The video screen-shot above shows an arrow (light-colored vanes) just before it strikes a broadside muley. The arrow immediately passes through this deer; one question is whether it also hits a second buck bedded just out of sight.
As I’ve stated many times before, the internet, and YouTube specifically, is filled with hunting videos that a person could consume 24/7/365. Much of this content is worthless, so I do my best on this website to highlight only those videos worthy of your time.
I believe I’ve found such a video from the YouTube channel Big Tine Critt, which doesn’t have a massive following (4.7K subscribers). The channel has been around since Dec. 27, 2017, and it has (to date) 254 videos, which to me is a surprisingly high number given the relatively low number of subscribers.
The YouTube video below is long, 35 minutes, so plan accordingly. It documents the challenge of stalking within reasonable shooting range of mule deer in mountainous country. I’m impressed with the video production quality and storytelling. That said, if you don’t have time to watch the entire video, you can fast-forward to the 24-minute mark to join the final moments of the stalk.
As you’ll see, the guys carefully stalk within 27 yards of a bedded muley — two actually. Watch closely and you’ll see the head and rack of a second buck bedded just a yard or two behind the closer one.
After 40 minutes of waiting for the closer buck to stand, the hunter is rewarded for his patience. The muley finally stands (27:50 mark), broadside, and is relaxed. Unfortunately, the hunter’s arrow hits too far back, and a bit high, too (see screen-shot above). And here’s where I’m not exactly sure what happens — warning for bad language in the video, too.
Both bucks sprint to the left. The closer buck has obviously been hit. You can rewind and stop the video and clearly see that fact. However, do you think the arrow, which zips through the closer buck, hits or misses the second buck?
After watching it many times, my guess is that the arrow strikes the ground just below the farther buck. I can’t see it strike the ground, but I base my opinion solely on this buck’s behavior after the shot. In other words, I don’t see any actions by that animal that lead me to believe it’s been hit by an arrow. But it had to be a near miss!
I appreciate the honesty shown in this video in regards to the poor hit on the closer buck. Unlike many YouTube hunting hosts, they don’t go into celebration mode simply because they put an arrow in an animal. They understand that as hunters, they failed in their mission for a quick clean kill. It can happen to anyone — it has happened to me, and probably to you, too. Here, I give the guys credit for waiting for a relatively close (27 yards) broadside shot at a relaxed animal.
Lesson learned? Just as we all learned in hunter safety class, know your target AND what’s beyond it, regardless of whether you’re shooting a gun or bow. Here, I think the guys were fortunate to not have one arrow impact two animals.
