- Location
- Saskatchewan
Out of about 140 animals, I have hit and lost two deer, two elk, and one bear. Each one still bothers me.
How many deer do you injure and not recover every year?
- Thread starter coyoteking
- Start date
the spank
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
I used to know a fellow each year like clockwork would lose at least 1 deer arrowing it in the last minutes or seconds of available daylight and then was unable to find it. He would always search the next morning to no avail. Used to make me sick to my stomach and I always called him on it and it was always the same excuses. I put the wrong pin on it or the arrow hit a branch or the deer flinched at the sound of the release. He never seemed nearly as bothered by it as I was and I didn't even hunt the darned things.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
Empathy makes up a large portion of one's ethics. It's difficult to teach empathy. Most have it, many sadly don't.
I never have trouble finding a down deer any more I picked up a used FLIR ps32 a while back With the combination Of tracking skills and the thermo I'm never look for down animal more then 5 minutes to find
I see that Wholesale sport carries a cheep thermo for sumthing like $600
But the best part of the thermo is glassing a clear cut you see everything living right off the bat just look and run kind off thing
Dorian Gray
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I lost the first deer I shot. I was 13. I was using a 12 gauge loaded with slugs, which was too much gun for me at that point. I ended up just grazing it and the deer probably lived to see another day. But I still felt like a POS for a good while after it happened.
Long story short, work on your marksmanship skills people and dont take marginal shots. You owe the game the type of death that you would want. As quick as possible. Do whatever you have to to make sure you can achieve that goal or don't shoot and wait for another one.
Oh, and tokguy, that takes some guts to do. I'd be proud to hunt with you any day. Good job. For real.
Long story short, work on your marksmanship skills people and dont take marginal shots. You owe the game the type of death that you would want. As quick as possible. Do whatever you have to to make sure you can achieve that goal or don't shoot and wait for another one.
Oh, and tokguy, that takes some guts to do. I'd be proud to hunt with you any day. Good job. For real.
Compensated a bit more for windage about ten years ago, hit in the mid section.
Took the firearm out in bow season and hour of tracking.
Anyone I trained has never , and tell all to track it till the end of the earth !!!
Took the firearm out in bow season and hour of tracking.
Anyone I trained has never , and tell all to track it till the end of the earth !!!
I don't like long shots, and I don't like running ( hot animal...yuck ) shots. Made some of my best shots on wounded game. 290 paces with an old 38-55 on a MD doe.
344 yds on Saturday with a Ross MK 3 to down the crippled Elk.
I'd never take a shot like that otherwise. And I must have lost a few in the years, not very cool though.
Jeez, to hear some of you it's like ED..." It happens; just not to me, by god!"
As soon as I read of hundreds shot but not one loss...skeptical...got to say it.
344 yds on Saturday with a Ross MK 3 to down the crippled Elk.
I'd never take a shot like that otherwise. And I must have lost a few in the years, not very cool though.
Jeez, to hear some of you it's like ED..." It happens; just not to me, by god!"
As soon as I read of hundreds shot but not one loss...skeptical...got to say it.
I never take running shots or take long shots
I'm better at stalking then the then taking long shots each yard closer to the target the better I feel about the shot
there is a lot of gratification you get ,when you see a animal 600 yards a way and you sneak up to 50 yard away to make your shot
I'm better at stalking then the then taking long shots each yard closer to the target the better I feel about the shot
there is a lot of gratification you get ,when you see a animal 600 yards a way and you sneak up to 50 yard away to make your shot
Lost one, longer shot maybe 225 yards but well hit buck, he ran into the willows.
Having never had mentor, I learned my hunting from books and magazines, they said give him 20 minutes to lay down and die and then go looking. In the mean time it started snowing but I found where it lay down to die with significant blood pool but also found the tracks of the coyotes that got him up and running again tracked them through the snow until the snow obliterated every sign. Cast around for any sign but they were ghosts
Having never had mentor, I learned my hunting from books and magazines, they said give him 20 minutes to lay down and die and then go looking. In the mean time it started snowing but I found where it lay down to die with significant blood pool but also found the tracks of the coyotes that got him up and running again tracked them through the snow until the snow obliterated every sign. Cast around for any sign but they were ghosts
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
Sometimes the environment is against us even during our best efforts.
