The Need to Know of a Shoulder Hit Deer
After a long sit, a buck you have hunted for 3 years comes within 25yards. He is broadside, you have a good lane, and the camera man is on him. The seemingly long and tense moment of aiming and taking the shot is regrettably concluded with a loud smack. Your heart drops as you closely watch the buck’s reaction as he bolts away into the brush. This is an archer’s worst nightmare, but an all too common occurrence while bow hunting, it’s the shoulder shot.
You will instantly know by the crack, but also by the buck’s reaction. He will run off with his front low, leaning to the side of impact. The success of this shot depends completely on penetration. Archers often report only 3-4 inches of penetration, with a short blood trail, and finding the arrow with a small amount of blood on the tip. With this much penetration the deer will either recover or die much later of infection. If you get more than 3-4 inches of penetration there is a good chance you might strike a lung in which case is only a matter of hours, or yards to find him.
The main thing to remember, and keep in mind, is that shot can happen to even the best of bow hunters. Always give a wounded animal your all in recovery efforts, and hope for the best. You never know how damaging your shot might have been. Take the case of Team Radical’s anatomy of the shot. Kyle Heuerman had experienced a marginal shot only to be surprised by the penetrating power of the Havoc Broadhead.
In any case, and especially with bow hunting, you should always prepare in any way you can to avoid this shot. If your shot results in this scenario, give it everything you have to try and find him.
This fall stack the favor in your odds with G5 Outdoors.