2024 Season... Finally ready to talk about it!

[rogerthat]

I had a similar enough experience this year on a nice bull. I was in Az hunting a waterhole, at last light a nice bull came in and began to drink, he was 44 yds( well within range), broadside with his head down totally oblivious to our presence. I still had enough light to make him out good and see pins fine. Unfortunately I could not follow the arrow with my eyes well enough to see where it hit but I heard the hit. He spun around and retreated about 25 yds to stand behind some trees. After a few minutes he simply walked away. It was getting darker so in the timber I could not see him after 70 yds or so. I waited about 30 minutes before checking the area he was in when I shot and the area where he stood for several minutes. I could not find my arrow or any blood. This water tank was in a bowl so I think had I missed the arrow would be there. We looked for a blood for over an hour that night and again for several hours the next morning, nothing! It was very dry and there were too many old tracks to determine which were his. When he walked away you would never know he had been hit. Has anyone seen this before with an archery shot bull? I am uncertain of exactly where the hit was due to fading light but the bull did not move until after I heard the impact of the hit and I was not shaking, I remain pretty calm, I’ve been doing this for many years, but I’ve never seen this reaction before.
I am 64 and down to shooting a 60 lb bow, arrows are a little light at 410 grains, with 125 gr slicktrick heads. Any insight ?

What did the hit sound like? A solid wack like hitting a tree or more like bursting a watermelon?

 

[Sharp stick]

What did the hit sound like? A solid wack like hitting a tree or more like bursting a watermelon?

There was no bone whack, it was a soft gut or muscle sounding hit