Making the shot\Recovering your animal after the shot

[Public Land Prowler]

Thanks guys.You'd be amazed at the guys that don't know how to track.Most of what I have said is basic that I am sure most know of,but if you are self taught,or new to it,some of these experiences could help you recover one you may have lost.

You'd be amazed how many deer I have found that guys gave up on.

I'm like gadget and some of y'all.I can't get any sleep thinking I could have found it if I looked here,or maybe I shoulda checked over there.Even on does and hogs.I hear so many guys say it weren't nothing but a doe,or hog...I frown on that...You owe the animal that much,to make a real good effort to find it.

You'd be amazed at the guys who give up if they can't find blood in a few minutes,or don't look because the animal didn't look hit.I've recovered quite a few that soaked up a hit and acted like they were untouched.I could write alot more stories on that.

You may also be suprised at how many guys can't accurately tell you where the deer was standing when they shot,besides "over there".


Pnome I agree with Eddy I think you scraped him,and he just jumped up as a reaction to feeling it hit his chest.

A compass Is great to help too if you really need it.From your stand you can check what direction it was when you shot,and also where it was last at from your tree.If you need to you can go back to your tree and step off in that direction.

I sure hope someone replies back on here later in the season that this helped them.

 

[Nicodemus]

If I find only white hair, where the deer was standin`, that always triggers an alarm to me.

 

[Brad]

All great advice but one other thing that my grandfather taught me when you run out of blood look to the opposite side of where the deer was hit and most times that is the way they fall out. If you watch videos of deer that are hit he may stop but alot of times when he starts to fall he bucks and dances around so the blood may end and he may be dead within a few yards just not where the blood stops.

 

[Dead Eye Eddy]

Thanks for the info PLP.

I had a situation last season that I would like your comment on.

I shot at a deer that was about 125yrds away. I saw it buck up like a bronco, and kind of almost flip. It landed and shuffled a bit on the ground. It then got right up and trotted toward me up the field a bit. When it got to within about 50yrds it turned and run downhill into a creek bottom. When I was watching I couldn't tell if it had been hit at all. It didn't appear to have any injuries.

When I got down I went to the spot and the only thing I found was a small tuft of white hair. No blood at the spot, and no blood along the field or down the hill.

I figured I just missed, what do you think?

After I made my last reply, I got to thinking. Was there never an opportunity for a second shot?

I don't like wasting bullets any more than the next guy, but my dad taught me a long time ago that if it's still on its feet, shoot again.

We've been on several blood trails over the years where the hunter didn't shoot again because, "I thought it was going down," but we never found the deer.

I've put the second shot in 12 of the 48 I've killed to date. I would probably have lost 6 of those without the second shot, because of a less than perfect first shot. The other 6 second shots were unneccessary because either the heart was blown out or the spine was shattered on the first shot.

I've shot as many as 5 times at a deer that didn't drop after the first shot, but (KNOCK WOOD), I've never lost a rifle-shot deer that I know was wounded. The 10-pt in my avatar fell in his tracks, but was thrashing around for a few seconds. I put round #2 in him. He was within 15 feet of the Oconee River and I wasn't taking any chances that he might get back to his feet and jump in that swift water.

Even if you're shooting an expensive caliber, bullets are cheap compared to losing a deer. If it doesn't fall, or if it gets up, bust it again.

 

[propwins]

If only I could take PLP to every hunt with me!!!!

 

[wildlands]

Some great advice here.

I have tracked over 120 deer with a tracking dog for others over the last 6 years. Here are a few things that I have seen.

If the deer runs out of site give it a minimum of 2 hrs before tracking, weather permitting. If it is dead its dead and not going anywhere. But if it is still alive you take the chance of bumping it before it has time to expire. of course longer time for marginal hit deer. If you are tracking and come upon a wound bed, feel it to see if it is still warm. If it is back out and wait 2 more hrs as you have bumped the deer out of the bed. If the bed is cold then the deer probably got up on its own because it was not mortaly hit. You still track on a ways just to confirm this in case it was a dog or something else that bumped the deer. Most mortaly wounded deer will lay down within 100- 200 yards. If you have not pushed the deer and do not find a place where the deer layed down within that distance the chances of recovery go down. You can bump a deer once and it will go lay down again, bump it a second time and it will travel as far as it can to get away from you. The furthest back track I have ever seen was 100 yards on the exact same trail. Most often 10-15 yards.

A deer that drops in it tracks like it has been hit by a ton of bricks probably needs a second round as you probably hit high back or neck and socked the nervous system. Be prepared as the deer is going to get back up in a few minutes and walk/ run off. I have had several hunters tell me that they watched the deer for 5 minutes then as they were getting down the deer got up and ran off. Nothing vital hit and if the deer survives the infection will make it.

Knowing where the deer was standing is vey important. That location holds so much information as to how the deer was hit. If you are shooting a bow and get a pass through leave the arrow in the ground until the recovery is over. marks the spot to start and gives you the exact area to look for hair, bone and blood to help determine the type of hit.

Bright red blood the seems to be a lot of it and then just stops is usually a meat hit. Meat hits will bleed a lot because of the many smal blood vessels but also stop bleeding quickly. Remember the average 180 pound deer requires a loss of almost 3 quarts of blood before the boddy goes into shock and dies. A little blood can look like a lot.

And last remember tracking dogs are not just for last resorts. If it looks like it is going to be tuff going and you do not want to waste the meat because it is going to take all day to track then get the dog in there. Even if you have spent all day tracking a good dog will be able to work the line 24 - 48 hrs after the shot.

 

[Public Land Prowler]

If only I could take PLP to every hunt with me!!!!

LOL...That was a pretty good blood trail your doe left.She wasn't that hard to find.

 

[Public Land Prowler]

Most mortaly wounded deer will lay down within 100- 200 yards.

Yes sir...If I go about 100yds,and the blood isn't just pouring out to the point where you keep looking around to see the deer,then I will sometimes back out,or slow it way down.

A deer that drops in it tracks like it has been hit by a ton of bricks probably needs a second round as you probably hit high back or neck and socked the nervous system. Be prepared as the deer is going to get back up in a few minutes and walk/ run off. I have had several hunters tell me that they watched the deer for 5 minutes then as they were getting down the deer got up and ran off. Nothing vital hit and if the deer survives the infection will make it.

Bro..you hit it hard right there.I keep my gun on the deer a few seconds after a shot like that,just incase.If he even acts like he may get back up..Don't hesitate to put one more in him just to make sure.I'd rather lose a shoulder or two than a whole deer.I know ALOT of guys who thought a deer was KO'd only to see him get right back upand run off,and they go home empty handed.A grazing spine shot will shock them,but they can recover.

Bright red blood the seems to be a lot of it and then just stops is usually a meat hit. Meat hits will bleed a lot because of the many smal blood vessels but also stop bleeding quickly. Remember the average 180 pound deer requires a loss of almost 3 quarts of blood before the boddy goes into shock and dies. A little blood can look like a lot.

LOL..Seen alot of guys tell me the deer was POURING blood..I found about enough to fill up a asprin bottle..lol

 

[pnome]

After I made my last reply, I got to thinking. Was there never an opportunity for a second shot?

There was. I missed. Probably shouldn't have taken it.

Thanks for the feedback. I play it over in my mind a bit. I searched around for any sign of blood for 2 hours. Searched the direction she ran for a while too. This was all on a bright sunny morning.

Thanks to PLP too.

 

[pnome]

If I find only white hair, where the deer was standin`, that always triggers an alarm to me.

An alarm for what?