First time shoulder stopped the arrow, video

[catman529]

Never had this happen before, Thunderheads have normally done great at busting through bone. I've gotten multiple pass throughs after busting the leg bone up to 20 yards, and at 10 yards I split the ball joint on a fawn in this exact patch of woods 2 years ago.

But this one doe I shot on Sunday morning may have lived to be shot another day...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G21-RaXY2aY

It looks like I hit the toughest part around the ball joint, never a great place to hit, but I was surprised how much of the arrow was hanging out when she ran. Should have been a perfect heart shot.

Tracked a few drops of blood here and there, for a couple hours and a couple hundred yards, but she disappeared across the property line into a big cow field grown up with tall grass and weeds. I think she may have made it, and sure hope so... I hate to aim much behind the shoulder, due to past shots I have pulled into the liver and guts, but now that I've seen a doe stop a Thunderhead at less than 10 yards, I'll have to be extra careful...

What are y'alls opinions, do you think she made it? Oh and I never found the arrow, she took it away

 

[double browtine]

I used to shoot thunderheads before switching to Swhackers. The shot looked good from watching the video. It almost looked like it entered in from of the leg.

After going back and watching it again, I think at that steep angle, the arrow hit the leg bone and deflected down. The arrow is almost sticking out vertical when she ran off and it appears to move synchronous with her leg as she runs off in slow mo. Bet she lives.

 

[catman529]

I used to shoot thunderheads before switching to Swhackers. The shot looked good from watching the video. It almost looked like it entered in from of the leg.

I watched the original file slowed down on my iMac and it hit just slightly behind the ball joint, or maybe right dead on the joint.


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[Bone Collector]

I don't think thee was enough penetration to have hit anything vital. Now i think she will walk with a limp for a while or maybe forever, but she should live, unless it gets infected.

 

[Roost 1]

Looked like a bad angle to me, but I can't slow it down to say for sure... She lives.

 

[landman]

Nothing against what you have been shooting Cat, but a large percentage have been smaller deer, you cant punch thru
Shoulders and big bones all the time. I'd say shot angle and placement got you

 

[Andy S.]

I'd bet good money you hit just high of the ball joint and smacked her in the scapula, a very tough bone to penetrate, much less blow through. The arrow not penetrating and staying affixed as she ran off is a tell-tale sign of this. I've done the same in the past, with the exact same result as you. She'll live for sure.

https://goo.gl/images/0VIHfM

 

[2in1shot]

It happens. I did the same thing about 5 years ago. Rushed the shot and the impact of the arrow knocked her down. She did a barrel roll and got up and took off. Same outcome as yours. Never saw her again on camera. I assume she died. Don't beat yourself up too bad.

 

[lightsareout]

did the arrow hit that branch? wonder if that could have affected it just enough to not penetrate?

 

[Dbllunger]

I'd bet good money you hit just high of the ball joint and smacked her in the scapula, a very tough bone to penetrate, much less blow through. The arrow not penetrating and staying affixed as she ran off is a tell-tale sign of this. I've done the same in the past, with the exact same result as you. She'll live for sure.

https://goo.gl/images/0VIHfM

I agree, this is a pretty likely scenario. I have seen it before myself twice. Very little penetration, very little blood. I think the deer will live. Hopefully you get another shot at her.

 

[GOODWIN]

Did that very thing on a buck last season. He lived.

 

[cbhunter]

did the arrow hit that branch? wonder if that could have affected it just enough to not penetrate?

It did hit the branch without a doubt.

 

[duckboy007]

She also took a little half step right as you punched it I try not to shoot deer that have my location pegged, they almost always move before the arrow gets there.

Another vote for she lives.

