Muzzy field Test #1!

[Virginiashadow]

You all know my deal with the new Muzzy Broadheads. Yesterday I got a chance to try them out. At about 6, a buck walked by at 33 yards...my longest bow shot ever but I felt comfortable because that was the max distance I practiced at this year and told myself I wouldnt shoot any longer than that..how lucky was that!!! Well I shot and hit the deer a little bit back and nicked one lung and tore into its liver I believe. I tracked for 30 minutes last night then stopped after 150 yards when it got dark..I was a little discouraged but I woke up this morning and continued the track...at times I found no blood for 20 minutes but every time I thought I was in trouble I would find more blood. After 300 yards, 3 hours, and jumping over 2, 6 foot creeks, I found my buck. A nice 7 point and I am EXTREMELY happy. It had an entrance and exit wound, which I have never had on an arrow shot deer.

Field Test #1 Muzzy--SUCCESS!

vashadow

[bradj]

Congrats on the buck.
With the muzzy that was a passthrough at 33 yards! awsome.
Do you have any pics how about pics of the entry and exit holes.

[kt]

here i sit, all pissed off at myself and sick to my stomach a nervous wreck. 9 years hunting never lost a deer. this afternoon i had a muzzy moment. Just 2 days ago i was raving about muzzy broadheads well get this. 10 minutes of legal light left 4 doe come charging out of the woods, so fast paced they walk right through my 10 yd shot shooting lane, well i stopped them when i got and opening at 30. picked the lead deer and let it fly. Head a good wack and saw the arrow cartwheeling through the short clover field. all the deer hauled ass into the middle of the field. 3 started to feed at 100yds and my deer just stood there with her head down, eventually she started walking about but bedded in the open, well she laid for about 10 mins, stood again, and started like she was gonna cross a road and went down. so i took my bow to the car and just walked out with my pack well dont you know i jumped her up 20 mins later. so i backed out. headed back with a friend around 9 pm with a spotlight and found her standing close to where i left her. get this, she let us get 20 steps away and just stood there looking away from us with her head down like she was trying to hide. soooooooooo, we backed out again and are gonna give it a go at 0600. when we got close you can see the white on her belly isnt so white more like bright pink, but she didnt go down, what the hell? so here i sit having a drink, trying to rush the night away. by the way the muzzy was in great shape as always on recovery, it will take more than that to get me to switch.
kt i will post tomorrow

[Virginiashadow]

I will try to get some tomorrow Brad...they look good...not a big exit wound, but the entrance cut looks like the Muzzy broadhead shape. I hit a litle back just behind the last rib but it exited out in the front chest on the other side.

vashadow

[Virginiashadow]

kt--obviously she is wounded pretty good to just be bedding and standing in the same place....possibly you hit in the upper chest and seriously cut something other than the heart or lungs, maybe just a massive chest wound. Let us know, I am starting to really get into the tracking of wounded animals.

vashadow

[LoneWolf]

Good luck Kt.
Hopefully after sitting all night she'll either be bled out, or too stiff and worn out to get back up. Let us know how it turns out. As everyone has said before, even the best hunters lose one now and again. Hope this isn't the case for you, but don't beat yourself up too bad.

[kt]

hey shadow, i never said congrats on your muzzy moment.... congrats!. Well 0600 we were back out and when the sun came up we took a walk out. found the depression where she laid when we walked out last night, but not another sign within 300yd circle. its just a shame, thanks guys
kt

[Virginiashadow]

kt--I tell you what, do not worry. I shot a doe high and partially in the shoulder on opening day..had 2 other guys help me track the blood trail for over 300 yards and we couldn't find her....it sucked, that is what prompted me to get the Muzzy's, I was fed up with mechanicals and the blood trail problems.

vashadow

[Rustywreck]

Just goes to show that it doesn't matter what broadhead you use, an arrow that doesn't hit where you wanted to (for many reasons) can produce either a non-lethal hit or a dried up blood trail.
My sympathies to you guys and everyone else who has (or will) hit a deer and not find it. It happened to me once and felt crummy for days.
The only advice I can give you is don't beat yourself up for it too much.
FYI, there is an area above the spine and below the top of the back that may not be immediately fatal.
This summer I saw two people who swore they made good hits on deer, maybe just a little high. One of them was found the next day the other wasn't found. The deer that was found was hit in this area. I can't tell you how far that deer went before expiring but it was the longest blood trial I ever followed.
I have learned to "stick it in the pit." I say that to myself everytime I draw on a deer so I focus on aiming at the arm pit. If the deer ducks the arrow, it'll hit square in the lungs. If it doesn't duck, it hits the heart.
That is one of the things I don't like about 3-D archery: The targets train you to aim at the center of the chest. If you aim at the same spot on a real deer and ducks even as little as 4", you could end up with a bad hit and a deer you never see again.
Of course, that's just my opinion.

