Ever had a deer come back to life
- Thread starter Clippers
- Start date
I've seen coyote come back to life after being shot. My buddy smoked it in the lower jaw which knocked it out cold. When we walked up to it, the damn thing stood up and very wobbly tried to run off ... with half its lower jaw hanging off. THAT was NOT a fun experience TBH.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I had read an Africa "dangerous game" saying - is always a "dead one" that will kill you. As taught to me by my Dad - always approach downed game animal from it's back - then touch the eye with rifle muzzle - loaded and cocked - shoot again, if any reaction, at all.
Son shot a deer - and I was down cutting around the delicates when he began to flinch - and he was beginning to process the gravity of his predicament and was making an effort to leave the operating room before the second dose of anesthetic hit him. It was running straight at my son - only a circle of fur in the scope so he shot - like ten feet away - and the only injury that I could find on the deer was a shattered knee - no another mark - but it was coughing up blood and collapsed - so I think that sharp bone fragments from the knee might have sliced into an artery and his windpipe and nearly drowned him so he fainted while running, but when his engine came back down to an idle, it might have had enough wind left to regain consciousness. .243
Happened to me. I think my shot hit an antler and knocked him out.
Took awhile for me to get to him. I assumed he was dead. I grabbed the antlers, trying to roll him over. He flicked his head, snagging my ring with an antler. I thought I was getting my finger ripped off.
That was about 1960. Gee, that was 62 years ago. Time sure flies.
Took awhile for me to get to him. I assumed he was dead. I grabbed the antlers, trying to roll him over. He flicked his head, snagging my ring with an antler. I thought I was getting my finger ripped off.
That was about 1960. Gee, that was 62 years ago. Time sure flies.
A mule deer. I shot it at 150 yards and down it went. I waited 20 minutes and walked up to it. Well it stood up and took off. The first shot took out the top of the lungs and exited via a 2" hole. 150 more yards and it went down for good. 300 wm with 180 grain bullets. I'm going back to my 270.
- Location
- Van. Is. B.C.
I was out hunting bunnies with dad’s sweet sixteen and #2 shot when a flock of crows flew by. Not one to waste a good target opportunity I popped one who didn’t drop straight off but angled downward at about 45 degrees, so I hit him again and this time he folded and crashed into the snow. I walked up to him and pulled him out of the snow by his foot and laid him down for a good look. After about 30 seconds he wakes up and jumps onto his feet and runs into a small group of trees, I caught a glimpse of him flying away on the other side. My buddy from the “rock” always said there was a pint of the devils blood in a crow and this one had to be a walking/flying zombie.
Niece had the same thing happen, hit it in the antler near it’s head and knocked it out, just as they got up to it it jumped up and took off running.
Father-in-law shot his white tail, put it in the hatchback of his car. Pulled into the garage. Went into the house, and came out a few minutes later to a pissed off deer in his car.
A friend years ago. Bought a brand new rifle in 6mm. Heavy barrel. Had it sighted in just perfect. Beautiful 6X6 buck walks out in the field. He drops it. Goes running up to the deer and squats down for a picture with this beauty. Leans his rifle against the antlers as he’s holding them for the picture. The deer promptly came to, jumped up, and took off into the bush with the sling of his brand new rifle tangled up in its antlers. He spent 3 days looking for that rifle - never did find it.
I’ve never had it happen to me personally, partly because of these two examples, and another friend who had his lung punctured because a deer threw its head back as he knelt down to cur its throat. I tend to put a “finisher” into them when I approach - better safe than sorry.
A friend years ago. Bought a brand new rifle in 6mm. Heavy barrel. Had it sighted in just perfect. Beautiful 6X6 buck walks out in the field. He drops it. Goes running up to the deer and squats down for a picture with this beauty. Leans his rifle against the antlers as he’s holding them for the picture. The deer promptly came to, jumped up, and took off into the bush with the sling of his brand new rifle tangled up in its antlers. He spent 3 days looking for that rifle - never did find it.
I’ve never had it happen to me personally, partly because of these two examples, and another friend who had his lung punctured because a deer threw its head back as he knelt down to cur its throat. I tend to put a “finisher” into them when I approach - better safe than sorry.
So hopefully this means you and your ''buddy'' learned a valuable lesson from this????
Had a Driller tell me this story about 35 years back.
Martin ( Bozer actually) shot a buck. Walked up to it, put his rifle down and was in the midst of drawing his belt knife when it jumped up and got him with it's antlers.
