Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting First time you stuck a deer with an arrow did. You hear it hit ?

I shot my first doe in Jan so it was SUPER cold.

This was many, many years ago - but I remember hearing the arrow hit the chest cavity with a double tha-thump like noise.

Funny thing is, I don’t think I paid any attention to that noise on deer 2 thru 30ish… but I think I still heard it.

Do you guys hear your arrow hit your deer ?

What you don't want to hear is a loud whack, like a bat hitting a tree if you do you know you've hit shoulder

My very first archery buck was right under my stand. Busted his spine and it made quite a racket. Short track job though.

Smacked one last weekend..... heard the thump.
I anxiously await and listen for it each time. Music to my ears. hahaha

Very much so. Hit forward right in the neck, broadhead stuck in the vertebrae. DRT.

When she fell it snapped the ferrule off right at the insert. I had that vertebrae with the broadhead stuck in it for years and then it was lost.

Hoyt Bow Bullet 145 grain, 31" Easton XX75 2317. Clearwater Powermag compound pulling just over 80#.

You swatted her w a telephone pole LOL

I ran those 145 bowbullets on 2317s out of an 84# Oneida Strike Eagle.

Never did ahoot a deer w that thing. Was a fun bow.

Sometimes i hear the thump, sometimes not
Last bow deer was a thud and it stuck in opp shoulder so deer kinda tripped. Never did get back up.

Never had any other deer stop them, the 2317 that is.

Those were an okay head but fragile as hell.

Was a senior in HS and thought I had a hell of a rig.

Heard the first and still hear the impact all these years later. With experience hearing the arrow impact helps diagnose where you struck the deer. The sound of the impact is more data to help figure it all out.

I am glad I have never heard a arrow hit a should bone….

I heard the whack of shoulder bone hit once, was w recurve. Deer got a boo boo and walked off.
Too bad I wasn't running a heavier draw weight compound, woulda gone through.

I hear it every time and it's different depending on where you hit it. This is how I'd describe it. A good sound like if you get a double lung pass through is more like a Thwaap, like a thick book being slammed shut. A bad sound is like what happened to me Thursday night. Unfortunately I got a high shoulder shot on a doe and hit the spine with a loud Whack. The arrow stuck in about half way. Had good blood, but the bitch wouldn't die. Even after I put the Buck 110 to use, she was slow to expire. Not the outcome I intended.

I’ve arrowed three this year, never heard any of them hit. All were close range, less than 20 yards,with an Iron Will BH. All pass throughs and short blood trails. Over 43 years of bowhunting, I’ve arrowed quite a few, I suppose there was a thump but I actually don’t recall hearing it.

What I remember of the Oneida bows, was they were so loud, hearing protection for the shooter was a good idea. W

I zone out with both a bow and a rifle. Can't explain it but it is like everything shuts off except for the sight picture and the movement of my trigger finger. Honestly I don't even hear my rifle when I pull the trigger on a deer. After the shot rifle or bow sound gradually returns like turning up the radio. Like a out of body experience almost. I can see why some people call it a non drug induced high to hunt.

I always hear it. It’s a cool sound. It’s even louder when you shoot a big ole boar feral hog. Most hogs let out a squeal when hit, too.

I have had deer grunt when hit too.

I hit one with a Rage 2" cut and it sounded like I broke a 2X4 over its back and looked like I threw a hatchet thru it.

yes i remember my first arrow slicing into a doe , that was 50 + years ago with a bear broadhead/ fiberglass arrow and using a Ben Person recurve a few years before the compound bows,and i was hooked on archery after that !

No, 1985 and the wind was howling on the SD plains.

I wonder if a mechanical broadhead makes a louder whack sound than a cut on contact broadhead

Yep. I heard the 'thump'

Kent

I heard my Heart Pounding!

Yeah, I do remember the thump!

I like it when they squeal!

lol

Kinda reminds me of my old Girl Friend

i usually hear a Thwack type of sound especially if i hit the bone.