[Niteowl]

Congrats VS I told you them thar Muzzys would do it.Sorry to hear bout your misfortune there kt,like Fabs said It happens/or will happen to everyone eventually,happened to me 2 years ago,very impressive 6pt,good hit,lots of dark blood and chunks of fat.We tracked him for two days and jumped him 3 times.Eventually the blood dried up and he was gone.Nature has a way of fixing things I spose.Good luck in the rest of the season to everyone.:)

[EXTREME]

Had a Muzzy Moment about 2 weeks ago. I shot a nice 2 or 3 yr old doe at about 10 yards. Arrow made a complete pass through (as always) and stuck into the ground about 4 inches. The deer trotted about 40 yards and stopped...she didn't know what had hit her. She stood there for about 5 seconds and laid down. Was dead in 30 seconds. Wow, perfect shot and perfect result. I am as color-blind as they come, so when I see them drop, it is a bonus. No blood trail needed, even though I could see plenty of it.

[Virginiashadow]

"I am as color-blind as they come, so when I see them drop, it is a bonus"

hahahaha! Blood trail nightmare in a green and red environment. I tracked my butt off to find that deer, for some reason he just didn't want to die...goodness. I guess bad bucks die hard. It was the best shot I have ever made with any weapon and I've used rifles, muzzleloaders, buckshot, slugs....but nothing to me compares to the bow..I feel that sometimes in the near future I may be a permanent bowhunter even during gun season.

vashadow

[kt]

My first idea was to let her lay and not go back out the same night, i will jump her when i have the bow the next day, here in PA that would have made for a possible hefty fine given our game laws.(sunday hunting). Went back to the same spot monday, so a bunch in the same field , i was down farther watching a less traveled trail. Saw a small bunch of deer in the same field, didnt seem to bother the group much.
kt

[Virginiashadow]

Dang kt, I hate not having Sunday hunting here in VA as well...I would hunt less during the week if I could hunt a half day on a Sunday. I am sick of it.

vashadow

[Rustywreck]

No hunting on Sundays? What the point behind that? I've never heard of such a thing.

[kt]

but, there is still a small like tiny handful of states that dont allow the sunday hunting. The list of possible reasons is forever long. Most importantly is the story about it being a day of the lord, but we can buy booze on Sunday? Another is that the animals need the day of rest as well, they say this may all change next year, wish they would get on it already. I cant believe Virginia doesnt allow it either
kt

[Rustywreck]

I guess I can kinda see how it could have a religious origin, but people generally have weekends off and work during the week.
If you want to get closer to whatever god you worship, I can't imagine a better place to do it than 30ft up a tree with plenty of quiet time to think and nobody to interrupt you.
I guess if you grew up with it, it would seem normal, though it would be a big shock to me if it were to happen here.

[Steverino]

I'll be completely honest here, I find that the time that I get to spend in the deer woods is an absolutely perfect time to spend in God's creation alone with my prayer and thoughts. There's no distractions other than the occassional buck interupting your concentration! The nerve!:D

[Virginiashadow]

The law here in VA is obviously religious in nature--I thought there was seperation of church and state....I really do wish I could hunt on Sunday--just a 1/2 day hunt. Once they change the clocks back 1 hour, it will be virtually impossible for me to hunt on any other day besides Saturday...one day a week? Thats why I bust it out during bow season b/c I can at least get 2 hours twice a week before Saturday to hunt.

I just cannot believe I can't hunt on Sunday.

vashadow

[SHANE(WA)]

I used a Muzzy 3 blade 125 this year and had a pass through at 45 yards on the biggest buck for me to date a 196 gross.

[Virginiashadow]

Good stuff Shane....how do you like those 125 grain broadheads? Only ever shot 100 grain heads myself.....what do you as the differences?

vashadow