Wounded a running deer :-(

trevj said:
Yup! 100 percent with this!
Just a matter of my comfort levels. I've seen an awful lot of guys that shot movers, and did so well, but that ain't me, so I stick to the slow and the stopped if I can.
Cheers
Trev
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At my personal best I can only think of two instances, where I actually shot at running deer with my .308.
And thankfully both cleanly taken.{and no gut shots}
I am no expert by any means. (archery hunting severly humbled me!)

My days of shooting running deer, have come & gone. Youthful reflexes were a god-send.

TrevJ knows alot about me and my habits.
Boomer's advice is very sound.
 
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running deer

I rarely shoot at running deer, and if I do shoot, I aim for the head or top of the neck.

I have never wounded or taken a deer yet running across my path in the few shots I have taken (maybe 7); I did shoot one going straight away from me by taking it at the base of the skull.

I take all my deer when they are either still or slowly walking. Those 8 times I shot at running deer, I was with partners who either insisted I shoot, or thought they would insist. Shooting at the head gives me a chance to fire and not worry about wounding, and if the lead is right, a clean kill. The doe I took running away from me fell mid bound and didn't move after that.

Given the choice, since I mostly hunt alone, I will not take a running shot because I do not want to wound them, but if I can't resist (huge deer, or last day of the season) I will try that head shot.

YKD
 
Given the choice, since I mostly hunt alone, I will not take a running shot because I do not want to wound them, but if I can't resist (huge deer, or last day of the season) I will try that head shot.
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Just wondering how it being the last day or a really big buck justifies wounding them? You aren't the first person I've heard that measures their ethics by the size of the animal or the time of season but it's always confused me?:confused::confused:
 
I think most Hunters believe Deer are sacred,never shoot at a running Deer?? We shoot at Flying Geese,Ducks,Grouse,Pheasant,running Coyotes and more but not the sacred Big Game.
I believe most hunters put more value on Big Game.To me all species are the same from a Ground Hog to a Deer.A quick kill is hoped for each time we sqeeze the trigger.
Hunting is taking a life they are all the same to me.
Yes I will shoot at a moving target, if I feel I am capable at that moment in time.
 
Deer can be tough critters

my dad took a nice 8 pointer at 25 yards with a 20 ga. 870 with rifled barrel using 220 grain slugs - took 3 shots to bring it down - first shot went through the left shoulder and through both lungs, second shot went through the left chest and out the right taking out the aorta and right lung, third shot took out the right leg. Both the 1st and 2nd shots would have been fatal, but the critter still ran 50 yards uphill and then took 5 minutes to expire.
Since this was our first deer I ran a thorough post-mortem before and during cleaning. One thing though, I have a new respect for Hannibal Lecter - cleaning a 200lb animal is tough work - nothing like the cadavers in med school! Henceforth I wont be taking any dubious shots since I see how faar a mortally wounded animal can go. I guess they only drop like a stone on TV.
Dr.Oz
 
i find that for hunting white's its funner where i live. we dont get as big as deer around here. i shot my first deer on the run. adds more to the experence. u have a second to decide if u wana tag a deer or he's gone. its prob not the best. but all my deer that i shot on the run droped. well the last one slid about 10 feet lol.

would u rather sit in a blind and wait for a deer to show up or go walk around, and if your lucky maybe youll see him before he see's u?
 
FishDoc said:
my dad took a nice 8 pointer at 25 yards with a 20 ga. 870 with rifled barrel using 220 grain slugs - took 3 shots to bring it down Henceforth I wont be taking any dubious shots since I see how faar a mortally wounded animal can go. I guess they only drop like a stone on TV.
Dr.Oz
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Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't. Of course, we try our very best to influence the outcome, but after all, it is hunting, not grocery shopping.

Cheers...........:)
PS: I must add, the last deer I shot, dropped like a stone, just like on TV.
With a 30-30 rifle no less.
 
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I have shot many running deer and in fact shot a doe on thursday running at 120 yards. When I started hunting deer at age 15 in Northern Ontario we ran hounds and if you wouldn't shoot at a running deer you would never shoot. I now hunt Southern Ontario and we do alot of drives (party hunting) which means shooting at running deer. I have hunted coyotes with dogs and jack rabits my entire life so running shots are a normal activity but the shotgun only deer hunt makes running shots much harder due to the lower velocity bullets. I do not feel that shooting at a running deer is inethical as long as your skill level allows doing so. I see many posts from westerners talking about shots of 400yards on deer and nobody ever comments negatively about that yet there is just as much to go wrong with a long distance shot as there is with a running shot. Hunting conditions and styles vary greatly from the east to the west and I see nothing wrong with adapting to the environment and shooting game accordingly as long as you practice for the conditions you hunt in.
Regards
 
