trader74

I lost one last night. she came out with another doe both mature, i shot about 60 yards away, and she dropped in her tracks. she twitched for a minute and i thought she was dead. i reloaded (muzzleloader) and before i could get loaded she got up and hobbled off. I found blood at the spot where she dropped and nowhere else there was also what looked to be a piece of cartlidge from the shoulder. I tracked for 2 hours that night and almost all day today I cant find her anywhere. I'm pretty sure its fatal, I'm just really feeling bad about this. I've never lost a deer before.

By the way I'm sorry for saying powerbelts are great I will no longer be using these bullets. They may be nice for others and for the other 2 deer I have killed with my muzzleloader they were perfect. But this situation seems all to like others I have herd with powerbelts.

dpv

Hunt long enough and you will lose a deer.....or three. It happens. It sucks. Good on you for tearing it up out there looking for her.

Daveboone

Sorry for your missing deer. Like was previously said, hunt long enough and it happens. It is easy to put quick blame on the bullet used, but deer are lost with others too. The best deer (205 lbs) I ever took dropped to a PP bullet---not intending to get into an equipment debate. The last deer that got away from me was a doe I shot at almost point blank range with a 12 gauge slug. I found hair, but no blood, knowing darn well I hit that deer square. Sometimes just no answers.

UncleNorby

You described the classic loin hit. Many deer hit there do survive.

Valentine

Unlike a lot of things in society, you get costly failing grades in hunting. And if you fail, you either improve and correct the mistakes or you eventually move on to other pursuits. For it's too difficult spending all that time hunting deer, if you can't harvest a deer.

Society can talk about no child left behind. But in hunting the hunter can always be left behind.

trader74

Thanks guys, There is a possibility i put a bad shot on her. I hope she didn't or still isn't suffering. It was weird the way she dropped right in her tracks I thought i spined her.

dpv

I shot one last year that dropped, thrashed and laid there. Then popped up and took off after a minute or so. I never found a drop of blood, bone or fur. 250 grain 40 cal all lead polymer tip sabot (50 cal muzzle loader), with 90 grains pyrodex at 35 yds. You live and learn. As someone said on here, you will learn from it or quit hunting. You will learn. The ones who end up quitting don't agonize over the wounded deer. Those are the ones who usually just show up on doe days and man the line for a drive, throwing lead at anything brown.

dpv

duplicate post. don't you love it?

isatarak

Poor shot placement can't be blamed on the brand of bullet.

trader74

If I had proof that it was poor shot placement, then I would not blame it on the bullet. However I don't have proof. Not to say that im perfect but i had a good hold right behind the shoulder. Anything can happen. I might have flinched, or something, I was simply stating that the situation I had was similar to others using powerbelts. Do not jump to conclusions that it was poor shot placement. As I am not jumping to conclusions that it was perfect.

Thank you