I have hunted way more with rifle then bow and my loses are with rifle, both solid hits.One was an evening shot(100 yards maybe) where we tracked as well as we could in the dark, resumed in the morning after finding no sign, found the animal with the use of magpies and crows , nothing left by then.Was only about 200 yards away from where it was hit but no blood to be tracked and with no snow and no light , felt awful as it was a very nice animal.The other was rifle as well(called in maybe 30 yards away), solid hit, blood and hair everywhere , blood trail in the snow.Hit him, flipped over , thrashed around, stopped thrashing, waited , got out of blind to get him, well, he apparently had different ideas, off he went and I can only assume he made it to town to the Tims drive through.It was an afternoon shot, I searched and tracked well into dark, came back next day with 2 helpers, eventually lost the blood trail and track among other tracks.
Funny thing is, both rifle shots, both close shots , don't remember losing ones I shot further or lost with bow.
Always found the ones that were marginal shots by myself or others, guess they weren't that marginal after all, it is the ones we assume were hit well and vanish.
If you hunt you will eventually experience things you cannot explain or logic out.Nothing is predictable when hunting.
I have hunted way more with rifle then bow and my loses are with rifle, both solid hits.One was an evening shot(100 yards maybe) where we tracked as well as we could in the dark, resumed in the morning after finding no sign, found the animal with the use of magpies and crows , nothing left by then.Was only about 200 yards away from where it was hit but no blood to be tracked and with no snow and no light , felt awful as it was a very nice animal.The other was rifle as well(called in maybe 30 yards away), solid hit, blood and hair everywhere , blood trail in the snow.Hit him, flipped over , thrashed around, stopped thrashing, waited , got out of blind to get him, well, he apparently had different ideas, off he went and I can only assume he made it to town to the Tims drive through.It was an afternoon shot, I searched and tracked well into dark, came back next day with 2 helpers, eventually lost the blood trail and track among other tracks.
Funny thing is, both rifle shots, both close shots , don't remember losing ones I shot further or lost with bow.
Always found the ones that were marginal shots by myself or others, guess they weren't that marginal after all, it is the ones we assume were hit well and vanish.
If you hunt you will eventually experience things you cannot explain or logic out.Nothing is predictable when hunting.
A thinking person once suggested to me that a good shot will make more poor hits than clean misses.Who has never missed? The theory has been difficult to disprove mathematically speaking.
One thing I know for sure is hunters and guides aren't exactly the best judges of whether they hit or not. Studies have been done with blood tracking dogs to bear that out. If I had a 5 spot for every dead animal that I was told I missed I could buy a nice rifle with the proceeds.
One thing I know for sure is hunters and guides aren't exactly the best judges of whether they hit or not. Studies have been done with blood tracking dogs to bear that out. If I had a 5 spot for every dead animal that I was told I missed I could buy a nice rifle with the proceeds.
I recovered a buddys deer he was certain he missed. I saw it hit, tho. He went back to the garage and I stayed in the bush with my other 2 buddies till I found bambi. I was pretty p*ssed off because I thought; if it was a trophy buck he'd have been looking for it and not making excuses. I personally never hunted with that person again strictly based on the fact that I believe he knew he hit the deer, and really didn't feel like tracking it for more than 20 yards. SMH. That being said; some ppl still make honest mistakes. And I agree that a good shot makes a better chance at hurting the deer then completely missing it.
My friends and I are in this boat, we're all mid 20s never had a hunting mentor or someone to ask questions with. Its unfortunate really. Although between us, we have yet to have a non-recovery. We do practice quite a bit with our guns though, at all sorts of distances.
I actually passed a 5 ft shot with my bow two weeks ago on a moose because he was straight on and I was worried I would have pierced his stomach. Hell of an experience though.
I think the comment that ethics need to be taught is very true.
That said, we have learned a lot in the last four years we've hunted and now everytime we have a new friend wanting to join, we can teach him right. (to the best of our knowledge of course) Now if I could just figure out how to call moose better that would be great...
Slob Hunters...created since the beginning of time.
mareshow, these are some scenes you may have witnessed had you been comfortable taking the shot you speak of.
btw, my above slob hunter is not directed at you are anyone in the two clips I'm about to link to.
Watch some Rackman videos, the guy has some big ....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrWYuh_s1RQ
www.wideopenspaces.com/bowhunter-captures-intense-point-blank-kill-moose-video/
Rob
mareshow, these are some scenes you may have witnessed had you been comfortable taking the shot you speak of.
btw, my above slob hunter is not directed at you are anyone in the two clips I'm about to link to.
Watch some Rackman videos, the guy has some big ....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrWYuh_s1RQ
www.wideopenspaces.com/bowhunter-captures-intense-point-blank-kill-moose-video/
Rob
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I concur; comes down to are you wanting to be a ninja or a sniper?
Sneaking up on them is fun, you lose more as their senses are designed to detect me...still fun.