Sure did and still do...

Used to use an Elite GT500 with 90 pound limbs, 31" 2219 arrows with 145gr (if I remember right) Bone Busters sharp enough to shave with. Never didn't have a complete pass through on deer or black bear. Those days are definately over now though. With the arthritis I earned for 40 plus years in electrical construction, I'm starting to look at crossbows even though I just bought a new Elite EnKore this past summer. But it's only got 60 pound limbs on it.

I did not hear the arrow hit my first deer (Doe). It went between the ribs on entry. Double lung shot, nicked a rib on exit. I have heard many since. It was a long time ago, 1977. My first bow was a Jennings model T 50 lb pull. 2018 Gamegetters with 100gr wasp broadheads. I missed the first Deer I ever shot at a few years before. It was a Nice 8 point Buck. I was new to bow hunting. He walked in to about 25 yds. I started to draw and he Stopped looked straight up at me. I froze at mid draw. He just stared at me. He pawed the ground trying to get me to move. It seemed like our eyes were locked on each others for 5 minutes, but it was probably more like 30-45 seconds. Any way, he had enough of me and bolted. As he lept away I let the arrow fly. It went right over his back. That image is burned into my memory. I learned a lot about bow hunting that day. The hard way. Sometimes thats the best way to learn. Never got busted on a draw since.

I heard it this year for sure. It was a loud noise and I was afraid I would lose the deer. It ran 40yds and piled up after getting hit hard in the shoulder. Muzzys are truly bad to the bone!

My first doe was at 42 yards. Loud "wack" when the broadhead hit. Hit her a little higher than I planned but she jumped a little and fell straight to the ground. Didnt have to track her at all.

My theory has been from the beginning is that the only reason she didn't run is because she was old but I remember being very surprised at how loud the smack was when it hit her

Nope, but I do remember how excited I was to shoot my first deer with a bow. Now I feel like I’m on auto pilot.

Yeh, cool sound, look forward to it every year.

Yep, never forgotten sound. Blacktail doe in the rain in 1965, cedar arrow, two blade Bear Razorhead, an ancient Ben Pearson lemon wood semi-recurve bow. The razor sharp arrow sliced in behind the last rib angling forward and made a distinctive quick and short sound of slicing/cutting meat. My hunting partner killed another doe 30 seconds later, and his arrow hit bone to add a clear “chink” sound to the meat cutting.

My firs time the buck was at 7 yards and I was on the ground with him. I had rattled him in at the edge of a cattail slough. He spun to take off just as I released the arrow from my noisy Browning bow. I remember the noise of the bow and him snapping frozen cattail stocks but don’t think I heard the arrow hit home in very much the wrong spot.

Have poked six with the crossbow I bought in 2018. Used three-blade Muzzies on all of them. Makes a loud, hollow pop. This year’s was especially loud. All chest shots, so no big bones involved.

It was 43 years ago, and no, I did not hear it.

Remember it like it was yesterday. There’s really no other sound to rival the impact.

I was 14, shooting a Darton Tracer 55 (still have it) pulling 50# and flinging a 27” Easton xx78 with a 90 grain Puckett’s Bloodtrailer 4-blade.

Shot a doe at 17 yards from a 8’ home-made wooden ladder stand. She was slightly quartered to me. Arrow entered just behind the shoulder and exited in front of the hind quarter.

I vividly remember climbing down, walking to the spot and finding my arrow laying on the ground, I recall thinking “holy cow I actually got her”. I waited about 30 minutes and started tracking, I can still see the blood trail. It wasn’t a lot of blood but was easy to follow to where she laid about 75 yards from the shot.

I remember thinking she may not be big enough and nervous what my dad would think. Dad had taken me that morning and he just went to his stand and sat with a camera while I hunted. I walked across the 160 to his stand and told him I got one. He was really excited and to my relief not at all concerned about it’s size. He was more excited than me when I took him to her.

