So how many big game hunters have ever lost an animal?

[crazy_davey]

So how many big game hunters around here have ever shot and hit a big game animal and lost it?

As we all know there can be many circumstances that can effect the outcome of a successful hunt. I am not asking to turn around and hack on anyone, just curious.

 

[crazy_davey]

And yes, because I asked I will answer my own question. I have been hunting for over twenty years and yes I have shot and lost a big game animal and felt bad about it for months, Christ I still do .

 

[BIGREDD]

I actually lost a big buck that I had in my hands! I had hit it too high and shocked the spine...I ran up and poked it in the hamstring and then spent about 30 seconds admiring it. Picked up the head by it's horns.
I walked back across the field to retrieve my gear and when I got to the fence I looked back... he was standing up! I reloaded and got a shot off but it was a complete miss. It started to rain/wet snow and I ran after and tracked that deer for six km till he crossed the river. I started that day at 7 AM and finished at 5:30P.M. I swore I was gonna quit hunting I was so dissapointed with myself. The number of mistakes and bad decisions I made that day are off the chart! I have been involved with a couple of other lost animals over the years... but that one haunts me to this day.
If you hunt long enough it is likely gonna happen to you... and you should never assume it won't. All you can do is make sure you don't increase the odds of wounding or losing game through complacency or foolishness.

 

[Deanx]

If you have been hunting for any length of time you are very lucky if you have not lost an animal. It has happened to me twice and it's the worst feeling a hunter can have - It makes you feel sick to the pit of your stomach.

 

[stubblejumper]

In over 30 years of hunting,I have lost one animal.We searched hard that night and came back with more people the next morning and searched for another few hours,but rain had washed away the blood and we lost the trail.

 

[gth]

Not yet and hopefully never. I have been part of a hunt that ended in a failed search for an arrow wounded doe but I wasnt the shooter.

That was enough for me.

 

[boney]

I lost a whitetail doe afew years ago.

 

[Gatehouse]

Lost a nice brown phase bear.

He stood up, at 75 yards, I shot, he showed no reaction except to the hit, we found no blood/hair etc.

There was no way I could have missed, and we spent 2 days looking for it. I tend to think the bullet didn't open up, but can only speculate.

 

[azimuth]

I shot a WT doe with my 3006 that I lost. First shot was a little over 300 yards and she went down hard. The deer looked very dead,(tongue hanging out and lying in a very unnatural position) We approached slowly and she was "dead" I unloaded the rifle and started to get my tags ready when the deer jumps up and does mach 2 into the thick brush. We can hear the deer "Crashing" around in the bush so instead of pushing here further we waited. It starts to get dark so we used the remaining light to look for her but she keeps going further into the willows. I marked the blood trail with the GPS and we decided to come back at first light, because in SASK you have to get the CO's permission to look for a wounded animal after legal shooting hours. We went back at first light and started to search again. All we found was the 4 legs,skin and spine. The yotes ate the whole thing in less then 9 hrs. That experience led me to start handloading and I haven't lost an animal since and most have died in "their tracks"

 

[PaulT]

HI,

Lost a Whitetail a couple of years back, probably the biggest one I had the chance to shoot at. He was the other side of a creek, in between 2 hills, I could see him perfectly, he was broadside and I was in a watch, well placed and steady for the shot. I pressed the trigger on my old 303Brit with 180gr CoreLokt and he dropped right there, WOW I said to myself, what a nice shot. He was at about 175-200 yds ftrom our stand. After 10-15secs, he stood up again and my father in law (was with me in the watch) had his 270win ready and shot him the second time, WOW, he jumped about 6 feet in the air and dropped down, rolled a good 50ft down hill to stop his fall behind a big pine tree.

We shake hands, and wait about 15min to go and retreive him. Once on the spot, no deer, lots of blood, fat with hair, pieces of bone, dark red blood and light bubbling blood. We figured he was hit once in the lung and I probably hit the front of his chest, that might be where the bone fragment came from.

Well, we followed the blood trail only to loose it on a wet swamp area where he disapeared, this was really a nightmare, never again, will I shake hands before finding the deer dead.

What happenned? Don't know, I have shot deers at farther distances with my old Brit without problems, but not that time.