Broke some ribs when it hooked him and down they went. He was laying there in severe pain, a couple paces from the deer ..."Looking that deer right in the eye. Trying to crawl over to the rifle to get another one in him"
I broke at least 2 and I would bet 3 ribs this spring. Immediately I was sitting on the ground, leaning on the far side of a pipe tub...hoping no one saw it ( Bad wipeouts are like choking...we want no-one to have seen it ). Sweat running out of my hairline despite the snow on the ground... when you IMMEDIATELY start to sweat...it's bad pain.
Beacoupe pain...glad I didn't have to crawl over to a gun in a hurry.
Martin was a tough son of a beach
Martin ( Bozer actually) shot a buck. Walked up to it, put his rifle down and was in the midst of drawing his belt knife when it jumped up and got him with it's antlers.
Broke some ribs when it hooked him and down they went. He was laying there in severe pain, a couple paces from the deer ..."Looking that deer right in the eye. Trying to crawl over to the rifle to get another one in him"
I broke at least 2 and I would bet 3 ribs this spring. Immediately I was sitting on the ground, leaning on the far side of a pipe tub...hoping no one saw it ( Bad wipeouts are like choking...we want no-one to have seen it ). Sweat running out of my hairline despite the snow on the ground... when you IMMEDIATELY start to sweat...it's bad pain.
Beacoupe pain...glad I didn't have to crawl over to a gun in a hurry.
Martin was a tough son of a beach
Guy from my old hunt camp dropped a deer and approached it. He sat his rifle down and grabbed it's hind hoof to drag it into the open and the deer pulled the hoof back and kicked him in back of hand messing his hand up. I always touch the eye with the barrel of my gun.
- Location
- NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA
Had a buddy shoot a nice bull moose in Cape Breton that was about 2oo yds across a new chopping.It dropped on the spot.As we were getting ready to retrieve it buddy said there is another nice one on the opposite side of a growth patch.We watched as he trotted away.Then went to get the 1st one and nothing there.Possible antler or hump shot.No blood.
My son shot a WT deer with his muzzle loader. It ran about 40 yards and collapsed after being hit in the chest, full broadside shot. We walked up and checked it, appeared dead. We grabbed its antlers to drag it to a better spot for gutting, after a couple of feet it struggled, we let go and it got up on its front legs, but not the rear legs. One more close range shot needed to finish it, we had done a proper check including tapping its eyeball with a gun barrel. 160 inch class deer with a strong will to live. One shot was lungs, the other was heart, sounds like bs and I wouldn’t have believed it if I wasn’t there.
My friend shot a coyote from his deer stand. Threw it on the back rack of his atv, put a bungee strap on it and drove over to his brothers place. His brother said, why didn’t you kill it, lol. He said wtf as he looked and the coyote was trying to get off the atv. Had to wack it on the head before putting it on the ground and shooting it again…
dgradinaru
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- British Columbia
Have two experiences that come to mind. My early years of hunting, I shot a 3 point mulie in a cut block, deer did its typical 30 yard dash and dropped. Upon approaching deer, everything seemed normal, got down to taking some pictures and as that was happening the deer tried getting up on me, the buck was still dazed as he didn't give much fight and as it was stretching its neck out i hung on to its antlers and quickly cut his throat. Glad it didn't turn into a rodeo. The pictures i have captured some of the moments when the buck reacted. When we were skinning the deer we saw that the bullet snipped the under side of his chest, no vitals were hit. No meat lost on that deer.
Second time was when my brother in-law shot a buck. It did its death dash and flopped over. As we approached the deer (still 5-10 yards away from it) this deer jumped up full of life and took off. My brother in-law was caught off guard and wasn't able to do a follow up. Deer ran down a hill/ravine and we heard a crash. We tracked it another 100 yards in thick brush and found the deer dead. Made for a good work out pulling the deer out of there. Shot was clean, and even recovered the bullet on the offside shoulder. Some deer have the will to live.
Second time was when my brother in-law shot a buck. It did its death dash and flopped over. As we approached the deer (still 5-10 yards away from it) this deer jumped up full of life and took off. My brother in-law was caught off guard and wasn't able to do a follow up. Deer ran down a hill/ravine and we heard a crash. We tracked it another 100 yards in thick brush and found the deer dead. Made for a good work out pulling the deer out of there. Shot was clean, and even recovered the bullet on the offside shoulder. Some deer have the will to live.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I do not know if "always" the case - but perhaps a "clue" - is typical that a dead mammal has its eyes open. So if eyes are closed, then suspect that it is sleeping, stunned, unconscious - but not typically "dead". Has worked sufficient number of times for me, that I will likely shoot again, an animal down with eyes closed. Obviously, if those eyes are open, and following you - is not "dead" either!!!
