I didn't hit any ribs going in or out. And I will be braintanning the hide and making it into something special since it was my very first deer.
And Ryano, yes, stone points work. I know you had some bad luck with them...but it's gotta be bad luck and nothing more. Those stone points really are deadly. The night before I shot this deer I shot a yearling doe with a stone tipped cane arrow at 20 yards. The arrow disappeared in her side and she kicked like a mule, breaking the fletching part of the shaft off inside her. When I shot her, I thought for sure it was a dead deer. The arrow portion I recovered was covered in blood, but 3 hours later we tracked it for 150 yards before jumping it out of its bed. It ran off and we backed off, but never found her. It turns out my shot was just a little too far back, it hit one lung and the top of the stomach. I was really upset about it and unfortunately it really killed the excitement I should have had for the deer I got the following night. All I could think about was the deer I wounded and i felt absolutely AWFUL. There just isn't much you can do.... do your best, pick your spot, and try to make an accurate shot. Think of all the deer that are killed and wounded on america's roads. Those poor animals aren't pursued at all, but instead left to become grease stains on the highway or hobble away with severe wounds. I know it doesn't change the fact that I wounded one, but I did the best I could under the circumstances and I'm finally beginning to accept it...almost a week later.
