Shot Reactions

Observe the reaction of the animal to the shot:

• Did the animal kick out its back legs before running away?
• Did the animal appear to stagger as it walked away?
• Did the animal fall or struggle with any brush or other obstacle in its path?
• Did you see the animal collapse or hear what sounded like an animal falling?

Any of these reactions could be an indication that the arrow hit the vitals of the animal and that it will quickly expire.

Conversely, two indications that the shot might have missed are if the animal did not respond to the shot at all or simply walked or trotted a short distance away.

An animal that hunches up and runs or trots away may be hit in the abdominal cavity.

Also, watch to see if the arrow is protruding from the body of the animal or if it completely passed through.

In every situation, always pay attention to the exact location of the animal when the shot was made, the direction the animal traveled, and the exact location of the animal at its last sighting after the shot.