I shoot Rage and I have seen the damage it does to a deer, so I shuddered when I read this:
TJ Cartwright, 23, was struck with an arrow in the cheek while hunting deer with three companions… Cartwright was taking video ahead of the hunting party when a buck began making its way across the field. As the hunters began positioning themselves to take a shot, Cartwright inadvertently ended up between the archer and the target. As the shooter, whose bow was drawn, attempted to throw the shot away, the arrow accidentally released. Cartwright stood and was hit.
The broadhead lodged near TJ’s carotid artery. Surgeons worked for more than eight hours to remove it.
“Even though he is doing well, he has a long way to go in his recovery,” said Lillian Rowley, TJ’s fiancée, who was along on the hunt.
Freak accident, but the lesson here is to think “safety first.” We talk about that all the time with guns, but it pertains to archery hunting too. Never draw an arrow until you are sure the coast is clear in front of and behind a deer. This is especially important when you stalk an elk or a deer, or hunt from a ground blind, as many of you will do in the coming days. An arrow shot from ground zero can travel a long way. Be careful out there.
Oh gosh…what David added gave me chills. Someone still wants him on this earth.
There are just wayyyyy too many bone headed moves made by the “hunters” in this story……..
He’s a very lucky guy that he didn’t bleed out right there.
There’s even more to this story. The report I had read said that it was a 3-blade rage, and one of the blades, which was resting right against his carotid artery, did not deploy.
It also mentioned that the surgeon had to send someone to the store to buy one like it to figure out the deployment mechanism before operating.
http://www.realtree.com/hunting/realtree-hunting-blogs/the-realblog-with-stephanie-mallory/expandable-broadhead-failure-spares-hunters-life