A good shot vs. a bad shot.
 

So often I hear from bowhunters, "I made a good shot but there was no blood!" Or, "My broadhead failed it didn't open, there was no blood!"

This morning was pretty hectic...got into some elk on the ground and in an effort to head them off I had to run 1 1/2 miles to my stand. The morning was damp with heavy frost and cool and keeping my glasses clear was a challenge.

I made it to my stand climbed up and barely got my bow lifted before I heard some brush crashing. In comes a large 6x5 bull with cows, he makes it to a shooting lane just 15 yrds away. I come to full draw and could see next to nothing! Earlier I had set my sight to 30yrds and in the excitement I forgot to change that...so once I feel I can see well enough I release. Arrow drills the elk in the shoulder! He turns and runs back where he came from, I cow call and stop him 40 yrds away. I am using a double pin adjustable and my second pin is set to 45. I draw and release and redeem the bad shot by making a decent one.

Target Archery is a game of mm hunting is a game of inches.

A few inches one way or another mean claiming your trophy or sending them off with a sore shoulder.

This picture demonstrates one side vs the other on the same animal...one caught major bone at only 15 yrds and did not make it into the chest cavity. Most setups are not designed to nor are they meant to encounter heavy bone. The second part of the picture entered the chest cavity at 40 yrds and smashed ribs going in and out...hammering the offside leg bone.

From the point of where the first arrow hit him to the point he got to where he was standing for the second shot there was zero blood....covering roughly 55-60 yrds.

The second shot that caught vitals displayed immediate blood sign, the elk was down and expired 40-50 yrds from that second shot point.

Point being, good shots yield good results...bad shots do not.

https://i.imgur.com/xTT8Fw0.jpg

i enjoyed this post. What did the arrow look like after hitting the shoulder?

Yup shoulder bone is tuff to penetrate, had a moose with the same shot...we all make the error if you hunt enough, glad you got this fine animal.

I haven't been able to find either arrow yet but I hope to in the next couple days.

LC

so finally took my first shot at a an animal with bow, 50 yards on a nice 6x6 bull. Called him in, had a perfect setup. I rushed the shot being excited, and he was two steps away from heading out of shooting lane. Needless to say as I released, he turned from broadside to quarter away. I feel like I shot slightly left (towards front of animal):scared: but never got to see where arrow hit as he immediately ran and disappeared into thick brush. The herd continued to hangout for an hour between 80-100 yds away in the trees. After they moved out I went and looked for my arrow, hoping for a clean miss. found arrow about 40 yards from where I shot him, with this pool shortly after. Solid blood trail for 200+ yards uphill? (weird) Blood trail then ends, and no elk to be found. Looked for two days, covered 20km. No birds either. Two days later, I went back out, and we called in what I am almost positive was the same bull, looking healthy. :sHa_shakeshout: (didn't get a great look at his neck / body to see if there was a wound)

Sorry for the long story, just wondering if anyone has any ideas as to where I hit the animal based on blood / arrow? Arrow was roughly half covered, and did not snap.

I learned a valuable lesson though, definitely will not be shooting that far at animals, and will not be rushing on shots either. Also should of tried harder for a follow up shot, but didn't want to bump him.

Went back today, found a 4 inch piece of arrow with my broadhead on it. I presume it broke off on the off side leg when he bolted to run and pulled back into the chest cavity/lungs. The coyotes had ALL the guts cleaned up it almost looks like they licked the grass. The chunk of arrow and head was right on the ground.

Will look for the other arrow tomorrow :)

LC

ive seen animals eat the dirt the blood has saturated into.

Congrats on another Bull!

This is a good lesson for those that have a habit of losing their knife while field dressing.... Like I habitually do....

Several times I have gone back the next day to find my knife laying on top of the grass, licked clean.

Thanks Walking Buffalo!

I found the arrow that smoke the shoulder today. Judging by the condition I found it in...I am pretty sure the broad head is imbedded in the shoulder. When we get around to cutting the elk I'll get some pictures.

LC

Nice job on the elk! I once was able to shoot a whitetail twice with my bow. First shot about 5 yds from a blowdown I was brushed into, first shot went through his stomach, he flinched and jumped about 10 feet away and stood still. I then put the next arrow through both lungs and recovered him about 50 yds away.


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LC .. Not apples to apples by any means but the main reason I
decided to go with a 3 pin Fast Eddie rather than a 2 pin was to hope to
avoid the exact situation that happened to you.

My only regret now that I've had time to shoot with the 3 pins (20, 25 and 30)
at target is that I wish I had gone with either a custom 4 pin or a standard 5 pin.

