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Oklahoma hunter Max Wynn’s compound bow failed as he shot at a target buck on Oct. 17, sending the arrow only about 8 yards and bruising his wrist. He bought a replacement bow, took a doe the next morning, then harvested the 186-pound, 8-point buck the following evening. While processing it, he found an older broadhead inside the deer; he said the surrounding tissue had healed and there was no visible wound.
Oklahoma bowhunter Max Wynn harvested his target 8-point buck the evening after his compound bow failed during an attempted shot, according to an account published by Outdoor Life on Nov. 4. Wynn said the bow’s string and cams were damaged, the arrow traveled about 8 yards, and the failure left him with a bruised wrist; he later found an older broadhead inside the deer while processing it.
Wynn was hunting from a ground blind with his wife, Hartley, in central Oklahoma on the evening of Oct. 17. He told Outdoor Life that the target buck first came within 10 yards, then moved out to about 25 yards after he began drawing his recurve. Wynn set that bow down, picked up his 75-pound compound bow, and released an arrow.
Wynn said the shot was followed by a loud bang. He reported that the bowstring had gone slack, its serving had split, and both cams were bent. The arrow landed roughly 8 yards away, while its lighted nock traveled farther. Wynn said the malfunction bruised his wrist but did not otherwise injure him. He suspected a limb may have contacted the top of the blind, but the cause of the failure was not established in the report.
Wynn went to Cabela’s that evening and bought a Bear Archery compound bow, then sighted it in at home using vehicle headlights. The next morning he harvested a doe at 28 yards. That evening, he returned to the blind with his 17-year-old brother-in-law, Maddox Allbright. The target buck appeared again, and Wynn said he made a quartering-away shot at 30 yards. The deer ran about 35 yards before falling. Wynn and Allbright recovered a 186-pound, 8-point buck.
A Fast Return After Bow Failure
The account shows how a sudden equipment failure can change a hunt and create an immediate safety concern. Wynn said he escaped with a bruised wrist, but he also believed a broken limb could have struck his face. The report does not establish why the bow failed, so the episode should not be read as evidence that a particular bow model or equipment type is unsafe.
For readers, the sequence also matters because Wynn did not continue hunting with the damaged setup: he bought a replacement and sighted it in before returning. His account illustrates the practical importance of checking equipment after a malfunction and being able to make an informed decision about whether to hunt. The report does not provide technical inspection findings or independent confirmation of the suspected contact with the blind.
The buck’s second discovery adds another safety detail. While dressing the deer, Wynn found a Slick Trick broadhead in its chest cavity. He said there were no visible marks on the hide and that tissue around the broadhead had healed. That finding is Wynn’s account of what he observed; the report offers no veterinary examination or independent assessment of how or when the broadhead entered the deer.
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Two Evenings in One Blind
The hunt unfolded over two days in central Oklahoma. On Oct. 17, Wynn and Hartley were in the blind when the buck he had been targeting approached. The bow failure ended the evening, but Wynn returned to the same area after obtaining and sighting in the replacement compound bow.
After taking a doe the next morning, Wynn went back that evening with Allbright, who was hoping to take a doe during youth deer season. According to Wynn, Allbright waited because they wanted to see whether the target buck would return. It did, following a smaller buck, and presented the shot that ended the hunt.
The report does not give a precise location beyond central Oklahoma or identify the bow that failed. It also does not describe a professional inspection of the damaged equipment. Those limits leave the mechanics of the failure unresolved.
“When I did, it sounded like a cannon went off inside my blind.”
— Max Wynn, speaking to Outdoor Life
Cause of the Bow Failure
The bow’s failure mechanism is unknown. Wynn speculated that a limb may have hit the blind, but the report does not confirm that explanation or cite an inspection by the manufacturer, a technician, or another independent expert. The report also does not identify the bow model or provide details about its age, condition, or maintenance.
The origin and timing of the broadhead found in the buck are also unconfirmed. Wynn said the surrounding tissue had healed and that he saw no external wound, but the report does not establish when the broadhead entered the animal or how long it had been there. No independent examination is described.
No Further Investigation Reported
Outdoor Life’s account documents Wynn’s hunt and his description of both discoveries; it does not report a follow-up equipment investigation or a response from the bow’s manufacturer. The cause of the failure, and whether the damaged bow will be examined, remain unknown.
Wynn’s story ends with the buck recovered and processed. The available report does not say whether officials or wildlife authorities were contacted about the broadhead found inside the deer, or whether any further assessment of the animal or equipment is planned.
Key Questions
What happened to Max Wynn’s bow?
Wynn told Outdoor Life that the compound bow failed when he released an arrow. He said its string serving had split, the string was slack, and both cams were bent. The cause has not been confirmed.
Was Wynn injured?
Wynn reported a bruised wrist but said he was otherwise uninjured. He also said he was fortunate the broken bow limbs did not hit his face.
How did he harvest the buck after the failure?
Wynn bought a Bear Archery compound bow, sighted it in at home, and returned to the blind. He said he took the 186-pound, 8-point buck with a 30-yard quartering-away shot the next evening.
What did Wynn find inside the deer?
While processing the buck, Wynn said he found a Slick Trick broadhead in its chest cavity. He reported healed tissue around it and no visible mark on the outside of the hide; the report does not establish when or how it got there.
Source: outdoorlife.com
