As an outdoor enthusiast, I find myself watching all too much of the sportsman’s channel. However, shortly after getting the outdoor package added to my TV subscription I noticed that most of what is offered is about as real as most peoples Christmas trees. I don't know about you, but on top of not wanting to watch people shoot any kind of bird or reel in a fish, I more than anything else despise watching some rich guy pay someone to walk him onto a private ranch to kill what is basically a farm animal. Now that I got that out of the way, I want to address something else that I hope for my own sake is also a TV hunting illusion.
From what I have watched it appears that hunters have about a 97% success rate at recovering their animals. Now I will admit that a lot more people are willing to show the world their “complete miss” blunders. It seems that almost every show will unashamedly air some clean misses. Just this year I personally took part in a “complete miss” that was so bad that if you had been there you might have guessed that I was shooting a bow for the first time. When was the last time that you watched a hunting show that actually let you know when they hit a deer and didn't recover it. Maybe my friends and I are just bad shots. I don't want to guess at a percentage but I will guarantee that our numbers are not near as impressive as those of the glamorous Hollywood recovery rate.
More specifically I want to talk to bow hunters who's shots may only be inches off their mark but still result in grief. The area of a deer from the top of it's back to the top of it's lungs. On the diagram I posted the area appears small and you might think that an arrow placed there would certainly result in a spined deer. I've been bow hunting for a short five years and have unfortunately placed more than one arrow right in this spot. The blood from hit like this is dark, sparse and usually dries up within 100 yards. Not that its the biggest of your worries but it is usually also the end of another 10 dollar arrow and a 10 dollar broadhead. The most insulting part of this scenario is that you were literally just inches from a nice double lung shot or from dropping the deer in it's tracks. And meanwhile Mr. Hollywood can stick a deer in the back leg, feet away from the desired vitals” and he'll catch an artery and get his trophy. Honestly for the deers sake any recovery no matter what the shot placement, is always a good thing. But lets be honest with each other 97% isn't happening. But it is most defiantly something we can all aim for. Let us know what you think your recovery rate is, be honest there really aren't many people looking at this anyway. Also feel free to share a story.
Only a couple weeks left for us Michigan bow hunters, good luck to you all and..... aim low.