 

[Winchester]

Your arrow hit a limb not far from leaving the bow, which will hurt your kinetic energy and penetration as the arrow is wobbling heavily after that. While I don't aim for the shoulder, I too have had a Thunderhead break through and do its job 99.9% of the time when hitting the shoulder. One deer that comes to mind was a 210 lb field dressed 10 pt I shot a few years back, 28 yards square on the shoulder blade, Broadhead (Thunderhead) was wedged in off shoulder with just the tip breaking all the way through the skin, ran 40 yards. Ive actually shot through both shoulders on multiple deer with a Thunderhead, I do pull 70+ lbs however with a heavy hunting arrow. I think hitting the limb hurt you more than anything here. Definitely not an ideal shot with a bow however. I can promise you any expandable hitting the shoulder blade will get LESS penetration vs a sharp fixed head. It definitely broke that shoulder as shes carrying that leg when leaving.

 

[bloodtrailing]

Branch was not your friend. Arrow did not hit straight on causing poor penetration.

 

[KBotta]

Did that 4 yrs ago- the doe is still living on a farm I hunt. I Stopped trying to shoot thru the shoulder with the bow. I only tried that one time, as a buddy told me his drop w/in 50 yrds when he does it... Last time I listened to that buddy...

 

[catman529]

I think y'all are right about the branch I hit. Didn't see that twig when I shot, but it does appear to have kicked the arrow just enough to get it to fishtail and lost penetration because of it. Oh well...learned something new.


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[102]

Ok.
You are all in my wheel house on this one.
(Actually, one could argue that my wheel house might be about 18 inches further back!) LOL

First off, let's be specific. What are we calling "SHOULDER"???
Ball socket where humerus and scapula ("blade") meet?

Or the Humerus, or big front leg bone?

Or lower ball socket and leg bone?

There exists a ridge on the scapula I call the scapular crest that averages about a quarter inch wide.

I am confident I have put all kinds of broadheads into all of these places in various angles on various size deer ranging from fawns to 150 plus pound deer with both good and bad results.

THere are way too many variables to make planket statements about these shots.

After EXACTLY 241 bow kills personally, I can confidently and accurately make the following statement.

Shoulder shot deer, where heavy bone and minimal penetration is involved, are VERY difficult to recover.

Gut shot deer, where the gut shot is IMMEDIATELY realized (ie-ON STAND) and the deer is left completely alone, mostly overnight, is not only a dead deer, but has a MUCH higher rate of recoverability.

Now, before everyone starts blowing up the key board slinging arrows at me for encouraging taking gut shots, let me make this perfectly clear.
I AM NOT ENCOURAGING ANYONE TAKE A GUT SHOT ON A DEER...PERIOD.

I am simply trying to point out that you might want to consider staying away from the shoulder with an arrow.

I don't care how much Kinetic Energy you shoot. Arrows have a hard time getting through the hard bony areas of the shoulder bones on big deer.

And besides, big deer (does included) have unusually large lungs, often times much bigger than most people imagine. But I am taliking 120 pound dressed PLUS deer.

I have shot some of my bigger bucks almost mid body (not on purpose) that surprisingly turned out to be double lung shots.

Hope this helps.

Shoot deer with a bow right in, or slightly behind the crease of the shoulder.

 

[catman529]

Ok.
You are all in my wheel house on this one.
(Actually, one could argue that my wheel house might be about 18 inches further back!) LOL

First off, let's be specific. What are we calling "SHOULDER"???
Ball socket where humerus and scapula ("blade") meet?

Or the Humerus, or big front leg bone?

Or lower ball socket and leg bone?

There exists a ridge on the scapula I call the scapular crest that averages about a quarter inch wide.

I am confident I have put all kinds of broadheads into all of these places in various angles on various size deer ranging from fawns to 150 plus pound deer with both good and bad results.

THere are way too many variables to make planket statements about these shots.

After EXACTLY 241 bow kills personally, I can confidently and accurately make the following statement.

Shoulder shot deer, where heavy bone and minimal penetration is involved, are VERY difficult to recover.

Gut shot deer, where the gut shot is IMMEDIATELY realized (ie-ON STAND) and the deer is left completely alone, mostly overnight, is not only a dead deer, but has a MUCH higher rate of recoverability.

