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What to do if you hit a deer in the shoulder?

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ajbruggink:
Hey guys,

I have yet to strike a deer in any part of the shoulder with an arrow, but I thought I would ask what I should do if that ever happens to me. I'm assuming that most of the time if someone shoots a deer straight on, into the shoulder with an arrow, it's going to be wounded deer, because I'm assuming that unless you are using a very powerful bow, you're not going to get your broadhead through the shoulder blade, and then strike something vital that causes blood loss, and kills the deer. If you suspect that you struck the deer in the shoulder, what should you do? Should you wait a half-hour before attempting to track it? Should you track it right away? Should you give the deer more time before tracking? What will the blood trail be like? Your advice is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Aaron

PEARL DRUMS:
I would use several choice words for my bad shot. Do the usual follow up "track job" to admonish guilt all the while knowing full well the deer is 3 miles gone and just a tad soar. Odds are high your arrow will just bounce off like you hit an oak tree.

Pat B:
I agree with Pearlie but I'd give the deer an hour or two. It may lay down and in that case it would stiffen up a bit. When tracking there will probably be very little blood but look closely anyway and go slow and look ahead in case the deer is laying down. You may get another chance at it if you are lucky.

Eric Krewson:
Back a zillion years ago I took a quartering to shot on a doe, out of a tree, from about 5 yards, I was using a 45# bear Kodak Hunter bow, an aluminum arrow with a bear razor head on it. The doe dropped and spun a little, I hit her squarely in the shoulder, she ran off, the arrow stayed in her. As she ran off, I could see most of the razor head did not penetrate and was above her hair line.

No blood, no deer and I have never taken another quartering to shot since, the above-mentioned shot was 40 years ago.

bradsmith2010:
good advice,,, follow up with best intetions,,its possibe if you hit the edge of shoulder the bone is thinner and you may have a chance to recover deer,,  lots of variables,,, always follow up best you can,,,
I hit a deer and the arrow came out so fast I thought if bounced off,, it was a fatal hit,, things are sometimes not as they appear,, especially shooting deer

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