WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU MISS WITH JOHN E. PHILLIPS
Determine Whether Or Not You've Hit The Deer
 Editor’s
Note: You'll immediately feel violently ill when you
release an arrow and watch the broadhead cut nothing
but air. Unfortunately, I've had this happen to me more
than once. At times, like you, I've heard off in the
distance my hunting buddies screaming and hollering
when they've missed shots. I've also seen bows have
rude encounters with tree trunks after they've failed
to perform properly. However, I've learned often the
best part of your bow hunt occurs after you've missed
a shot. Many times, you'll get a second shot at the
same deer or a bigger deer.
 To
understand whether to draw or to freeze after the shot,
you must know positively whether or not you've hit a
deer. I knew I'd have to take a hurried shot when I
saw a nice 6 point chasing a doe several years ago quite
a distance from me. But I felt I could make the shot
when the buck walked into an opening about 38-yards
away. As I released my arrow, I saw the buck immediately
turn into thick cover, giving no indication of my having
hit him. I listened but never heard the deer fall or
run off. After the shot, the buck just vanished. I waited
20 minutes before climbing out of my tree stand and
going to the spot where the buck had stood when I released
the arrow.  I
could find no blood. I had to search for about 30 minutes
before I located the arrow with its shaft and fletchings
covered with blood. Because the deer had gone into a
briar thicket, I couldn't find any blood, hair or any
other kind of sign that would indicate a hit. By walking
into the thicket, I realized the thicket plunged off
into a deep ravine about 20 yards through the briars.
When I dropped off the side of the gorge, I followed
the buck's skid marks down into the valley. Not 20 yards
from the bottom of the gorge, I discovered my buck piled-up.
Apparently the arrow had gone in low into the back of
the animal and traveled forward but didn't leave an
open wound channel. The buck hadn't bled until he lay
down. If I hadn't found the arrow, I wouldn't have had
the confidence I needed to continue to follow the deer
and find my trophy.
Always check your arrow. Often when you think you've
missed a shot, the arrow may reveal that you've actually
made a good hit. Because of the fastness of bows today
and your concentrating so hard on the sight pin, many
times you won't see an arrow enter the deer. Often a
buck won't give any physical appearance of your having
hit him. However, generally the arrow will have some
telltale sign on it.
TOMORROW: DON'T LEAVE A GOOD SPOT AND HAVE A GOOD ATTITUDE
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