Now, before everyone starts blowing up the key board slinging arrows at me for encouraging taking gut shots, let me make this perfectly clear.
I AM NOT ENCOURAGING ANYONE TAKE A GUT SHOT ON A DEER...PERIOD.

I am simply trying to point out that you might want to consider staying away from the shoulder with an arrow.

I don't care how much Kinetic Energy you shoot. Arrows have a hard time getting through the hard bony areas of the shoulder bones on big deer.

And besides, big deer (does included) have unusually large lungs, often times much bigger than most people imagine. But I am taliking 120 pound dressed PLUS deer.

I have shot some of my bigger bucks almost mid body (not on purpose) that surprisingly turned out to be double lung shots.

Hope this helps.

Shoot deer with a bow right in, or slightly behind the crease of the shoulder.

In the video it looks like I hit right on or just on the tailing edge of the ball joint between the humerus and scapula. I have broken the humerus on everything from spotted fawn to 2.5 year old doe to 6.5 year old doe. I shot a buck almost under my stand through the top edge of the scapula (not much bone there) and it lodged in the offside near the ball joint. I can see how hitting any full grown deer in the thickest parts of the shoulder is bad. Looks like I could have shot 1 or 2 inches to the right and had a perfect heart shot and easy recovery. Maybe next time. I will def. be hunting there again this season a couple more times, and if I see a doe with a limp I hope I can get a shot at her again.

 

[ImThere]

Dang branch. Hate it when that happens.


Sent from my
Sit drag, Ernie's outdoors linesman belt,
At 20' up

 

[102]

cat
I warn you....stay away from the shoulder!!!!
Bad things happen in hard bony arrows.
Distance, broad heads, KE, branches, and exit wounds all can exacerbate shoulder shots.

Shoot back

 

[Winchester]

I agree aiming for the shoulder with a bow is not the best choice, especially on bigger deer. 102 is right in saying shoulder shot deer (with an arrow) are hard to track if they go very far, as they simply don't leave a good blood trail.

 

[PillsburyDoughboy]

Its hard to tell how much penetration you got. Does not look like much unless you got 30INch arrows or something.

I bet she dies within a few days though.

 

[megalomaniac]

Ok.
There exists a ridge on the scapula I call the scapular crest that averages about a quarter inch wide.

THIS....

hit the blade of the scapula on either side of the spine, and you will get adequate penetration with a fixed blade and any arrow of respectable weight. (assuming we are talking about the blade portion of the scapula, not close to where it narrows and thickens just before the joint to the humerous). Get unlucky and hit right on the spine of the scapula, and you'll be lucky just to get a single lung.

IMO, I don't think you got even enough penetration to get into the chest cavity on that one, so I think that doe will end up being just fine

 

[gator-n-buck]

All depends on angles.

 

[Mackey]

I shot this buck several years ago with my crossbow. Notice arrow wound high on his shoulder. He was standing broadside at 30 yards. Complete pass through. I waited 2 hours then followed his blood trail for about two hours but never saw a lot of blood.This trail camera picture was taken about a week later so I know he survived. They are tough critters!

Mackey

 

[catman529]

I shot this buck several years ago with my crossbow. Notice arrow wound high on his shoulder. He was standing broadside at 30 yards. Complete pass through. I waited 2 hours then followed his blood trail for about two hours but never saw a lot of blood.This trail camera picture was taken about a week later so I know he survived. They are tough critters!

Mackey

wow, looks like you clipped the top of the lungs, that is a tough deer


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[PillsburyDoughboy]

I shot this buck several years ago with my crossbow. Notice arrow wound high on his shoulder. He was standing broadside at 30 yards. Complete pass through. I waited 2 hours then followed his blood trail for about two hours but never saw a lot of blood.This trail camera picture was taken about a week later so I know he survived. They are tough critters!

Mackey

There use to be a broadhead company that used the slogan "shoot low and shoot to kill"


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