“No Mans Land”

Went out today, all day….Seen some deer but not the action I was expecting. Had a nice 10pt I’ve been watching for several weeks come by just out of shooting distance, nose to the ground on a mission for love. On the way to the stand I noticed a super buck bedded down. I got within 50yds and he went on to get up but at a slow pace. The rack didnt look familiar but I thought to myself wouldnt that be interesting if this was the bruiser I shot over a week ago and never found? I kid you not, the buck I was watching proceeded to move south of my location but with a noticeable gimp, now Im starting to wonder I decided to get on his tracks but ended up spooking him. I then gave up on the spot and stalk and crawled up into the stand. As light began to fade I heard something behind me, I looked back and all I see is rack, not only rack but the rack I had seen only one other time Wouldnt you know it…It was him, the monster I had shot and never found. I guess there is such a thing as “No Mans Land” just under the spine yet above the vitals. Such a relief knowing he still stands. He looks to be in okay shape besides his broken left shoulder, as he wont put weight on it. Just wanted to give everyone an update and to thank everyone for the advice.

Great news Rory

Hope you get another chance for redemption

Good Luck

Thanks for the update hopefully you will get another shot at him!

i know exactually what your talking about, a few seasons ago i shot a small basket rack in that area from my grond blind so there was no down ward penitration, i trcked that buck on pin drops of blood for 2 days, wouldnt you know it about 2 weeks latter i was sitting on stand with just a video camera and not my bow and he comes walking in like nothing has happened but you could clearly see where the arrow went through. Good luck on the big one

I bet you hit above the spine. The lungs actually almost touch the spine and any broadhead today would hit them if you shot that high. Take a look at the skeletal structure picture

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I bet you hit above the spine. The lungs actually almost touch the spine and any broadhead today would hit them if you shot that high. Take a look at the skeletal structure picture

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I’m with PT on this one.

Hope you get another crack at him.

So if “no mans land” doesn’t exsist Please explain this to me Picture was taken 3 days after I shot him.

Looking at the cutaway picture and your picture, I would say there is a very good chance it was hit above the spine.

I think the term “no mans land” is a misconception between a gap between the lungs and the spine, when in actuality its above the spine. Part of this i think is that people believe that the spine runs straight across the back all the way to the head. But the skeletal structure shows that it dips down at or around the shoulder area. When an arrow goes above the area where the spine dips, it just hits meat

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I think the term “no mans land” is a misconception between a gap between the lungs and the spine, when in actuality its above the spine. Part of this i think is that people believe that the spine runs straight across the back all the way to the head. But the skeletal structure shows that it dips down at or around the shoulder area. When an arrow goes above the area where the spine dips, it just hits meat

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Good call..That I bet is exactly what happen

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I think the term “no mans land” is a misconception between a gap between the lungs and the spine, when in actuality its above the spine. Part of this i think is that people believe that the spine runs straight across the back all the way to the head. But the skeletal structure shows that it dips down at or around the shoulder area. When an arrow goes above the area where the spine dips, it just hits meat

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Well said PT!

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So if “no mans land” doesn’t exsist Please explain this to me Picture was taken 3 days after I shot him.

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I know of people with results similar to your picture, Pat! IT IS BETWEEN THE SPINE AND LUNGS! I’ve frequent other hunting boards with trail camera photos of the same deal! Plus I have spined two deer in my hunting career and the shot was way high hitting the spine.

Dennis that picture is kind of misleading. What yours shows is the spinal cord. The spin does go all the way to the top of the deer. Here is a different diagram that has everything color coded for us. And yes I do believe in “no man’s land”. It’s either “no man’s land” or just hitting the top of the lung and below the spinal cord. To me it looks like there might be a few inches in there.

http://www.rubsnscrapes.com/Articles/deer_shot_placement_anatomy.php

As the diagram shows, the spine drops a little lower above the front shoulders than in the rear of the animal. There’s a good 5-6 inches of loin between the top of the back and the spine on a mature deer above the front shoulders. If the entry is 4 inches below the back the exit could be 7 inches below on the opposite side without hitting anything vital. No man’s land is the loin. The lungs fill up tight into the ribs and against the spine. The main artery also runs right under the spine and we all know how quickly that puts them down. The spine doesn’t go to the top of the deer – just the chime bones that protect it.