ORIGINAL: OHbowhntr
ORIGINAL: davidmil
......Tracking ability is probably the number one cause of lost deer.
I'll tend to disagree. I've killed quite a few deer (somewhere near 30 I'd guess), and lost a 3. The deer I've killed, I've found within 18-220yds from the shot, one gut shot, one bad hit, femoral artery severed (NOT BAD HIT, my fault, LUCKY OUTCOME), and a bunch of heart lung shots. Those that I've lost I've tracked for a minimum of 350-400 yds. before the blood trail all but disappeared. I've tracked acouple ofanimals (none of my own)literally for over a mile, and never did find them, and this was after a few hour wait, not taking up the trail immediately.
I think BAR NONE, poor shot placement w/ a gun or a bow would ABSOLUTELY be the NUMBER 1 reason for lost animals.
I agree with you 100%. With good shot placement typically your tracking will be at most 100-150 yards. It is when you take questionable shots that leads to long and difficult tracking and this leads to lost deer. And a straight on shot is a questionable shot.