Like most problems in life, we'd like to think there's a single or at least primary culprit for "lost and wounded deer". Blaming the bullet is an easy way out. Not too hard on the shooter. I'd probably go with a top 3 reasons as:

1) lack of understanding
2) poor execution
3) poor shot selection

"Lack of understanding" likely leads the pack because knowledge not acquired through experience is frequently incomplete or misapplied and explains a wide variety of causes. A new ML hunter watching a "pro hunter" take a pronghorn @ 200 yards on OLN tries a long shot he's never practiced and hits but loses a deer. A ML hunter looking for an easier loading bullet finds that Powerbelts satisfy the need and shoot accurately but loads 3 - 50 grain pellets because the literature he got with his gun says it will handle "magnum" loads. Bullet fragments; lost deer. Hunter takes 75 yard shot from tree stand over thick understory, deer runs away; hunter thinks he missed and never goes to look or goes to look and never gets to where the deer stood when the shot was taken. Thinks he missed, deer lost.

Poor execution is simple lack of practice or buck/doe fever. The two are intertwined and if the latter precedes the former can become difficult to reverse or overcome.

Poor shot selection generally involes both of the above as the hunter over estimates the killing power of his bullet or underestimates the resilience of flesh and bone (lack of understanding) but only after the approaching animal has stopped and the hunter believes the opportunity is about to be gone so takes a frontal shot. No exit hole and deer is lost.

The great thing about forums, and this one in particular, is the ability to learn from others who have gained their knowledge through experience and present comprehensive explanations by the conversational nature of a forum. It's a special place.

My 2 cents...

good post yeoman. very true.

with probally about 20 minutes before the end of shotgun season i had a group of does come out of some thicket with a buck after them i tried multiple times to stop him with no success and i hadnt got a deer yet so i did what i probally shouldnt and took a shot on him while he was running i tried to lead him a little but still i knew i shot him way to far back, anways he darted back into some really thick thicket and down a very steep hill, my buddys kept telling me to forget iti would never find it but i couldnt give up on him, there was so much blood i was for sure i was going to walk up on him at any time,one of the best blood trails i had followed, needless to say it took me 4 hrs to find him by then it was pitch black out and all the others were back at the cabin laughn at me, i hit him in the guts and he bled like no other i have shot yet he lived twice as long as any others i have shot

I admire your ethics lukehunter. Shame on your buddies. In our hunting group, when one guy has a situation like that we all keep looking until the shooter himself decides to call it off. We've lost a few, but not many.

I agree, any wounded animal deserves following up. I shot a buck one archery season early in the morning a few years ago. High and a bit back. I was sure I nicked the liver. The blood trail was spotty at best. I waited about 4 hours before starting to trail. I kept loosing the trail then finding it all day til dark.
The next day I recruitted my hunting buddy and we spent the next morning, me following the sparse trail and him walking the ridge. We found that deer after a total of about 8 or 9 hours of tracking through all kinds of brush.
It sure is nice to have dedicated hunting buddies that are willing to spend their time helping you find a wounded animal.

How many of you believe high hits [which usually bled inside the body instead of out side ] cause some lost deer? Lee

I agree 100%. I think what happens is that a hunter makes that shot, they look for blood maybe even 50-60 yards and do not find any blood and assumes that they missed. Meanwhile about 20yrds later the chest cavity fills up and THEN they begin to drop blood.

I had this happen when I was about 11-13yrs old and I was all bummed because I couldn't find blood or hair and my dad went down over the side of the ridge about 70-80 yrds and then found blood. 20yrds later he was pilled up.

"Like most problems in life, we'd like to think there's a single or at least primary culprit for "lost and wounded deer". Blaming the bullet is an easy way out. Not too hard on the shooter. I'd probably go with a top 3 reasons as:

1) lack of understanding
2) poor execution
3) poor shot selection"

Yep, there is the never ending search for the magic bullet that will turn a gut shot into a bang flop 100 percent of the time.

"How many of you believe high hits [which usually bled inside the body instead of out side ] cause some lost deer? Lee"

This is a fact. Followed uptwo wounded bucks this past season for folks who shot them too high. Fortunately, we recovered them both.

Clearly "some" lost deer and probably a significant number. On what should be "gimme" broadside shots, the tendancy of the shooter to anticipate recoil causes POI to be higher than POA and you get the high hit. It is probably an argument for moving the POA of a firearm farther forward than that of a bow, directly over the hinge at the elbow. A high hit breaking the scalpula and perhaps affecting the spine at the point where it is rising to form the backbone is better than finding "no man's land" farther aft. This is not an archery option, but is with a firearm, particularly with a heavy bullet.

yeoman

Which makes remember i statement i read the other day - which we all might want to practice...

Don't shoot the deer!

Shoot a spot on the deer!