unstableryan, your story should be tacked up to, as Kodiak said, s**t happens. Because it happens is the very reason one should shoot at the largest lethal target every time. Anyone who says, "I never missed a shot in my life" hasn't done much shooting.
That is what makes me, and many others, dislike neck or head shots as a first shot. Perfectly done they are spectacular, but just a little s**t happening will make for a wounded deer with full mobility that will likely make a poor blood trail and have a long suffering death after you lose it. And s**t WILL happen.
I wont' shoot a deer in the rear end on a first shot either for obvious reasons (maybe I wouldn't be so noble if it was a world record head) but once it has been wounded, I too will take any shot presented from almost any distance I think I have any chance of connecting. Once the shooting goes past one shot, I want it over as fast as possible, meat loss be damned.
Lots of people who call themselves hunters will not make the effort you did. It is good that it turned out well in the end.
That is what makes me, and many others, dislike neck or head shots as a first shot. Perfectly done they are spectacular, but just a little s**t happening will make for a wounded deer with full mobility that will likely make a poor blood trail and have a long suffering death after you lose it. And s**t WILL happen.
I wont' shoot a deer in the rear end on a first shot either for obvious reasons (maybe I wouldn't be so noble if it was a world record head) but once it has been wounded, I too will take any shot presented from almost any distance I think I have any chance of connecting. Once the shooting goes past one shot, I want it over as fast as possible, meat loss be damned.
Lots of people who call themselves hunters will not make the effort you did. It is good that it turned out well in the end.




















































