Crap. What happened?

[DoubleJ]

Had 2 deer at 30 yards, broadside, perfect conditions.  Wide open field, ankle high grass, no wind, deer feeding.  It was TOO perfect.  Nocked an arrow, had time so I made sure the fletches were lined up on the rest correctly and the broadhead was screwed in tight.  Hooked in the release, drew back, picked the 30 yard pin and focused.  Breath in, slow breath release, trigger squeeze. 

Arrow comes out silently and proceeds to do the best impression of a baseball thrown my Phil Niekro I have ever seen an arrow do.  The damned thing wiggled and wobbled and eventually hit the ground about 4 feet short of the deer.  They bounced away into the brush and I was left to wonder what happened.

I practiced with all 4 arrows in the quiver over and over.  None of them have ever done this.  What happened?

[Eburg fisher]

Did you practice with your broadheads? I was using Muzzy's and had a heck of a time getting them tuned. Switched to a different BH and now I am much more consistent.

[bloodhound]

did you shoot another arrow to make sure it didnt do it again?

[JimmyHoffa]

Did you drop your arm too soon?

[sebek556]

1 grab another arrow check the arrow for any cracks,nics,cuts anything unusual and shoot it see and see how it does. It could of been a cracked arrow I had one that happened with at a 3-d shoot once, checked all arrows before it started then ten targets in whamo off in the woods it goes.
2 long shot here but did you feel any string slap or anything werid when you shot? I have heard of the bow string catching a piece of gear and the arrow keeps going but with out any force.

[DoubleJ]

Did you practice with your broadheads? I was using Muzzy's and had a heck of a time getting them tuned. Switched to a different BH and now I am much more consistent.

Yes.  Broadheads exclusively for practice for the past 2 weeks

[DoubleJ]

did you shoot another arrow to make sure it didnt do it again?

No, deer were gone and I didn't feel like losing an arrow.

[DoubleJ]

Did you drop your arm too soon?

No, left arm was as it always is.  I saw the arrow hit the ground through the sight window.

[DoubleJ]

1 grab another arrow check the arrow for any cracks,nics,cuts anything unusual and shoot it see and see how it does. It could of been a cracked arrow I had one that happened with at a 3-d shoot once, checked all arrows before it started then ten targets in whamo off in the woods it goes.
2 long shot here but did you feel any string slap or anything werid when you shot? I have heard of the bow string catching a piece of gear and the arrow keeps going but with out any force.

Shot felt flawless.  The arrow didn't dive right into the ground as it would if my form was bad or something like that happened.  It was a crazy knuckleball.  The fletching and broadhead took turns flopping left, right, up, and down until it hit the ground.  I checked all arrows for defects before I left the house as I always do.  I swear, it was just a weird, 1 in a million thing.  Just wasn't supposed to be my night I guess. 

I really felt like I was 100% with my shot and I really felt like the equipment was good too.  It had to be something though.

[bobcat]

You're sure the shot was 30 yards? Did you use a rangefinder?

[bobcat]

BTW, was it a buck?

[Todd_ID]

Force field around the deer.......strange stuff happens in the woods.  Must not have been wearing your tinfoil hat?

[runamuk]

Force field around the deer.......strange stuff happens in the woods.  Must not have been wearing your tinfoil hat?

     I was gonna say your arrow choked 

[bloodhound]

well i would shoot another arrow at the house/range before you go out again. your not really gonna know if it was a fluke or not unless you shoot again. and did you find the arrow you shot and inspect it? a fletching could have came loose and that would explain a lot.

[mallard79]

Could your rest have move even the slightest bit?? 

[JackOfAllTrades]

I was shooting the indoor Standard Pistol State Championships a year ago..It's a nervous shoot for me, I don't particularly like the west Seattle range. 1st shot..  X.  2nd shot.. x, 3rd shot.. A friggin 7! WTF? OK... The scope doesn't lie, that was a 7. So, settle for the 4th shot...   Another friggin 7! WTTFF??  I'm a MASTER damn it!  I shot some more 10's, x's and a 9 or two.. A dismal Expert score for my efforts.

I can't blame the ammo, the gun, my sight, only myself for such poor shooting. Sometimes it's just not your day.