 

[Demonical]

1 moose 20 yard shot but through tag alders, which had to deflect the bullet off course. (.338WM with 225gr Nosler Part).

1 bull elk which was a poorly placed shot through the point of the shoulder (.30-06 with 165gr Hornady IB). That was about a 75 yard shot.

 

[Elk man]

Yep, Took a shot at a nice blackie, hit him high, found small drips of blood every 10 feet or so for a bit and nothing more...felt like crap.

 

[Redfrog]

nah!

After nearly 50 years of hunting, I do not recall a big game animal that I've lost. I have had a few, very few, "boiler room" shots that took some time to find, but I did find them.
I've lost some pheasants over the years that were dead. And yes I always hunt birds with at least one dog. and yes my dogs are well trained.

 

[BBB]

I lost one maybe three years ago. A close in shot on a whitetail buck while it was trotting away. Found blood, started following it -- jumped it three times without getting a shot off, then it got too dark to see (I shot it at about 3:30). Tried tracking by headlight for awhile, but with no snow on the ground, no go. Came back the next morning, sans gun (it was a sunday in a no sunday zone) and stomped around until about noon till we found him. The coyotes had followed the blood trail and pulled him down over night (I'd just hit him in the lower leg-- either he'd jumped at the wrong time, or the bullet hit a branch. There was nothing left but the head, the lower legs, and the hide.

Still bugs me.

 

[Noel]

First fall out with my 338-06. Shot a Muley buck at 200 yards and hit him hard. He fell on his side and slid down a big slope and lay still. I picked up my pack after a couple minutes and started his way. All of a sudden he decided today isn't the day to go. He got up and did that stupid pogo stick hop they do all the way up the hill he just slid down and jumped the neighbors fence.
After much begging and pleading the landowner finally gave in to let me track it. By they time I was done gaining access the Buck had already gotten onto another property. I could not get ahold of the landowner. Called the C.O. and they would not give me permission to go after it. Hunting private land really sucks when this sort of thing happens. It has happened to a couple of guy's I've hunted with and the exact same problem has held us back from being able to continue the follow up.

Leaves you with a nasty knot in your tummy for a very long time. Indefinetely actually........

Dave, did you have to bring this one up?

 

[MD]

Never lost a deer but have lost a bear. Squarely hit behind the front shoulder with a 300 WM too.

Left a blood trail into the thick stuff and I followed him until the blood and skid marks ran out and he was gone.

 

[Brutus]

Two deer, the first one, I used expanding broadheads on a bow not fast enough to utilize this design. It got away from me, I trailed it, but suspect it became a coyote dinner. The second deer, I took a risky shot and just knocked it out.

On approach to the deer, was laying down, under a river bank, it woke up and took off at high speed, with little apparent trauma, never to be seen again!


My two and only bad ones, I did learn from both circumstances though.....

 

[DVXDUDE]

First time ever deer hunting. I'm sitting on a fence line beside my dad on the corner of the field where it meets the bush. 7am comes along and dad gives me a poke in the arm to get my attention. I look out in the field and theres a buck walking towards us about 100 yards away. I put the gun up when he was about 50 yards away then went to pull the trigger.....nothing....Safety was on!!. I push the safety off and the deer hears the click, its staring at me from about 40 yards away. I put the gun back up and he turns and runs, I shoot 3 times in about 2 seconds. Pretty sure i hit him high and near his back legs. Anyways he didnt really look hit but we found blood. Tracked the bugger for about 4 hours til the blood came to about a spot every 10 ten feet then we lost it. My brother seen the deer later on that night right before dark, Its back was all arched and was walking slow, definatly hurt. he never got a shot off at him. I was extremely pissed, my dad wasnt making it any easier lol. I would of got him if i got the safety off quieter. It was a nice sized 8 pointer too

Owell it was a good learning experience, first thing i do now when i see a deer is SAFETY OFF...quietly of course lol. Got 3 deer since that day, all one shot kills and didnt have to track any of them.

 

[dw]

Lost a deer. Found a small blood trail that disapeared. Searched for 2 days with 3 others to find it. Never did. Still feel like crap

 

[BigUglyMan]

Yup. I now own a zebra with a limp at Constantia.