As far as long range shooting or snap shooting, I do OK. Don't feel that I need to practice it on herbivores though...my choice.
And typically I hunt solo, no-one to impress anyhow. Ego is a funny thing, sometimes it is there even though we don't realize it.
And I'm agreeing with Dogleg on the amount of wounded deer that go undetected...more than is admitted or realized.
i mostly hunt with a Single shot rifle it does slow you down to think and plan your shot a lot more thoroughly
I am in no way am I handicap with the T/C encore on a stock hunt I find it superior over a repeating rifle
Still have my levers and semi automatics I like them mid day when jumping a bedded moose or deer or if I know a stock my not be possible or wear I may need to take more then one animal like shooting beaver raccoon etc.
My all time serious hunting rifle is my Winchester low wall 6.5x55 and my T/C encore most time this is what I grab
I am in no way am I handicap with the T/C encore on a stock hunt I find it superior over a repeating rifle
Still have my levers and semi automatics I like them mid day when jumping a bedded moose or deer or if I know a stock my not be possible or wear I may need to take more then one animal like shooting beaver raccoon etc.
My all time serious hunting rifle is my Winchester low wall 6.5x55 and my T/C encore most time this is what I grab
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Slob Hunters...created since the beginning of time.
mareshow, these are some scenes you may have witnessed had you been comfortable taking the shot you speak of.
btw, my above slob hunter is not directed at you are anyone in the two clips I'm about to link to.
Watch some Rackman videos, the guy has some big ....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrWYuh_s1RQ
www.wideopenspaces.com/bowhunter-captures-intense-point-blank-kill-moose-video/
Rob
Lol try to make a shot like that when you're shaking like a leaf, I was in a bit of a depress in the ground so I was looking straight up and this guy, That artery shot on that elk though... Looking back I might have been able to but My bow shoots pretty hot so...
Oh well I'll get another chance soon enough, they are about 5 bulls running around in my backyard so it wont be long before another one crosses my path
the size of that moose though... woah... mine was decent size but nothing that big
I see deer running around here with arrows in them , then they go and lay in some ones yard that really gets the #### flying
Most of these young guys go and buy a bow set up , shot a few times then figure th y are ready lol
I've been hunting for a long time , you hunt long enough you are bound to have some thing happen we're loosening a animal could happen
it really pisses me off also. I think every new archer should have to take lessons to learn what it takes to be proficient in archery hunting, and have a mentor they have to hunt with for 1 year ,before they go out on their own ,hunter training course does not teach them
That, that sucks for sure
Most of these young guys go and buy a bow set up , shot a few times then figure th y are ready lol
I've been hunting for a long time , you hunt long enough you are bound to have some thing happen we're loosening a animal could happen
it really pisses me off also. I think every new archer should have to take lessons to learn what it takes to be proficient in archery hunting, and have a mentor they have to hunt with for 1 year ,before they go out on their own ,hunter training course does not teach them
That, that sucks for sure
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Never lost one, but I did miss one at close range. A deer ducked and turned just as I fired.
Shot a moose at about 10 yards. He was trotting towards me on a trail. 338 Mag into the sternum. (My hunting buddy, who has far more experience than me had lectured me about not taking head shots.)
Moose turned and ran off. I calmly opened the bolt and retrieved the empty case. Did not bother loading another round, because I knew the moose was dead and just did not know it. I have learned to wait quietly after a shot so the animal will stop running, lay down and bleed out.
About 10 seconds later we heard the moose keel over.
When I went to gut it, I found the insides almost intact. My bullet had turned and run along the outside of the ribcage, hitting absolutely nothing. A rib fragment had blown off and took off the top of the heart. Otherwise he would be a great grandfather by now.
If the bone chip had not done the job, we would have never found it. The bullet wound was superficial.
I am guessing he was trotting at a slight angle to me.
Shot a moose at about 10 yards. He was trotting towards me on a trail. 338 Mag into the sternum. (My hunting buddy, who has far more experience than me had lectured me about not taking head shots.)
Moose turned and ran off. I calmly opened the bolt and retrieved the empty case. Did not bother loading another round, because I knew the moose was dead and just did not know it. I have learned to wait quietly after a shot so the animal will stop running, lay down and bleed out.
About 10 seconds later we heard the moose keel over.
When I went to gut it, I found the insides almost intact. My bullet had turned and run along the outside of the ribcage, hitting absolutely nothing. A rib fragment had blown off and took off the top of the heart. Otherwise he would be a great grandfather by now.
If the bone chip had not done the job, we would have never found it. The bullet wound was superficial.
I am guessing he was trotting at a slight angle to me.