My reason for the 3 pin is to not have to think about or change my sight when
hunting and have the ability to use the longer range dial to use the same sight
for target and practice.

My tight tolerances for the 3 pin to be 5 yard increments is my choice most others would space the 3 pins at 10 yard incs.

That's fine a lot of other people shoot newer and faster bows and a lot of them
shoot longer DLs and 70lbs. I dont.

If you happen to be thinking about swapping out that 2 pin for a multi pin
I can only suggest that you go with at least a 4 pin custom or a 5 pin standard. Weather you space your pins at 5 or 10 yard spread.

Reason for that is with only a 3 pin multi. if you want that same sight hood to
work for target as well as hunting, a 3 pin multi spaced at a 10 yard spread
can give you issues with arrow clearance when target shooting past 70 to 80
yards.

A. Having a 4 pin custom (10 yard spread) means 20, 30, 40, 50.
No need to think about changing the dial when hunting.
B. Having a 5 pin standard (more sight clutter but) 20, 25, 30, 35, 40
No need to think about changing the dial when hunting.

My thoughts on the Fast Eddie.

Note.. the sight hood dia. on the multi is about 1" bigger than the single or double pin hood.

This is really hard to explain in a post without pics. but here goes.
A multi pin sight hood is bigger, using only 3 pins and your bottom pin is the
locating pin for shots past that point using the Dial. (not the top 20 yard pin)
Target shooting here..
Moving the sight down to get to long range shots like past 60 yards you end
up moving the sight housing down very, very close to the path of the arrow's
fletch path when lanched.

This kind of clearance issue is not as close or tight as is with the smaller single
or double pin housing, but it is something to be looked at when switching to
a larger housing like with the multi. pins.

If I had this known before I ordered the 3 pin I would have
bought a 4 pin custom or a 5 pin standard.

(- locating pin at 20 yards
(_ locating pin at 40 yards

Clearance issues occur at the bottom of the sight hood when taking longer
shots for target at ranges past 60 yards.

Listening to Dudley's latest podcast on "the Golden triangle" definitely had me a little stunned. He's advocating shooting the scapula because it's more brittle than the ribs.. strange rant by him.

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40 yards exit side on this elk...I'll take ribs 100% of the time over a shoulder blade, especially on moose or elk.

https://i.imgur.com/wyY5qHC.jpg

LC

Recovered the arrow, the insert was bent to almost a 45 and the base of the broadhead snapped off...I put my finger in the entrance and yup broad head lodged into the scapula. I will try to debone with it in place and take some pictures.

Elk/Moose Shoulder blades are hard bone...especially if you hit the thick part. It was simply a poor shot but a good reminder to make sure everything is set correct and you can see before you release. Thankfully he stopped for me to make a followup.

LC

He was advocating shooting under the scapula in the triangle...but i do tend agree with you that it was poor advise from someone with a large influence.

the average archer listening to his podcast is not going to be able to consistently hit that spot in field conditions....its much lower percentage than a ribcage shot.

Listening while driving i even said to my wife that this guy is going to be responsible for a pile of shoulder shot whitetails this fall.

Yup, broadside or slight angle but ribs it is.

Attempting to make back yard perfect shots in the field is a recipe for disaster in the field especially when trying to put the arrow through a shoulder.

Best just wait it out for the shot that counts.

Thanks for the update Lefty. I was asking because my brother just recently had a shot on a big bull and put the arrow into the shoulder. Post shot he found the arrow and noticed the rage broadhead snapped off in the insert and the insert had pressed back into the arrow about 3/16 inch. I found it odd that the broadhead snapped of even on such a straight broadside shot.

The shot I took was 1/4 away, hence why the insert bent the way it did and the broadhead shank snapped at the narrowest point where no threads exist.

I do not consider this a "broadhead failure" I consider it a bad shot placement and the result reflects that.

LC

I dont disagree. A scapula on a big bull is a hell of a rigid bone.

77-78KE at 15 yards was defeated.

LC

Yeah I was also surprised he didn't mention leg position at all, ie; waiting for the animal to take a step forward to open up the vitals.

Good post Lefty. It is a game of inches and sometimes we are into shoulder when we don't want to be which is never what we want on any big game animal. I shot my 2017 Moose in the shoulder at 51 yards through a 8" shooting lane between trees thought I had enough to sneak the arrow just behind the shoulder but I caught some of the Scapula and I was worried because we only had 5-6 drops of blood for tracking. We found the arrow 30 yards from shot point and it had 10" of penetration. Found the Moose 80 yards from the shot point and when I opened her up I had 7-8" penetration which caught top potion of lungs. When I clean up the scapula I will post a photo of what the arrow did.