Not impressed with myself.

Sorry to hear about the missed animal, it is totally gut wrenching.

Keep on looking if you can.

Always remember to wait a solid 15 minues for them to bleed out, once you've shot your game. This is the hardest part of the hunt.
 
It only takes 4 minutes for any animal including us to die from massive blood loss....just a bit of Trivia.
 
hawk-i said:
It only takes 4 minutes for any animal including us to die from massive blood loss....just a bit of Trivia.
Click to expand...

Key word there is "massive" and generally if you do inflict that kind of damage on a deer you'll know it right away.
 
hawk-i said:
It only takes 4 minutes for any animal including us to die from massive blood loss....just a bit of Trivia.
Click to expand...

True, but if you wait a while before tracking, even a poorly hit animal will lay down and bleed out. If you keep pushing them, they will keep running.
 
Sorry to hear this and yes it would bother me losing a deer too. It even bothers me to not hit where I intended but that has happened a couple times. Quickly as you can now(unless it really is hopeless) any dog that will keep close... any dog that is not worthless, (my Jack Russell saved the day once) that will have no problem using that button on it's face to find the deer. I hope the weather co-operates to allow you to recover the deer.

It's sometimes a tricky call on the waiting and letting them bleed out: If the wound isn't an ideal place, pursuit might prevent clotting - the more it bleeds the sooner it will fatigue. I've seen deer solidly hit through the important bits, bolt and with an enormous crash, be dead in the bush 150 yards away.
 
If you suspect poor shot placement I would suggest giving an animal at least a full hour before going after it....if you absolutely know it was hit in the lungs even at a full run chances are it will be pilled up within 100 yards.
 
The reason I ask about the blood colour was to spark a conversation about perhaps where it was hit. I am no expert. I shot my first deer Sunday with a 270Win at 40 yards. The deer ran downhill about 60 yards out of sight and I heard a crash. I remember hearing you need to sometimes wait for a bit. So I sat down and ate my morning snack and waited for my buddy to meet me. Upon opening the deer up, the near side long was destroyed and the other lung had a big hole and badly hemorrhaged. Top of the heart was also kissed by the bullet. AMAZING the can go that far missing those organs!

The odd part was I had little to no blood and had a pass through What blood there was was more pink and frothy (lungs I assume). Thankfully there was snow on the ground and tracks were easy to follow.

Do you remember anything odd about how the deer ran away? Limping, stumbling etc? Did he leave uphill or downhill? Perhaps you could use a dog to recover game?
 
Sounds like you cleared the vitals a little high up.

I use the point of the elbow, and 1/3 of the way up, as my aiming point, and find I have far less meat loss, and typically, very few runners.

Hunt long enough, it happens. Coyotes and ravens gotta eat too, so it won't be wasted!

BTDT. Spent a LONG time searching for a doe I hit with an arrow. My best assessment was that I hit her high over the vitals and below the spine for a pass-through. Likely, she lived too.

Cheers
Trev
 
Always wait 30 mins after the shot to give the animal time to lay down & bleed out.

In this case, I would absolutely go back in the morning & search for him!

Keep us in the loop & GOOD LUCK!!!

Cheers
Jay
 
I have found that marginally hit bucks will run and stop in the first cover they come to. I have finished many wounded bucks by getting their direction of travel but instead of tracking them right into the cover I circle around and come into the cover from the opposite direction. I have shot more than one while it was standing watching it's back trail.
 
id bet if you left it be, where it layed down it would have died, and with the gun, id say, that close you have to remember how high up your scope is from your barrel, that close your trajectory is still low on an up path of travel.
 
They can be hard to find.

I shot a doe once that went about 30 yards before dropping; I must have damn near tripped over her 4 or 5 times walking a grid in the woods before I found her! That plain brown coat is better camouflage than it first appears!
 
I feel for you - the first deer I ever shot was the biggest buck I have ever seen hunting and I lost him. No exit wound as it was a frontal shot at 20 yards with a .303 jungle carboine. My buddies were sure I missed him, I know I didnt. That was 23 years ago and it still rankles me because I dont like losing wounded animals. I swore then and there I would never take a shot where I couldnt gaurentee an exit wound. I have never lost a deer sice.

Keep your chin up
 
Thanks man. I just keep replaying that shot over and over. Just to be sure, I've booked the range for 2 hours on Saturday. I sighted my rifle in 2 weeks before deer season, and left it in it's case, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it may be off. We will see on Saturday.
 
I used to carry a 2x2 Post-it notes pad in my kit bag.

They make a great 'confirmation' target while still in the field if you have your doubts.

I had one bad season, where it seemed impossible to spend a day out without either having a full bore wreck, tripping and falling, or otherwise having doubts as to the accuracy, as well as, foolishly, having to change ammo in mid season (don't :) ) as a result of running out due to constantly needing to re-confirm my sighting.

Much faster and more convenient to find a suitable berm or stump, and set up the card to shoot a shot or two at, than to have to mull it over until you can get to a range.

Cheers
Trev
 
X2 on the dog. Even a good old farm mutt can sniff out a deer. I've used a dog three times to find a deer. In each case I had walked by the spot a dozen times but a good nose found the animal. I know it is hard not to beat yourself up over it but it happens. You can cut your tag or decide to call it a season or keep at it at bag another buck. It's a personal decision and no one has a right to give you any grief over it.

If something like this doesn't bother you at all you should quit hunting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom