Hair but no blood

[atcq1227]

Got a shot at about 20 yds tonight. Didn't hear great contact, and it looked like the arrow went low or passed through and bounced further into the field. Doe took off into the woods down a drainage and blew pretty emphatically till she was out of ear shot.

Looked in the field for the arrow for about 25 mins but couldn't find it for the life of me. Went down into the drainage about 60 yds and found the arrow with no blood on it, some dirt, and some white hair. Nothing on the shaft but some 3/4" strips of moisture. They didn't smell like anything so I'm assuming this was just moisture from plants she ran through. But she obviously carried it.

Now if it went low I obviously wouldn't expect her to carry it. But if she carried it I would expect at least a bit of blood. Couldn't find a speck of blood on the way to the arrow either. So my only guess was it just barely stuck in her brisket or leg and came out when she took off.

I'm relatively new with the bow so just want to hear more experienced opinions and see if I should go back and look for her some more. I did look for a couple hours following the drainage for awhile till it dumped into a creek bottom, walked the bottom in both directions a ways, and scanned the ridges on either side and saw zero sign.

 

[XCR-2]

She's alive and well.

 

[muddyboots]

if she stopped and blew at you she's fine.

 

[rhinoblakes]

I think you are right, sounds like you shaved her belly. I unfortunately have done the same thing.

 

[atcq1227]

I think you are right, sounds like you shaved her belly. I unfortunately have done the same thing.

Yeah, I knew my broadheads were shooting a bit low compared to field tips. Should have practiced more with them. I'm sure we're not the only ones.

 

[Ski]

Hard to say. Every shot is different. Every deer is different. One of the few deer I lost was a doe that I'd shot from the ground. I thought for sure my shot was good but the arrow showed no blood, just some clear liquid like you describe. It was a dry cut bean field, so it wasn't water from weeds. I never did find a blood trail and never did see buzzards circling in days that followed. Caught her on camera in same spot and sure enough my shot was on point, but no blood and it didn't kill her. I was using a Rage. It was a complete pass. She has the scar on both sides. That was several years ago and this year is the first I've not seen her, so I think she finally died probably last winter or somebody else shot her last season. I never shot at her again. Figured she deserved a pass.

That 2" Rage scar says it all. It opened and made a cut. It just didn't kill her. Weird stuff happens sometimes is all I can say. Given the same shot opportunity I'd shoot exactly the same and would expect a dead deer at the end of a 60yd track. I've got zero guesses.

 

[WilcoKen]

Hard to say. Every shot is different. Every deer is different. One of the few deer I lost was a doe that I'd shot from the ground. I thought for sure my shot was good but the arrow showed no blood, just some clear liquid like you describe. It was a dry cut bean field, so it wasn't water from weeds. I never did find a blood trail and never did see buzzards circling in days that followed. Caught her on camera in same spot and sure enough my shot was on point, but no blood and it didn't kill her. I was using a Rage. It was a complete pass. She has the scar on both sides. That was several years ago and this year is the first I've not seen her, so I think she finally died probably last winter or somebody else shot her last season. I never shot at her again. Figured she deserved a pass.

That 2" Rage scar says it all. It opened and made a cut. It just didn't kill her. Weird stuff happens sometimes is all I can say. Given the same shot opportunity I'd shoot exactly the same and would expect a dead deer at the end of a 60yd track. I've got zero guesses.

That is just crazy. Weird stuff definitely happens.

 

[Spurhunter]

How'd the arrow get 60+ yards away?

 

[philsanchez76]

I have never heard a well shot deer blow after the shot (doesn't mean its not possible), so I'd agree with others in that she likely is walking around today. Out of curiosity, what broad heads you using?

 

[atcq1227]

I have never heard a well shot deer blow after the shot (doesn't mean its not possible), so I'd agree with others in that she likely is walking around today. Out of curiosity, what broad heads you using?

Believe they are Blackout FXD fixed blades

 

[atcq1227]

How'd the arrow get 60+ yards away?

Great question. If that hadn't happened I'd have 0 doubt on that it was just a shave. My best guess is it was just barely stuck in her belly or leg and came out when it hit the tree I found it by. But if that's the case, I would have expected at least a little blood.

