What do you think happened?

[TexanTiger]

I flung an arrow at a nice 10pt I have been watching all season. When I went to check for blood (22 yard shot) I found my arrow snapped with about 6-8" of it missing. Where it broke off there was blood and hair on the arrow, but none on the ground. I waited 45 minutes to start tracking him. I followed the trail he left out on, he sprinted about 40 yards and then just started walking away. I found blood the size of a quarter and followed various drops of nickel to dime size for 255 yards, to which I lost the trial and I never found him. he was slightly quartered away when I shot. I was using rage hypodermics, but I think one of the blades had slipped out before I released. im hoping it may have hit his broadside shoulder and therefore should survive...any ideas of what could have happened or if he could have survived?...or is my worst fear possible and he just took a while to die?

[BLACKFINTURKEY]

Things happen bad shot rage failed.... Get a dog and track him good luck

[HC Sniper]

It wasn't the rage. If you can afford it, get a dog on the track.

[txdukklr]

if you got in the cavity and it broke off then the deer is dead.

agree get a dog. . . . . walking or not the arrow may have assisted in plugging the whole initially but a deer can't hold that if you were anywhere near the vitals.

[LFD2037]

What color hair, exactly? Helps determining hit location.

[Chunky]

You tracked him over 250 yards then it wasn't heart / double lung of course. If you don't know where the arrow hit there is no way to know. I hate not getting closure. Good luck

[bowhuntertex]

I would get a dog......

[adam_p]

6-8" through the shoulder blade should kill the deer. I bet he is dead somewhere.

[Pineywoods]

a good dog should find him...goodluck

[Deer Tracks]

What do you think happened?

A lot of times on a quartering away deer, the shot placement is too close to the shoulder (in the crease or even further forward) and the exit will be somewhere in the base of the neck or brisket, missing the vitals. The arrow may break because the head slams in to solid bone somewhere.
These deer can go a long way and are hard to catch with a dog. Just FYI - not a job for a puppy.