# Bloody arrows



## Capt. Chris (Feb 6, 2011)

Is there always blood on the arrow? Has anyone here ever put a good hit on a deer and not had any blood on the arrow? I took a shot this afternoon at 15 yards and the arrow was perfectly clean, not one speck of blood or anything. I hope I missed him completely but I don't see how I could have. Maybe the arrow deflected off of something along the way and I just didn't realize it.


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## tec (Jul 20, 2007)

I'm betting you missed. Hope so anyway.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

Even with a bad hit something should have showed on your arrow...I take it you were in a popup...


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## ReelBigFish79 (Aug 31, 2013)

Agreed. There should be something on it..,....

Sent from my C811 4G using Tapatalk


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## Capt. Chris (Feb 6, 2011)

wet dreams said:


> Even with a bad hit something should have showed on your arrow...I take it you were in a popup...


I was thinking there should be something on the arrow. I've never had a perfectly clean arrow.

And no I was not in a pop up. I was sitting on the ground behind a tiny bush. It was the absolute coolest close encounter I have ever had and somehow I missed. The only thing I can think is that the arrow deflected off of something and went over his back. I never lost line of sight on the arrow and when I went to find it it was right were it was supposed to be.

Mostly I'm looking for others to confirm what I think already, that I missed him clean and not a "bad hit" because a bad hit would make me feel worse than a clean miss.


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## PEEWEE (Jun 4, 2013)

I shot a doe once and my shot was high I hit that void between back bone and lungs my arrow was clean when I retrieved it 
on a good note my buddy seen that same doe scar and all a month later and she was just fine he said


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

I've never shot a deer with an arrow that didn't have blood on it after pass through. 

One item that every bow hunter should have is a video camera. They're extremely helpful for examining a shot that you made if you have any questions about where the arrow hit. Had you been recording your shot you would be able to play back the shot right there in your stand or blind and know right away what sort of shot it was.

They're just not as expensive as they used to be and are very easy to set up.

TH


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## sharkchum (Feb 10, 2012)

Yes, a arrow can pass thru a deer and not have blood on it. I shot a doe a few year's ago and hit her high and the arrow passed thru and when I checked it there was no blood or hair on it, but I knew I hit her so I started looking in the direction she ran and found small specks of blood about 40yds from where I shot her, and after a hour long tracking job I found her. After I found her I checked my arrow again and still didn't see anything , but when I smelled the fletching I could tell it went thru a deer. If I wouldn't have took the time to look she would have been coyote food. I'm sure it don't happen very often but I know for a fact it can happen.


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## Rack Ranch (May 25, 2004)

Make a habit of holding your bow hand in place until your arrow hits the target during practice. This will help with several things but one of them is it will help you develop a habit of watching your arrow to the target. G-Luck


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## Chunky (Oct 15, 2006)

If there is one thing I have learned in all the years I have been hunting is.....there are no absolutes. 

However, by in large, there is normally some kind of sign that the arrow went through the animal. Some blood, hair, fat, gut smell, etc.....

If you were to pass through the animal and then into tall wet grass, or it rains before you get out of the blind, or perhaps something like that could clean up the arrow somewhat.

If this were to happen to me, and I felt like I did hit the deer....like stated above, I would check the trail and look for any sign of a hit.

Your eyes can trick you, and I could tell you a dozen or more stories where I was sure of what I saw....but it turned out to be wrong. Things happen very fast and you can be fooled.


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## BIG PAPPA (Apr 1, 2008)

*Agree'd with most*

I would always have a white kleenex in my pocket to wipe the arrow down. The Kleenex reveals sometimes what we cannot see depending on the color of the arrow.


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## nhampton (Aug 8, 2007)

I shot a spike this weekend. Quartering away shot at 25 yords. Arrow flight looked perfect, it staggered and did a 180. Saw bright red spot in the right place for an exit wound. Waited 30 minutes, got down and recovered the arrow that was stuck in the ground. Arrow had very light blood, no gut smell, and meat in all the channels the expandable broadhead blades fit in. Started trying to trail but couldn't find any blood, trailing complicated by knee high bahia grass. Long story short, 4 hours of two people looking and did not find one drop of blood other than on the arrow. Hope my eyes lied to me and the shot went above or below vitals. Checked for vultures till Sunday noon hoping to do forensic on the shot if I could find it, but nothing showing. Could have been enough gut piles on opening weekend to keep them busy. This is a first for me not to find anything to follow and very dissapointing.


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## Chunky (Oct 15, 2006)

nhampton said:


> I shot a spike this weekend. Quartering away shot at 25 yords. Arrow flight looked perfect, it staggered and did a 180. Saw bright red spot in the right place for an exit wound. Waited 30 minutes, got down and recovered the arrow that was stuck in the ground. Arrow had very light blood, no gut smell, and meat in all the channels the expandable broadhead blades fit in. Started trying to trail but couldn't find any blood, trailing complicated by knee high bahia grass. Long story short, 4 hours of two people looking and did not find one drop of blood other than on the arrow. Hope my eyes lied to me and the shot went above or below vitals. Checked for vultures till Sunday noon hoping to do forensic on the shot if I could find it, but nothing showing. Could have been enough gut piles on opening weekend to keep them busy. This is a first for me not to find anything to follow and very dissapointing.


Sorry you could not find your deer. I hate not knowing and getting closure. You said "below" the vitals....I don't think it is possible to shoot below the vitals, unless of course you also shoot below the deer.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

Should have said on the ground not popup, I figured you were on the ground...I have shot thru the hollow spot above lungs, arrow had lite layer of fat that could barely be seen with a little hair but it was stuck in the ground. You might already BUT if you shoot with both eyes open you can see your arrow flight WAY better and allow you to see good enough to shoot 10-15min earlier or later....WW


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## Capt. Chris (Feb 6, 2011)

*Update*

I saw this deer again this evening. He didn't have any holes in him. I feel better and worse at the same time. I feel better because I know I didn't wound him and kill an animal I didn't recover. But I feel worse because I'm still not exactly sure why I missed.

On a brighter note, I had a doe come in to about 10 yards from my tiny bush blind. I got to full draw and hogs came out right in front of her and scared her off. Good stuff!!


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## ML56 (Dec 30, 2008)

I have a hard time blood trailing due to being colorblind (red/green) a pump spray bottle of peroxide will show you in 1 second if the arrow went through a deer. Spray it on the shaft and fletching, any residue and it will foam up. I put a few drops of yellow food coloring in the bottle of peroxide, and it tells me if the tiny spots on the ground or grass are blood or not, while I'm trailing a hit deer. The bright yellow foam is easy to spot. Also handy around camp with sharp knives and broadheads around, accidents do happen. Glad you missed clean, happens to us all, sooner or later.-Mike


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