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Post by Kevin B. on Oct 4, 2008 11:54:08 GMT -5
At 8 am a big ol doe comes in. I whistle...she stops....I shoot. Didn't hear the normal thwack! sound. But did connect. After 30 minutes, climb down...find arrow. Covered in dark blood. Smells real gamy. Not a stomach hit. Maybe a liver. 2 of the 3 blades on the 125 Spitfire are gone. Never find the first drop of blood. I kept my eyes on her til she was out of sight. I traced her escape route and NO BLOOD!!!!!!!! She was 40 yards distant. But I thought that she was 30 and used that crosshair. I MUST have hit low. I crisscrossed the area repeatedly and in ever widening circles. Of course this crap is disheartening cause I cannot keep my mind off the possibilty of her laying and suffering. I have this weekend to do some major hunting because, like most of the rest of y'all, my weekdays are busy with responsibilties. I'm sort of in a crisis right now. I feel that I did the best possible job of recovery....but I feel lousy and wonder if sitting in a tree this afternoon would be a lousy thing to do. I wish ML season would open!
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Post by dougedwards on Oct 4, 2008 14:18:10 GMT -5
Anyone who has done any bow hunting to any extent has felt your pain. An undetected twig can alter the flight of the arrow which is why I shoot arrows with lumenoks. But even knowing where you may have hit the whitetail doesn't guarantee a recovery. With no blood trail it is tough. If you are sure you didn't hit as far back as the intestines the deer might survive. No need to wait till ML season........there is a buck out there calling your name.
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Post by Kevin B. on Oct 4, 2008 15:06:06 GMT -5
Anyone who has done any bow hunting to any extent has felt your pain. An undetected twig can alter the flight of the arrow which is why I shoot arrows with lumenoks. But even knowing where you may have hit the whitetail doesn't guarantee a recovery. With no blood trail it is tough. If you are sure you didn't hit as far back as the intestines the deer might survive. No need to wait till ML season........there is a buck out there calling your name. Thank you Doug. I'm heading out to the woods in a minute for another round. |
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Post by ozark on Oct 4, 2008 19:52:13 GMT -5
It happens Kevin and when you do your best that is all that you should expect of yourself. Dark blood sounds like a mussle wound and if that is so she will probably recover. It does make the hunter feel bad but when viewed against the deer killed crippled and wasted by vehicles those lost by hunters are just a drop in the bucket. We all know the empty feeling that comes with incidents like this but that feeling is meerly proof that you are a caring individual and will try to avoid such loses in the future. Because the arrow path drops so fast It requires much more on the part of the archer than on the rifle or shotgun shooter. I have a crossbow that I will use if the notion hits me. But I am zeroed in at a feeder which eliminates the judging of distance. If the deer is at the feeder it is 25 yards away and my scope is aligned to the POI of the arrow at that range. A careful bowhunter will lose less deer than the rifle hunters who bangs away at running flags. Ben
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Post by Kevin B. on Oct 4, 2008 20:46:06 GMT -5
Thanks Ben....alot. Well I just got back from making another search. I'm convinced that I have done all I can do.
I'll go to Gander Mountain tomorow and get some new FIXED broadheads. I no longer trust Spitfires. The 125 Spitfire should have held together. It was barely stuck in the ground when I found it this morning. Two of its three blades were missing. Just cannot trust that type of performance. May get me some muzzies. Bow season makes me LOVE Savage season.
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Post by dougedwards on Oct 5, 2008 17:46:52 GMT -5
Thanks Ben....alot. Well I just got back from making another search. I'm convinced that I have done all I can do. I'll go to Gander Mountain tomorow and get some new FIXED broadheads. I no longer trust Spitfires. The 125 Spitfire should have held together. It was barely stuck in the ground when I found it this morning. Two of its three blades were missing. Just cannot trust that type of performance. May get me some muzzies. Bow season makes me LOVE Savage season. I was under the impression that only mechanical broadheads would fly like my field points until I was informed about how much the weight being forward of center had to do with accuracy in fast shooting crossbows. Where as with compound bows the balance point of arrows would be anywhere from 8-12% forward of center for crossbows it should be 20% or more for accurate flight. I shoot with lumenoks which add a few grains to the back end of the arrow so I have gone to brass inserts and 125 gr Magnus Stingers fixed 2-blade configuration and they fly almost better and more consistently than my field points. I don't have to worry whether the blades will partially employ during flight.... or not at all as is the case sometimes with mechanicals. Remember that crossbows operate differently than vertical bows. By keeping the weight of the arrow 20% forward of center I don't even worry about lining the blades up with the vanes as I do when shooting compounds. Also you mentioned that you misjudged the distance of the animal by 25%. That is a very significant miscalculation. Even with a super duper muzzleloader you could miss totally or mortally wound an unrecovered deer if you were to assume the target was 225 yards away and it was actually at 295. Range objects all around you while in the stand and depend on those objects as points of reference when the moment of truth arrives. Archery season can be the most rewarding time of the hunting season probably because it seems to be the most challenging. You got off to a rather painful start but the best is yet to come.' Doug |
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Post by Kevin B. on Oct 5, 2008 18:46:32 GMT -5
Thanks Doug. I'm back on top of my game now. I have spent the afternoon gathering arrows and broadheads. I bought 6 carbon express 20 inch arrows with 5 inch vanes (the parker's had 4 inch) and a six pack of 125 Thunderheads! The assembled arrow weighs in at 450. The parkers weigh in at 420 with 125 grain BH. There doesn't seem to be much difference in drop. And let me tell ya: I can drive tacks w/ these new arrows!!!!!! At 40 yards, I can keep it in a 2 inch circle. Switched to a Thunderhead. It impacted 1 inch low and the same to the left at 40. I made a scope adjustment and drove the next one in the red. I then screwed the T Head on all six bolts shooting them. They all perform well. 4 of six hit red...2 hit the edge of the two inch bull. I then confirmed my sight-in on the 20. 30, and 50 yard crosshaires. The 50 even hit the red!!!!! All shooting done from sandbag. These Thunderheads fly real good from this Safari Mag. After shooting all afternoon, my confidence has returned! Now, I have a quiver full of new Broadheads, and good shooting arrows. My little tru glow scope is dead on at all yardages. I will be more careful of yard marking at the stand. Carbon Express crossbolts w/ 5 inch vanes:  125 Thunderheads:  |
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Post by dougedwards on Oct 5, 2008 19:05:34 GMT -5
I love your signature
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Post by fullstream on Oct 6, 2008 12:14:13 GMT -5
kevin, it happens, way to get back in the game it's time to put some meat in the freezer!!! ;D steve
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Post by SW on Oct 6, 2008 21:24:37 GMT -5
Kevin,
Sorry about the loss. I've never had a Spitfire fail. I am getting acceptable accuracy with the 3 blade Rages but believe that 20% FOC is better than the 11% I have now. I believe that Exocet makes a 150g broadhead that looks good. I killed a nice AR bear 2 years ago with 125 Thunderheads, a broadhead that is about as good as they get. I wish they came in 150gs.
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