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.
