Un-recovered deer

[orion1mdl]

In the last few days, there have been several posts about not being able to find deer after what seemed to be a lethal shot was made on it. According to many of the replies to those posts, maybe this is more common place than I thought it was. It made me currious so I thought I'd try a poll.

 

[sweatequity]

more than a few

I have lost around 4-5 with my bow and one with my gun over the last 10-12 years.

Everyone I know has lost quite a few with a bow over the years. I always try high percentage shots now.

 

[Hunterrs]

I have missed one with my bow but haven't lost any, knock on wood.

 

[gordylew]

I,ve lost more in one season then most people kill in 10 seasons. Talk about a batting slump.

 

[UGAalum13]

I kinda lost one with my bow once. I double lunged a doe just before dark, and had to wait til' morning to trail her because my batteries died in my flashlight. I found her early the next morning about 60 yards away, the problem was, coyotes found her first and there wasn't much left. Made me wanna throw up on the spot.

 

[cowboyron]

If you hunt it will happen. It's not a matter of if it's going to happen, it's when it's going to happen. It's an ill feeling when it does especially the first. I think a person has to get the mind set that it is a part of it and if you can't deal with it then it is time to quit. For those of you who have not lost one Congats and I hope you keep batting 100.
Saddaddy made a good post on another thread that relates to this.

 

[meriwether john]

Have lost more with a gun than a bow. Can't remember how many with the gun for sure but would say around 6 or 7(1 last season). have lost 1 out of about 14 or 15 with a bow. percentage wise prolly about the sameas with a gun. since you don't recover the bullet some "misses" may have been hits so not really sure on lost deer with a gun. remember 1 with a shotgun though.

 

[Jim Thompson]

Lost 2 with bow and one with rifle that were for sure hits. Jim

 

[bradpatt03]

lost one with a gun last year...shot it, found blood, saw which direction she ran...we searched for hours all in the direction she ran and a little to the left and right as well...turns out she ran directly away from the river until she got out of my sight and then she pulled a u-turn and headed right back towards the river. we found what was left of her the following weekend...

 

[Krazyhorses]

I only lost one, but it was a very nice 8. It made me feel ill for a whole year. Sure hope that never happens again.

 

[Headshot]

In 20 or so years of gun hunting, I have lost 3 deer. Dad found the first one while quail hunting. One was never found after an extensive search. The last one that I lost was found the next day. After that.........well just call me Headshot.

 

[HuntinRebel3]

Don't bow hunt and have been fortunate enough not to lose one with my rifle. KNOCK ON WOOD!!

 

[HT2]

Unfortunately...........

Yes........

Makes me sick when it happens too...........

 

[orion1mdl]

I'm finding this pretty interesting so far. 80% or 50 of the people voting have lost at least one deer, and that adds up to over 100 deer so far. Very interesting indeed ! I wonder how, (or if) the DNR has any means of calculating these numbers ?

 

[Randy]

I am knocking on wood. Never have lost a deer yet! I did shoot a hog in Florida this past January that I did not recover. We found her but buzzards were all ready on her and it only took about an hour to find her. Buzzards in Florida are like doves here. They are everywhere.

 

[GeauxLSU]

Nope. Part of the reason I don't bow hunt.
I've only shot at two deer in my life that I didn't recover but I don't think they were hit. One was the first deer I ever shot at (I was 12 and I 'lead him' when he was walking ) The other was a shot over my right shoulder (I'm right handed) and I'm still embarassed I pulled the trigger. I may have hit that deer, but I never found any sign. STUPID shot! Never done anything like that before or since and will never again!
So, I can't say I've ever hit a deer I haven't recovered. (Andy's dogs helped me out last year on a doe.)

 

[Nicodemus]

I`ve lost 2. Hated it but they both went into the Oconee River .

 

[Sandman619]

I've lost 2 in 21 years of hunting.
A doe last year and a nice eight the year before
It happens but It sure makes you feel like elmo when it does.

 

[doe shooter]

I have lost two, a six-point shot right at dark in some thick brush. Once i got down from the tree, i could not find where the deer was standing when i shot it. We looked for over an hour and never found blood. Six weeks later we found the buck about 400 yards from where i shot it. I hit it a little too far back, probably in the liver. I have been hesitant to shoot when it gets close to dark. I also lost a doe a couple of years ago. I knocked her down, watched her scoot off into some brush and that was the last we saw of her. We followed blood for about 600 yards and then it ended. I walked that block for the rest of the day hoping i would come across the doe or more blood. I never found it. My lesson that time is keep shooting until they stop moving.

 

[doe shooter]

Another important thing to remember. When you shoot a deer, don't always believe your eyes. this has happend to me once and to my hunting partner. Both times, we shot deer late in the p.m. Both times we saw the deer run off. Also, both times, we did not know it, but the deer we saw run off was not the one shot. We did not realize it, but there was more than one deer standing there. The one shot did not raise its flag, the other, unwounded, deer did. Both times, we watched the unhurt deer run off while the wounded deer went in a different direction. Luckily, i found mine. My partner lost his buck and it was not found until the next day. Our post analysis showed the flaw. The flash and recoil of the gun temporaily caused us to take our eyes of the shot deer and then our eyes focused on the white flag bouncing off into the brush. Make sure you know where the deer was standing when you shot and go straight there. Look for tracks taking off, blood, hair, bone, etc. start at the beginning, not where you thought you last saw the deer.