Rage Heartache

I am really dissapointed right now. I just got back from one of the best hunting trips of my life, not only because of the great deer woods but because of the time spent with Robert and Dave. Dave put us in some of his honey holes and set us up on deer. It was a fantastic time, with one tragic flaw.
This year I switched to the 3 blade rage. Heard great things about them, and that they had worked out their deployment issues. But Ihad some. Thursday afternoon I shot a doe, it was about 40 yards and I hit her low right behind the shoulder. Whack! She ran about 20 yards and bedded down. Yes! I decided to stay in my stand until dark since I didn't want to get down and ruin Robert and Daves hunt, because they were near me. Finally came down, went to where she had been, and she was gone. Picked up the blood trail, followed her for about half a mile, and jumped her. Four hours after being shot, she jumped up and ran. We backed out and decided to give it the night. I came back the next day and found her not far away, and on dressing her, found that it was a perfect shot, blades just didn't open. Oh well, I got her.
Friday night didn't go quite so well. Dave put me in a good stand, and it wasn't long before a buck caught my eye. e knew something was wrong, but he was slowly coming. Few steps, stop, wait, few more steps. I couldn't believe he kept coming, I prayed that I would see a buck, and here I WAS ABOUT TO GET MY FIRST BUCK WITH A BOW! I can't tell you how excited I was! When he stepped behind a tree at 25 yards I drew. He stepped out from behind it, froze, and stared straight at me. I let fly. WHACK! Right behind the shoulder and a little high, I watched my luminok dissapear into his chest. Knees were shaking, he wasn't a big buck, but he was my first bow buck!I gave him a half an hour and climbed down. When I went to where I last saw him, I was stunned. Three little drops of blood on a leaf, and no trail. No arrow. Nothing. Dave and Robert came and helped me search, but we never found any more blood. We finally gave up for the night, but I spent the next day scouring those woods and never found a sign of him. My excitement has turned to heartache, and what should have been a wonderfull chapter in my hunting book is spoiled. I of course second guess myself: should I have waited? Did I hit to high? Maybe, maybe not. But I do know I shot a rage through two deer's rib cages, and neither one should have made it 100 yards. The rage didn't open on my first deer, and it did nothing on my buck. I'll get over it I guess, and I hope my buck does too. But I won't carry rages into the field again, that is for sure.

sorry to hear about your disappointment..at least the time spent with friends was enjoyable. I do not use rage broadheads just because they are to expensive. I did hear about the deployment issues though. Good luck next time in the field.

Sorry to hear this Zach. I know you put your time in to trying to find that deer but just didn't work out. Hope you get another shot at your first bow buck.

Man that sucks. It is hard losing a deer but when it is your first buck with a bow that makes it even harder yet. Hang in there you will get the next one.

Zach spent hours and hours walking around for that buck. Was disapointing for all of us. I was looking forward to sharing his joy with him

Sorry to hear about the bad luck. I know the feeling. I switched broadheads a few years ago and lost a buck to having no blood trail.

Nice work on the doe Zach. I hate to hear about that buck though. Disappointing when you know you make a good shot. I'm sure you'll get another shot at a even better one. Best of luck to ya buddy.

very sorry to hear this Zach, it does suck to lose deer. but it sounds like you did everything right. just had some mechanical issues and nothing you could do about that. now that you got that issue solved youll get the next one that come by in range.

Congrats on the doe. i went ahead and put your points up for ya on your team score

Sorry to hear about that Zach

Im sorry to hear about that man. But when it comes down to it, thats part of bowhunting. If you hunt long enough you are going to loose a deer for whatever reason. I lost a deer this year that is bigger than most people have ever had the opportunity to see much less shoot at and although it was a terrible feeling, I know it happens. That being said I shoot Rages and in no way do i think it was the broadheads fault. I thought I hit him absolutely PERFECT, but when we went back and looked at the video it was probably a little low and too far forward. I have shot every deer for the last three years with Rages and never had a problem with them at all. Actually I have been absolutely amazed at the performance of that broadhead. I think most of the times people think they hit the deer good but maybe they jump the string or something and the hit isnt as good as they think it was. It all happens in bowhunting as bad as it is to take. That being said, get back out there and goodluck getting ur first buck.

Yeah like Cory said stuff can happen bowhunting and it doesn't matter what you use. I switched to the 3-blade Rage, hit a doe perfect. She went 15 yards and down for the count. Shot angles with a bow make a huge difference in the outcome of the shot placement. I've hit deer in the shoulder and not recovered them. If you do not get an exit hole even with a perfect shot, you will get minimum or no blood to follow sometimes. Deer can go a long ways with one lung left.

I'm still shottin my Rages'......

glad you got her

Sorry to hear that, I know it is heart breaking to not recover a deer. Myself? I will stick to my Thunderheads. That way I won't have to wonder whether or not it deployed, the shot is on me, not the broadhead.

Plus, they are a little on the expensive side for us. Good luck on the next one!

I am not sure about the 3 blade but the 2 blade Rages are all I shoot and will shoot. I agree with Corey it happens, even to the best of them. If you hunt with a bow long enough it will happen and if you try and tell me it doesn't your kidding yourself. Last year my brother hit the biggest buck either of us had ever gotten a chance at, on 2 separate occasions, both with the Rage. That buck should have been dead but we never found him. Does it suck, hell yeah it sucks, but it happens. I'm not saying its your fault, the broadheads fault or pointing the finger at anything in particular, I'm just saying it happens. If you gun hunt and you miss a deer do you get a new gun? I wish you all the best and hope that you get to harvest your first bow buck this season.