I have given this some thought and have taken into consideration wisdom from people I trust (some even on this board!). I think that shooting at running animals beyond a close distance - and I believe 100 yards is pushing it - is inappropriate and maybe even unethical. My problem in wounding said deer was that my rather extensive practice in shooting running targets was about 15 years ago, and this is a skill that perishes rather quickly. That old feeling came over me but it wasn't backed by recent practice. If considerable practice is done, then I believe a 50 yard shot can be effective and reliable. If considerable practice is matched with natural skill, then perhaps an effective 100 yard running shot can be pulled off reliably.

Those who shoot at running animals beyond this distance are surely "missing" on a regular basis (or are they? ie wounded critter). Pointing at 1 spectactular highspeed long range kill is not what constitues skill. I think I may try at a moving critter but as was alluded to earlier in this thread, I will be damn sure that I can pull it off - ie close range and slow moving with a good sight picture before a nice clean break.
As I said earlier, this is my first wounded animal and I will make every effort I can to ensure its my last. "wolves gotta eat too" just doesn't cut it for me.
 
If it don't see me and it gives me a chance to get prone, it is the only ethicle way I would shoot anything, Just imagine getting shot in the knee or groin Yourself and left to suffer without that finishing shot. Just my thoughts. I am not that hungry or brought up that way. Just think for a minute????
 
We shoot at Flying Geese,Ducks,Grouse,Pheasant,running Coyotes and more but not the sacred Big Game.
I believe most hunters put more value on Big Game.To me all species are the same from a Ground Hog to a Deer.A quick kill is hoped for each time we sqeeze the trigger.
Hunting is taking a life they are all the same to me.
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But we shoot flying birds with a multiple projectile shotgun that is purpose designed.......as for the others, I agree that all species deserve the same respect. Much more respect than being used for target practice where the likely outcome is wounding them anyhow!
 
Last year I shot a mule deer through both shoulders with a 200 gr Speer GS out of a 300 win mag. to my suprise, it bounced away. Had to return the next day to track it in the snow, about a mile, and it was still able to walk, it got out of bed and I finished it off, It was a long hard drag to get it to the truck. I saw blood on both sides of the trail, and was very suprised how far it went, but I felt good about being able to find it the next day.
Allen
 
There is no doubt the running shot is one of, if not the most, HIGH RISK TO WOUND shot in a hunting scenario. The speed, distance and amount of lead has to be calculated in a split second. Most of the time it is simply a best guess, a less than accurate calculation at the best of times. A little talked about skeleton in the closet of many hunting strategies as this is the majority of the shots presented. Most do not have a way of practicing this type of shot so the only way to practice is on an animal, a hell of a way to learn.

When an animal is gut shot the gut pushes against the ribcage effectively sealing the wound. The only time rumen will be excreted is when the hole in the ribcage and the gut line up. This can be very infrequently and very little. The hunter looks over the area where the animal was, sees no sign of blood and determines a miss. The hunter goes home to tell his/her buddies about the animal he/she missed while the animal has to try to survive with it's guts blown out.
 
I believe there are far more ducks and geese with shot in them that will suffer and die than wounded deer per year.
 
In a great deal of circumstances we can never be sure of a clean kill. Brush hunters have to worry about a piece of tree throwing the shot off, long range prairie shooters have to estimate range and deal with wind and we all have to worry about critters moving prior to the arrival of our choice piece of lead. I think we have to arrive at a high percentage shot that we are comfortable with and be able to reconcile the fact that sometimes it won't work out. eg - Buddy of mine shot a stationary moose at 50 yards last year (very experienced hunter and shooter). Tracked for about 6 hours and the blood dried up in the snow. He was exhausted and he eventually gave up. Poor bullet performance? Struck a bone and went somewhere it wasn't supposed to? who knows - but it was a high percentage shot so he took it.
 
Light Infantry said:
If you had a belt fed you would have gotten your deer.:D
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If I had a belt fed I would be the ultimate macho man with chicks crawling all around me, people would adore me, and maybe even pray to me. I would finally finally have the big phallus I've been searching for! It would go well with my Hummer and Harley.
Then who the hell needs a deer.
 
Last years two point was shot running at about 150 yds first shot took the top of the spine which did not drop the deer. second shot right through the rear quarters which finally stopped him and dropped him... completely disgusted with my shooting.. I am also not a bad shot practice at 200 yds with my 300 wsm x bolt within a toonie for grouping needless to say i was very dissapointed.. Deffinately feel for you LO
 
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