Chapter 7: Advanced Hunting Techniques
Know Your Bow and Arrow (continued)

Common Types of Arrowheads

Bullet Point: Steel point used for target shooting and small game hunting.

Blunt Point: Used for small game hunting and some types of target shooting; made of steel, hard rubber, or plastic.

Field Point: Steel point used for target shooting and small game hunting.

JUDO® Point: Designed with spring arms attached to catch in grass and leaves, preventing arrow loss; used for "stump" shooting and small game hunting.

Fish Point: Long, barbed or spring-loaded arrowhead that spears fish and secures them until landed with an attached line.

Broadhead: Used primarily for big game hunting. The number of steel blades it contains may vary. The only arrowhead that may be used for big game hunting is the broadhead. It must be solidly built and always razor-sharp. Many states have laws governing the minimum diameter and number of cutting edges of the broadhead used to hunt big game.

• Mechanical (Expandable) Blade Broadhead: Blades are retracted into the main body of the broadhead (ferrule) before the shot. Upon impact, the blades expand to expose the cutting edges. These are recommended for use only with bows rated 50 pounds or more because most require additional energy to open upon penetration.

How Broadhead-Point Arrows Kill Game

A broadhead-point arrow, unlike a bullet, kills game by causing massive blood loss as it cuts through an animal's blood vessels and vital organs. The vital organs include the heart, lungs, and liver. The brain size of animals hunted with broadhead-point arrows, such as deer or elk, is small and protected by a heavy skull and does not present a good target. Only shots at the heart-lung vital area should be taken to make sure of quick, humane kills.

A significant amount of blood loss is required to cause death. A white-tailed deer, for example, has one fluid ounce of blood for each pound of body weight. It needs to lose one-third of its blood—or about 48 fluid ounces for an average-sized deer—to cause death. For this reason, it is very important to keep the cutting edges of broadheads razor-sharp. Dull broadheads will not cut through vital areas effectively and cause the required amount of blood loss.