow...remember I got the best. PSE Omen which breaks the sound barrier. LOL! Actually talking about fast bows...the PSE Omen is way fast, but at 20-30 yards I am starting to think it doesn't make a whole lot of difference if my bow is shooting 320+ fps than a bow at 266fps. The only advantage I have is that the bow is fast enough to use one pin at 20 yards and 30 yards without hardly any arrow drop.

[DouglasSpear]

Accuracy > speed or draw wight any day, any situation. But I too like PSE. I'll be getting one here in the next few months.

[TheBowHunter]

I agree with Doug. Accuuracy. I shoot my darton at only 55lbs but my bow is very quiet. I could care less about speed or draw weight!