Opinions please

last Sunday morning I shot a buck that was quartering to me at about 80 yards. it dropped instantly and I thought it was the DRT. after about a minute I can see the gall berry bushes moving and I could see the deers rack somewhat and he was trying to get up. after another minute passes by he was able to struggle up but fell right back down before I could pull the trigger. Another 20 second goes by and he gets up and runs off so fast I could not get another shot on him because it was too thick in the area.We found a lot of long dark hair and it was finally scattered across 5 foot by 5 foot area. We only found one drop of blood.Three of us spread out and circled the area for several hundred yards and never found any more sign of the deer or the deer itself. My buddies think I hit the deer very high and just paralysed it for a second. I think I hit it straight on the chest. What do y'all think?

I'm with yer buddies....

always..and I mean always just call one of the darn deer tracking dog guys from here!!!!!! It never ceases to amaze me that when people dont find a deer right away that they dont!

Idaho mike from here recovered 100..I repeat.... 100 darn deer people could not find.

Why blood trail or give up when a simple pm or phone call will let you know FOR SURE if your deer is dead???????

If you cant find your deer call a deer tracking dog handler.......PERIOD!

If you dont recover a deer that you shot when so many guys from here will come out to help you with their dogs...noone is to blame other then yourself....

Sounds like a high hit. That's what causes a reaction like that. A dead hit right in the chest and he won't get back up. You would also likely have lot of blood where he was flopping if it had been a hit dead in the chest. Likely a high hit that shocked his spinal chord for a few moments.

If you'd have hit him straight in the chest with a "deer rifle" you wouldn't be posting this thread.

I helped a guy this week look for one, almost same scenario, Me and molly looked for about a hour or so, she never found him. I told him I felt like it was high no mans land shot, and the deer was down form shock... But met a new friend out of it, so not a waste of time on my part..

Hit him high. You'll probably not see that deer again. High shoulder hits result in this outcome often. Most of those are not recovered.

Just found one this afternoon with my black mouth cur. Deer was shot real low in the gut. Track was 1.25 miles by GPS and we were able to finish the job. Happy hunter and dog handler. Call for tracking services in south and southwest Alabama, southwest Florida.

Tracnfind@gmail.com
Roger Barnhill III
251-424-0337

Just found one this afternoon with my black mouth cur. Deer was shot real low in the gut. Track was 1.25 miles by GPS and we were able to finish the job. Happy hunter and dog handler. Call for tracking services in south and southwest Alabama, southwest Florida.

Tracnfind@gmail.com
Roger Barnhill III
251-424-0337

you will never know unless you put a trailer on it

last buck i had get up like that i had to blow him all to bits and still set on a stump 20 minutes and wait for him to die .

i missed judged the distance and pull a high under the spine shot . i don't see how he ran his back bone was out of line .

Just curious, are the dog tracking guys doing it for free OR charging??

Im sure the guys that has to go a long ways has to charge something. I use to tell them just a donation, if I had to drive a little piece, but if it was local, within 10 miles, I wouldn't take a dime from them, unless I didn't like em, then Ill charge the piss out of em..

The first time I met Mackdaddy off here was finding a deer. You can meet some cool people out of the deal.

This^^^^^^.

I have only shot two bucks in the chest and they both ran a little ways, dropped, got up and then ran between 100 & 150 yds before dying. Thats similar to what this deer did and is why i was thinking like i was. By the way, my deer rifle is a 270 and I shoot 150gr.

Thanks for the input from everyone so far

I had a guy earlier this year that was no more than 10 minutes away from me offer to come track my deer for $200. Unfortunately this was before Idaho mike came around. I talked to a couple more guys but they were not immediately available.

This is why so many are lost. And that is why God made these breed of dogs. Hunters need to use them and not give up. Hunters really don't know 100% where the bullet struck the deer, I know I don't till I see the deer.

If I shoot a deer, I'll gladly pay $100 or so to find it. If that's not the case, you don't need to be out there.

X2

Same here..

We're not talking about shooting them in the brisket. We're talking about sending something close to a .30 caliber bullet thru his chest and vitals. BTW, if you aim at a deer, then you should know where your bullet hit. You should not be surprised at where the bullet hit the deer. It will hit, where its aimed, unless it hits a limb.

NOT true all the time. I was sitting in a tripod on a big powerline once. Had a doe run out, loook back and keep going. I got ready on the rest. Range was 275 yards to the doe. A good buck came out, got past the first shooting spot, then showed up again. Buck was standing still, broadside, LEFT side to me. I was shooting a 7mmRM with 140gr bullets. I took a good shot and the deer disappeared, the doe ran to my left, stopped and stood for a few seconds, then left. I knew from her behavior the buck was down.

I went and got the Gator, the powerline was very steep and muddy. Finally got to the deer. DRT, as I thought. We loaded the buck, and I looked to see the hit...WTH? No hole at all on his left side. Nada. Nothing. I roll him over and there is an ENTRANCE hole in his RIGHT shoulder. RIGHT SHOULDER. I roll him back over and fins the bullet just under the skin on the LEFT side, the side I shot at.

I have no idea how this happened, but it did. I didn't see him move as I shot, but he must have. Filed under damnifiknow.....

Some people laugh at me but this is why whenever I have put a good buck on the ground, and by that I mean one that I would mount, I always put a second round into him. A fellow told me once, "I'm going to start calling you 2-shot". I told him, "that's fine because you won't call me 'lost deer'".

Someone posted on here a year or so ago, "think of a deer's vitals as a basketball." Where do I aim to make the bullet go through the CENTER of the "ball"? I like that.

Unless he's facing directly at me, or away from me, i'm always shooting for the off side shoulder. Draw a line and it goes right thru the vitals and they ain't a deer alive that can survive that.

We're not talking about shooting them in the brisket. We're talking about sending something close to a .30 caliber bullet thru his chest and vitals. BTW, if you aim at a deer, then you should know where your bullet hit. You should not be surprised at where the bullet hit the deer. It will hit, where its aimed, unless it hits a limb. [/quote

I must not shoot as good as you do. I always hunt out of a climber and have to shoot "off hand". I can't use shooting sticks and I don't have a shooting house window to rest my gun on. I know where I want my bullet to go but it doesn't always go there, obviously or we wouldn't be having this discussion. And I'll let you in on a little secret, I've even completely missed while shooting at a deer three different times over the years.

Geronimo, shooting offhand, is difficult, especially at long ranges, thats why i don't do it. My climber is a buckshot and i face the tree. It has a safety rail around me that i can prop on, or use the tree to rest against. My ladders have safety rails. My homemade stands have rails. I use shooting sticks in my loc-ons. What type climber do you use? Maybe you need one with a rail, it only helps. Google Austin Outdoors.

Really???? If I have five buddies look for 2 days, and never find him and don't call a dog I'm doing something wrong?
Or if I'm legit hutning for meat to put food on the table?

Since when is it a requirement to spend $200 and hire a deer tracking dog to hunt? I've seen many deer been shot and hit, and shot and missed or just skimmed and go on living just fine. Dog ain't finding no deer you just shot the chest hair off.

.

I have always hunted out of a Summit Bushmaster open front stand until this year. I amnow hunting out of an API Crusader. I shoot lefthanded and on this particular shot the deer was to my left and I had to squat a little to get an open shot. I will check into the shooting sticks though. Thanks for the advice.