BUT! (take this from someone that's never shot a bow in his life)  Check everything you know about your shooting and equipment. Once you're assured that there's nothing wrong with the equipment, get your ass back out there and kill something!

-Steve

[Hunter Dug]

With all the checking you did before you attempted the shot shoulds like the nock may have no been nock all the way, or the arrow was not on the rest properly.  If you never had it happen before then its a good chance it was one of these two things.

[MP123]

I've had that kind of thing happen if the arrow is nocked upside down and the fletching hits the drop away rest.  Just an idea...

[shadowless_nite]

With all the checking you did before you attempted the shot shoulds like the nock may have no been nock all the way, or the arrow was not on the rest properly.  If you never had it happen before then its a good chance it was one of these two things.

+1 i have had this happen to me during practice and it was the first thing that came to mind after reading the original post

[Camp David]

Drop away, fixed or whiskerbisket rest. Rest worked OK? I had 2 arrows recently where the nock broke (only one side) on release. The arrow flew really strange.

[AKBowman]

More than likely you hooked your string on something like your shirt, shirt button, binoculars, grunt tube etc. Even if you didnt notice it during the shot there is a good chance that that is what happened

[Heredoggydoggy]

Geez--that makes me more confident when I hunt with my charcoal-burner! 

[pips4bucks]

Oh man... that brings back a sore memory. 

I was hunting in Africa.  My PH (professional hunter) and I were hunting gemsbok (oryx).  We had one come up a draw broadside from us.  As he passed behind a bush I ranged at 30 yards, I drew my bow.  The animal cleared the bush and stopped broadside, as if it was scripted for a hunting show.  I settled my 30 yard pin on his shoulder, in-line with his leg. (Gemsbok vitals are more forward than North American animals)  Eased my breathing, picked a spot, squeezed my release... and watched my arrow hit the ground 10 feet IN FRONT of the animal!

Consequently he did a 180, and ran back down the hill where he came from, only to stop and look back to see if he could find the source of the noise.  Not finding the noise, he came strolling back up the hill again.  Same scenerio, 30 yards, pass behind the bush, draw bow, he stops broadside, settle pin, slow breathing, pick a spot, release......ANOTHER MISS 10 FEET IN FRONT OF HIM! 

Now he runs off, gone for good.  My PH looks at me and gives me a WTF look, I shrug and had no explanation for him.  Just 2 days earlier I pin wheeled an Impala at 25 yards, a monkey at 18 yards, and an additional monkey at 30 yards.  This one shoulda been a slam dunk. 

We went back to the lodge and I immediately headed for the practice target.  I stepped out to 30 yards, settled the pin, breathing, spot, squeeze, release!.... DEAD CENTER!  I shot every one of my arrows and every one of them hit perfectly.  Thinking back, I could not figure out what happened.  There was nothing in the way, my bow was tuned perfectly, arrows flew awesome.  I just don't get it.   

My best guess is that it wasn't that animal's day to die.  Usually if I miss, it's not by much, but 10 FEET???  That's why I figured that gemsbok had some magic JU JU on it or something. 

Sometimes I think the critters have a guardian ninja that follows them around protecting them.

[RadSav]

That brings back memories of last years opening day bull.  45 yards up hill broadside 6X6.  Time to range, check my cut chart, aim, extend and follow through.  Shot was perfect for about 20 yards and then a little flutter and the bottom fell out.  I'd practiced with every arrow in my quiver, broadheads all was perfect.  Upon returning to camp I inspected the arrow closely and found I had shot the fletching with another broadhead tipped arrow the day before.  It was cut so clean I did not notice. Only the front 1/4" of the cock vane was attached to the shaft.  4 out of five arrows in my quiver were perfect and I had to pick that one

I feel your pain brother.. I truly do.  But there is hope!  The next day I did everything wrong on a 5X5, guessed the distance wrong, rushed the shot, did not get a range with the Leupold, and yanked the trigger like an epileptic.  The arrow was a good 10 inches in front and a foot low of the intended spot.  About 15 yards in front of the bull it deflects off a branch and the arrow passed right through his heart.  Always better to be lucky than stupid I guess.