Catus Magnus

I'm up a tree in my climber, about 50 yards from river... and three big does walk right up to the tree. Not a runt in the line. I observe - they're all the same size, I decide to go with #2 - when #1 doe busted me as I shouldered rifle. They scattered - #1 runs up hill and stops to eyeball me, and BOOM I shoot her broadside. Big cloud of blackpowder smoke; it clears and she's down, lets out a very loud & pitiful BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHT a couple time, and that's it.


Well... the other two deer ran a few yards and stopped; I can barely see one through the trees. I'm watched them a moment, thinking, maybe I'll shoot TWO deer. So then I start to reload: pour in powder, start bullet in muzzle, pull out ramrod and ram bullet home... at this point, the down deer starts a-kicking. I'm surprised; more surprised, when she staggers to her feet and runs about five yards, falls again. Now I'm fumbling with primer... she runs a few more feet... falls... then runs a little half-circle, and down... then is off and out like a shot. I'm stunned. If I'd brought anything other than the muzzleloader, I could have gotten her a 2nd time.


Well... I finished loading... climb down from tree, walk to where she fell.Ground is stirred up, there's blood. Little more blood a few feet a away. Another hunter walks in at this point; we end up looking for that deer for two hours. No bloodtrail to follow, only found blood in a couple places where she'd fallen.


This hurts. She was hit with 240gr XTP, which has performed fine in the past; I'm guessing I didn't get into the lungs. A couple times while following trail, early on, we caught just a whiff of stomach. We looked hard - real hard - and couldn't find her. I wish I'd missed.
Only positive is, critters gotta eat, too - and they'll have a nice feast of my deer.