 

[atcq1227]

Hard to say. Every shot is different. Every deer is different. One of the few deer I lost was a doe that I'd shot from the ground. I thought for sure my shot was good but the arrow showed no blood, just some clear liquid like you describe. It was a dry cut bean field, so it wasn't water from weeds. I never did find a blood trail and never did see buzzards circling in days that followed. Caught her on camera in same spot and sure enough my shot was on point, but no blood and it didn't kill her. I was using a Rage. It was a complete pass. She has the scar on both sides. That was several years ago and this year is the first I've not seen her, so I think she finally died probably last winter or somebody else shot her last season. I never shot at her again. Figured she deserved a pass.

That 2" Rage scar says it all. It opened and made a cut. It just didn't kill her. Weird stuff happens sometimes is all I can say. Given the same shot opportunity I'd shoot exactly the same and would expect a dead deer at the end of a 60yd track. I've got zero guesses.

That's crazy. I'll probably go put a camera where she's been hanging out and see if I can see what you saw here. I'll look for buzzards too near that drainage.

 

[Spurhunter]

Great question. If that hadn't happened I'd have 0 doubt on that it was just a shave. My best guess is it was just barely stuck in her belly or leg and came out when it hit the tree I found it by. But if that's the case, I would have expected at least a little blood.

Are you sure the deer you shot was the one that blew? Something doesn't make sense here. That arrow had to be in the deer to go that far.

 

[atcq1227]

Are you sure the deer you shot was the one that blew? Something doesn't make sense here. That arrow had to be in the deer to go that far.

Yeah, it had to be. She blew almost immediately after getting into the woods and kept on blowing all the way down.

 

[clwg97]

Are you sure the deer you shot was the one that blew? Something doesn't make sense here. That arrow had to be in the deer to go that far.

I am with Spur, if she carried the arrow 60 yards there is something else going on. Any meat or anything on the broadhead?

 

[hitek7]

I have never heard a well shot deer blow after the shot (doesn't mean its not possible), so I'd agree with others in that she likely is walking around today. Out of curiosity, what broad heads you using?

I don't think he can be certain that it was the same deer blowing that he shot. Could have easily been a different deer. Could have been blowing at his deer laying dead. Hard to say, I have seen crazy things as well.

I was sitting with my dad when he shot a deer one afternoon at last light. He said he pulled the shot and missed. I told him I was pretty certain I heard it crash. Found arrow and had nothing but couple white hairs under the vane. He said see, just a graze. But I was certain I heard it crash. Walked 60 yds or so to where I thought I heard it and there it lay. Had shot edge of the neck a cut the esophagus.

 

[Spurhunter]

I don't think he can be certain that it was the same deer blowing that he shot. Could have easily been a different deer. Could have been blowing at his deer laying dead. Hard to say, I have seen crazy things as well.

This is what I was thinking, but no blood on the arrow is confusing.

 

[atcq1227]

I am with Spur, if she carried the arrow 60 yards there is something else going on. Any meat or anything on the broadhead?

Nope, just dirt and some white hair.

 

[atcq1227]

I don't think he can be certain that it was the same deer blowing that he shot. Could have easily been a different deer. Could have been blowing at his deer laying dead. Hard to say, I have seen crazy things as well.

I was sitting with my dad when he shot a deer one afternoon at last light. He said he pulled the shot and missed. I told him I was pretty certain I heard it crash. Found arrow and had nothing but couple white hairs under the vane. He said see, just a graze. But I was certain I heard it crash. Walked 60 yds or so to where I thought I heard it and there it lay. Had shot edge of the neck a cut the esophagus.

Interesting. Well I definitely didn't pull this one, just low if anything. Don't think I heard a crash either.

Suppose it could have been a different deer, she was with another one about 50% of the time I saw her in the past. That one could have been in the woods; I wouldn't have seen her if she was.

She definitely wasn't dead by the time I heard her blow though.

 

[Ski]

About the only time I've seen a doe not blow is when she can't, such as a hole in her diaphragm and/or lacerated lung. Snorting is a deer's alarm mechanism. They do it whenever there's imminent danger. When they're hit in the lung they don't have the capacity to blow, and a heart shot requires going through lung, so if this deer was snorting I can only assume she wasn't hit in the vitals. Doesn't mean she won't die .... eventually. It only means her diaphragm wasn't punctured.

Considering there was no blood and none on the arrow, it could mean she was hit in the gut. Not all gut hits will have stinky half digested food and bile. There are three chambers of the gut and the first would be full of saliva, and possibly water if she had recently had a drink. Unfortunately that'll be fatal but it'll take a day to kill her via blood poisoning/sepsis. I don't know that's what you got, but that would be my best guess. Watch for buzzards.