Lost A Rage Shot Axis Doe...

[BowVista]

Well, on the last night of my San Angelo hunt this past weekend, I arrowed a huge Axis doe using a Rage 3 blade. I knew as soon as I shot that I hit a bit high, but still felt good and confident about the shot. As she bolted I could see the arrow sticking out a little on both sides. She ran off through the cedars crashing around and breaking branches like crazy.

I waited about an hour, and then got down to look around and go find her. NO BLOOD? Like I said, I saw the hit clearly. About an inch high of body center, inch behind shoulder line, and slightly quartering away. Never found a blood trail, but did find the arrow, COVERED in thick dark blood. Blades were also all deployed and bloody.

We circled out to about 400 yds, but never found the deer or any signs.

You guys got any thoughts on what happened? This was my first Axis, so I'm not sure what to think.

[Shane]

I've only killed 3 axis, but it sure seems to me that their diaphram is a little farther forward than on whitetail. The back of the shoulder line seems to be about even with the diaphram. I shot one about an inch behind that line (rifle), and it was into the stomach. They are just made a little differently, I think.

[qzilla]

Dark Blood = Liver.
Liver = run a LONG time.
Liver also = high so it is harder to get blood on the ground.

Axis are big, tough, and wild animals. It seems to me that exotics are actually harder to kill than whitetail. I have had my fair share of Nilgai troubles this year!

[quarterback]

Sounds like liver to me too. My observation of liver hit animals is that they will seek some water source at some point. I would check out waterholes for blood or other sign.

[Codie]

If you were shooting from ground level then there is a good chance there won't be much blood. I have shot several deer at ground level that did not bleed EXTERNALLY much at all, making it hard to track them by blood on the brush and ground. The doe I shot two days ago with a rage 2 blade had the largest entrance and exit wounds I have ever seen on an animal gun or bow and we literally had to crawl on our hands and knees to find little specs of blood to follow. If the exit would and entrance would are both high in the body like you are saying I bet she is dead with not much bloof to follow. I do disagree that if the hit was straight up from the back of the front shoulder that it was a liver hit, but who knows, arrows can deflect is funky ways when they make contact with bone.

[Blood Trail]

Dark Blood = Liver.
Liver = run a LONG time.
Liver also = high so it is harder to get blood on the ground.

Axis are big, tough, and wild animals. It seems to me that exotics are actually harder to kill than whitetail. I have had my fair share of Nilgai troubles this year!

I'll have to agree...A liver shot will dispatch an animal. I shot an 8 pointer high in the liver. Tried to find blood but only a few specs. That's all I needed. We were on hands and knees. I found him the next morning after going about 80 yards from were I stuck him. You have a dead axis out there somewhere...

[BowVista]

Unfortunately, I'm back in Temple, and the ranch is in San Angelo. The guys I was hunting with even looked more on Sunday after I left. It's so thick, and the grass is so high, that we could have walked right over her. Guess I'll take my time more next time, and make sure I get a better shot, with more time to stay and search for her.

There is almost NOTHING I hate worse than leaving a dead animal in the woods, or even worse...a wounded animal. I hope she is really dead, and didn't suffer much. The only thing that gives me some peace on the deal, is this place is overrun with axis, and the biologist who flew it said they're probably hurting the whitetail population at this point. There needed to be some taken off anyway.