[Newport-Bill]

Took my 33rd archery deer, 3rd with xbow, this past week but have a head scratcher in the process.

Shot the deer with a Tenpoint Turbo XLT II, Victory Bolt with a Muzzy Trocar head (apologize for sounding like a commercial but it may be part of the answer to what happened.) All 3 are new to me this year so any of them could contributors.

Heard the familiar "whack" and saw the deer hunch and mule kick through the scope. Climb out of the stand and go over to pick up the bolt and it is clean and dry. Some hair caught in one of the set screws that holds the blades in the head. Bolt is not wet or sticky. No blood on the fletch. See a very faint smear of red on the bolt where it says XBOLT in white otherwise would not have seen it at all. Think to myself at that point "you just nicked that deer."

Walk maybe 3-5 yards the way the deer ran and there starts a blood trail a blind man could follow. Maybe 35 yards there the deer lays. Drilled the deer right where I aimed, double lung shot that also clipped the top of the heart.

So the question is why is there no blood on the bolt? Never have had that before. Hunting partners at camp say:

1 - Arrow was going so fast through the deer that it picked up no blood. I don't believe this as I have shot deer with fast bows before and they always had sign on the arrow/bolt.

2 - The "ice coating" on the Victory bolt caused the blood not to stick. I might buy into this one but why no blood on the fletch?

3 - Others said what's the difference. Lethal combination and the deer was dead in seconds so stop asking why.

So looking for opinions. Like I said, a headscratcher for me.

 

[bassnleo]

Both of the bucks my daughter has taken, this year and last year, produced similar results as what you described. Very little sign on the xbow bolt. They are Parker (Carbon Express makes them I think) bolts tipped with a 100 grain QAD Exodus broadhead. Both pass throughs also. One hit was double lung. The second hit was one lung and liver. Both went through the deer in between ribs and essentially neither bolt hit anything terribly hard or solid.

Guess my opinion is similar to your number 1 above. My goodness the absolutely zip through, and also the reason I use lighted nocks on the bolts. I want to be able to see that bolt the whole way to and through the deer.

 

[Cummins5.9ho]

I think it's more your broadhead and victory bolt. The turBo xlt shoots 330 fps. Which is fast enough but there are much faster. I use a matrip 380. I get some blood on the bolt, but not a lot. I do usually get the fletching smeared though.

Broadhead and bolt I'd say.

 

[buckinnuts]

I use black bolts for my Excalibur..noticed that before also so now I carry some tissues in my pocket and wipe the arrow after and I do see blood not a lot but can see red

 

[Cummins5.9ho]

I use black bolts for my Excalibur..noticed that before also so now I carry some tissues in my pocket and wipe the arrow after and I do see blood not a lot but can see red

I just wet my fingers to check. Of course not afterwards. Only check once.

 

[Six-Gun]

This actually happened to me with a compound bow shooting 125 gr. Slick Trick broadheads. Punched through the deer on what turned out to be a perfect shot through the top of the back and out through the far last rib. Not a lick of blood on the arrow, but the deer went down. The blood trail didn't start for a while, but I heard the deer crash in the woods.

 

[cspot]

The sign on an arrow can be very deceiving. Sometimes it can look great and sometimes not, even with similar shots. A couple of things can affect this in my opinion. Sometimes in a field the grass will wipe some of the blood off after exiting the deer. Also when exiting, I think the skin/hide of the deer will sometimes wipe it clean. As buckinnuts mentioned a tissue or papertowel will work wonders. I honestly don't think the speed of the arrow has much to do with it. I have shot deer with arrows going 380 and going 250 FPS and I didn't notice any difference. The finish on the arrow may affect it some since something that has a smooth or oily finish might not allow as much to stick to it.

Of course like some of your buddies said. What makes the difference? A dead deer is a dead deer. LOL.

 

[Confused]

I had to smile when I saw this thread....switched to Victory bolts last year. A couple nights later pumped a double lung through a big doe. Heard her crash just out of sight. Gave it a few as gathered my belongings and got out of the tree, walked over, pulled the bolt out of the ground and "walla!" no blood. Plenty of it on the ground and a dead deer just out of sight, but just by going by the sign on the bolt, nada.

talked to the pro shop guy he smiled right away and told me it was the coating. And you know, I've killed a bunch with them since then hardly ever any appreciable amount of blood on the bolt.

 

[octagon]

This is great info. I never knew this could happen. I know it will make me more aware after looking at the bolts for blood.

 

[mauser06]

Not a crossbow shooter...but I do shoot Victory arrows...


I shot a coyote with them so far and was kinda surprised by the lack of blood on the shaft..my blazers had a smear but it was faint..figured the fur wiped the arrow clean...

Now I know! The coating certainly is slick..I crested my arrows too..I though the blood would shoe on the white but the clear coat is pretty slick and smooth too...

 

[bobcat]

same here. shot my buck 2 weeks ago. 30 yards quarter to a little. deer went 25 yards and dropped. when i got out and pulled arrow from ground there was just a little discolor smear on one white vane.