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Small black spots on lungs?

Bobcat

Junior Member
16
13
Hey guys,

Took a nice mature doe this afternoon with my crossbow. Shot was about 40 yards. I aimed for the vitals, but it must have either hit an unseen branch, the deer flinched, or I just flat-out messed it up, but luckily it ended up slicing right through the neck and severed the carotid artery and windpipe. While field dressing I noticed the lungs had some small dark spots on them. The deer seemed perfectly healthy otherwise so I didn't think that much of it at the time. But now, after having time to sit back and reflect, those spots have me thinking. I've done some quick research and found a lot of people online who say that small spots like that are likely from trauma, basically blood being sucked into the lungs - and are especially common in deer shot in the neck. That all makes sense to me, but just thought I'd get some other opinions.

I didn't think to take any photos, and might be able to go back tomorrow to see if I can find the gut-pile, but I'm assuming the coyotes have already made short work of it.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!!
 

Blan37

Member
1,800
64
SW Ohio
Did she smell like she was a smoker?

Haha, I was thinking the same thing.

Have a look at this: http://www.deerhuntingchat.com/forum/whitetail-black-spots-on-lungs-10084.html

I just got an email from the biology professor at UCONN... he called it "a shower of hemorrhage secondary to the arrow trauma or "hunting pulmonary hemorrhage collateral lesion of shock"...haha. He said that he thought it hit a main artery to/from the lungs and that it caused those little lesions of blood pooling in the pluera of the lungs. Either way the meats in the freezer, glad I didn't have to throw it out.

Welcome to the forum, Bobcat. Congrats on your doe.