No, I don’t recall hearing the arrow hit, I do remember that I watched her run off and when she disappeared I realized I was still holding my bow up and my release hand at my face.

My first archery deer was a little six point that kept coming and standing directly under my tree stand. I was 17' up and passed him several times during the day, but finally couldn't resist. He was straight down, I mean the arrow like a plumb line almost off the rest. Arrow passed between his shoulder blades, through his heart, and stopped on the inside of his sternum with a loud halloween-pumpkin-getting-smashed thump. His short sprint ended with him cartwheeling spectacularly; think he died at a dead run. The sound of that crash is also in my indelibly etched in my memory.

It was55 years ago. I do not remember!

First deer with a bow was in 1982. Used a Proline Typhoon.

The arrow rest was one of those plastic shark fins. Makes me laugh now to think about it.

Sounded like hitting a pumpkin with a broomstick.

I was 32 or 33 before I got into bow hunting, first stuck one in Coleman county, Sparks ranch

Sometimes I would hear the arrow hit, sometimes not. Depends on where it hit, wind and self-opening broadhead or not.
The spitfires made a shark clack when blades opened up. Crazy using these in snow, the amount of blood you see from the stand for 40-60yds is amazing!

I recall a buck I shot at 12 yards one afternoon, double lung. I heard the arrow hit the leaves on the other side of him, will never forget that!
He ran 10 yards, stopped, looked back at what spooked him and tipped over.

You'll never have that kind of memory gun hunting.

I cannot honestly say.

That was 20 years and probably close to 50 archery deer kills ago. I have heard most arrows hit the deer especially when using mechanicals or hitting bone.

When using a sharp coc head with a perfect hit I rarely hear the arrow hit the deer but I do hear it hitting the ground on exit.

That first deer was a doe.. my heart was thumping so loud I couldn't hear anything else!

Yes, remember like it was yesterday, circa 1989, doe at 15 yards, Martin Lynx Magnum cranked up to max poundage and draw length by guy at bow shop, that fat aluminum shafted arrow carrying a 125gr Thunderhead hit her so hard behind one shoulder to exit the other shoulder was bent when i got over to it, i still have that arrow ; ]

Went and read the arrow...........Easton Gamegetter II 2117, black and gold camo pattern, i was a hi-tech redneck in those days LOL!

Muley doe at about 40 yds. My mistake - she was looking a me. I wasn't aware of how fast a deer could move. She backpedaled and watched arrow go in front of her chest. Then she trotted about 5 yds, then stopped and looked back at the arrow - looking away from me. 2d shot, clean kill. I definitely heard it hit. It was kind of a squishy sound going through.

Stuck an animal.
What a phrase. Tells me all I want to know.

Strike Eagles didnt have as much curve to outer limbs, less string contact. Dull thud.

Many people didnt/ dont know how to tune an Oneida and let string stretch make for more slap. Plus the original models w bigger pylons made for great sound chambers.

String over travel makes need for more spine/.heavier arrow.....which slows em down. Most folks bought Oneidas to run at max speed.

Around 1974 or so, back from the morning hunt sitting around a picnic table in a Colorado State Park. I told the other guys I'm going across the road into the woods and take a dump. Brought along my Bear compound (one of the early ones) just in case. Lo and Behold a doe stood looking the other way in the shade of the timber, oblivious to all the activity around the Park. Drilled her, took my dump, and went back to camp. Will somebody come help me drag a deer? I did hear it...Pop

No I did not hear the thump on my first bow kill. I didn't follow my Pop's directions and drew my Indian Archery recurve when she was walking towards me at 10'. She saw me and froze up so I just shot her through a palmetto frond from my blind while sitting down. That arrow went plum through her. Later on that morning I shot a spike and the arrow didn't pass through. He walked off 15-20yds bit the arrow at the fletchings and pulled the arrow out and laid down and died.