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Old 09-09-2019, 08:49 PM
xxclaro xxclaro is offline
 
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Default Can't figure out what went wrong....

I had a baffling and rather upsetting occurrence last week, and I'd love to hear some thoughts on what might have happened.

I had snuck within 40 yards of a bull elk. He finally cleared the bush he was in and was broadside to me, and perhaps a few yards to my right, so a very slight quartering away shot. I took the shot, and watched my lighted nock home in. At the moment of contact, the light shot to the left, going up high and landing about 30 yards to the left of the elk. I figured I must have hit an unseen branch or something, but it made a pretty loud smack. The elk ran probably 70-80 yards, then stopped momentarily. I got bino's on him, as did my partner, and both saw blood on his chest right behind the front leg about halfway up....perfect, I thought, musta been a passthrough that just looked odd. He moved off into the bush.

So, went to retrieve the glowing arrow and found it was just the nock. I went over to where he went in and found a small drop of blood, about 100-150 yards from the point of shooting. We walked back to camp for knives and lights, which was almost 2 hours round trip. Began blood trailing, and it was very slow going. Bblood was restricted to leaves that brushed against him at chest height, one side only. We trailed for several hours, and blood drips/smears were often 10-15 yards apart. We finally lost the trail altogether and decided to try again in the morning.

Back at it next morning, we finally found a couple more drops and managed to add a few hundred yards more trail, till we were down to the barest wisp of blood wipes on the odd leaf. Lost trail again, and kept searching till the rain started. No magpies or ravens present. Went back next 2 days, looking for birds and checking places I thought he might have went. Nothing. I'm baffled as to what could have happened. It's a 475gr arrow at about 290fps with a Magnus Stinger Buzzcut 125gr. I was pretty devastated and it's still eating at me a bit. Any idea of what could have happened? All in all we trailed him for a good long way, he never stopped or lay down, and I've probably bled more off a shaving cut! I just can't figure it out.
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Old 09-09-2019, 09:12 PM
Kurt505 Kurt505 is offline
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Could the shot have been high? There is a cavity above the lung and below the backbone, or could you have hit the front leg? That could stop an arrow and blow the nock off.
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Old 09-09-2019, 09:33 PM
NCC NCC is offline
 
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My guess is that you hit the shoulder blade, the arrow stopped suddenly, and the nock kept going. I don’t think the arrow could have had enough momentum to continue in an upwards trajectory after passing through an elk.
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Old 09-09-2019, 09:37 PM
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brendan's dad brendan's dad is offline
 
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Did you ever recover the arrow during the track? If not I would say you hit the should blade right at the "T". Even during broadhead test with no flesh present you only get 2-3 inches of penetration through that bone. The lack of blood was probably due to the arrow still being in the hole.
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Old 09-09-2019, 10:31 PM
xxclaro xxclaro is offline
 
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I've considered the possibility that I hit the shoulder, but the blood spot was back and down from the shoulder blade from what I saw, and my partner concurred. I've shot arrows into bone and solid objects before, and the nock does indeed often fly out but almost always it pops out back in the direction the arrow came from. This nock travelled almost directly parallel to the elk..he was going across left to right, the nock ended up about 30 yard to to the left of him and almost directly in line with his travel. Almost like the arrow hit him sideways, flinging the nock out. I've never seen one fly that far from bone impact either. Still, it is indeed a possibility that I did hit the shoulder. I would have expected the arrow to break off as he entered the bush, and I looked hard, but no luck.
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Old 09-09-2019, 11:00 PM
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The loud smack is bone, so is the nock flying off. If you are that confident in where you saw blood, I’d guess you hit a rib dead center, or the elbow.

Arrow could have travelled outside the ribcage, and most likely stayed in the hole, which makes blood trailing very difficult. Could also be stuck in a good double lung shot that didn’t connect with an artery, and with the arrow in place didn’t cause a pneumothorax. Had that one happen to a mulie doe and the damn thing went several km over 3 hours (and that one was a pass through).

Other possibility is the arrow broke up on contact. Less likely at 40 but strange things happen.
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Old 09-09-2019, 11:05 PM
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Lefty-Canuck Lefty-Canuck is offline
 
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You hammered the leg or scapula...a nock behaves the way it did when it hits something hard, like bone.

This is a shoulder blade hit



Bad shot left, good shot right



Tough to penetrate



LC
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Last edited by Lefty-Canuck; 09-09-2019 at 11:10 PM.
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Old 09-10-2019, 05:42 AM
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58thecat 58thecat is offline
 
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Touched shoulder.....too bad.....did that on a moose once.....felt sick to my stomach for a long time....
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Old 09-10-2019, 06:34 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 58thecat View Post
Touched shoulder.....too bad.....did that on a moose once.....felt sick to my stomach for a long time....
Wasnt really ready to share yet but this happened to me on opening weekend. Long 60+ yard shot that I should have known better then to take. Made a loud pop! Shoulder. No penetration. Gave him lots of time just in case but I knew. Blood trail dried up after 200 yards. Hate myself for it. Even came back the next day to be sure. Same thing, no crows or ravins. Moose is nowhere. Sickening
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Old 09-10-2019, 10:58 AM
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Considering everything that you have stated, I would agree with what is being said, the arrow hit solid bone, whether it is the elbow, a rib or the shoulder. Were you using a mechanical broadhead or fixed? a malfunctioned mechanical may leave you with a small blood trail as well. I feel for you, it s a horrible feeling but if its in the elks shoulder blade, he will likely survive and is probably chasing the girls right now.
Maybe head back to the same area and see if you can call in a limping elk...
Best of luck the rest of the season.
Cheers,
SS
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  #11  
Old 09-10-2019, 01:20 PM
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Buddy did that to a moose a few years ago. Shot him 3 days later. Wound was damn near healed.
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Old 09-10-2019, 01:59 PM
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Jamie Black R/T Jamie Black R/T is offline
 
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saw the same thing happen on a buddies bull moose few years ago...your nock flew out sideways cause the arrow changed direction violently when it struck the shoulder blade.

Arrow likely travelled a bit between the scapula and leg muscle.

non lethal hit IMO
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