Lost A Buck Tonight!
 

Lost a nice 8 pointer tonight with at least a 18 or 19 inch spread.I grunted him in here in Virginia to within 35 yards and then shot him behind shoulder.Not sure if I knocked him down or not as I could not see from the smoke.Went over after reloading and finally found some blood.I tracked him by flashlight for over 35 minutes and he was bleeding about every 5 feet and I tracked him over 100 yards.He made a large circle and went back to the river and crossed the river and went onto posted land that I dont have permission to hunt.I am sure he will die as he lost way to much blood to make it bleeding that much.I was shooting the Hornady XTP 240 grain in my Genesis behind 100 grains of T7.Using my fiber optic front sight and williams peep sight he was just 35 yards away but it was close to dark.While I saw the front sight perfect thru the peep it was hard to actually tell exactly where I was on the deer as it was just not enough light to pinpoint my shot so I aimed behind the leg the best I could.Extremely thick where this happened sometimes a 10 yard shot is hard in this area but there are lots of deer there.Good Lord willing next year I will put a scope on my Genesis in order to see better for those dusk shots.I had one but put it on my Marlin 45-70 instead.To say I am disappointed is an understatement but I know the deer wont go to waste as other critters will benefit from it.Man this was a nice buck but the experience will be with me forever. Mike

RE: Lost A Buck Tonight!
 

It happens.. its a shame you could not find him.

RE: Lost A Buck Tonight!
 

Been there done that, my experience is that 300g bullets penetrate better and shoot thru the deer, no doubt that the deer died, I take shoulder shots now or brisket shots, this breaks the big gone holding the front leg to the body and goes into the chest cavity. This is another reason to shoot "strong bullets", a strong bullet by design doesn't fragment (XTP looses it jacket) and will keep on penetrating and provide shoot thru for blood trail. You need the off side blood outlet because your shooting down, given the lo light conditions I think you hit him high and I think there was not shoot thru, therefore the lungs must fill out and go out the entry hold, or the mouth, but that takes a while and that is how the animal was lost. Like I said been there done that. Shoot 300g, shoot thru with whatever bullet you select, shoot high shoulder shot or brisket. Chap

RE: Lost A Buck Tonight!
 

If its too dark to place your shot correctly, you don't have a shot.

Steve

RE: Lost A Buck Tonight!
 

Sorry you lost a good buck.

IMO: Those so-called fiber optic sights stink. If VA allows scopedmuzzleloaders get a good low power scope on that gun.240 grain XTP bullets work very well if you putthem in the right place.

RE: Lost A Buck Tonight!
 

Can you ask for permission to look, even without a gun?

RE: Lost A Buck Tonight!
 

Ask permission to look for the deer if you can. And as someone else said, use a top quality 300 grain bullet like a Nosler Partition, Barnes, Swift A-Frame, something like that.

RE: Lost A Buck Tonight!
 

I don't think the bullet is at fault here. The deer made it 100+ yds bleeding profusely and crossed a river. His lungs are not deflated obviously -- I would bet as the poster indicated may be the case it was dark and he did not actually hit the deer where he wanted to. A 300gr bullet will not turn a gut or liver shot into a bang-flop. While I am not an XTPuser I have shot 250gr or lighter bullets my whole hunting career, averaging about 5 deer per year, and can count on one hand the number that have not been pass-thrus. Unless you are exploding bullets (ie a Powerbelt over a stiff charge) I don't think there is as much performance difference on whitetails as the marketers want us to believe.

Hopefully you can get permission to at least track the deer. Either way, it's a learning experience about making the tough choice not to shoot when conditions are not right.

RE: Lost A Buck Tonight!
 

+1

RE: Lost A Buck Tonight!
 

Its story time from old Cayugad... :D

I was bow hunting one year and had a bad experience like yours. It was shoot a doe first season before we could harvest a buck. I was hunting a friends property (which was thick with does)which was next to a man who they said was NUTS and would shoot me if he caught me on his property. He hated hunters and especially those that shot does..

Well I was in the stand, it was about -10º and almost time to get out of the stand.I was all bundled up because of the cold (first mistake). A doe came in, I was not excited at all, but drew the bow, set the pin on her, hit the release, and I heard the string hit my jacket. And the arrow went spinning and took her too far back. I was sick. And off she ran, bleeding real well, and with snow on the ground tracking was easy.

Well she headed right for that sanctuary where the nut case lived.. So I knew I would not trespass his property, so I told my friend I was going up to his house and ask his permission. I was told I was nuts, let it go and shoot another one. He then was concerned that thenut would shoot me. I just laughed and walked up the road to his place (with no weapon).

He greeted me at the door in a rather unkind manner to say the least. I explained that I had hit a doe hard with an arrow, and it was running towards his property.I had not tracked it further when I saw where it was heading. He just stood there and stared at me. So I asked him if I could continue the search and if I had to go on his property to get the doe would I have his permission. He then started his rant about hunting and shooting doe.. So I finally said, look its your property, that's why I am here. I know you hate hunters, especially those that shoot does, but my freezer is empty and I want to recover a deer so it does not go to waste. You can let me on your property to find the deer, or I will just shoot another one tomorrow. Then two will be dead.

He kind of stammered around and invited me in for coffee. I told him thanks, but I really want to find the deer. So he told me to go ahead. So off I went. My friend was shocked that I was still alive.

Turns out, the deer turned and headed right back to where it was shot. I found her (still alive I might add) and recovered her. I then went back and told the NUT that I did not have to enter his property, told her what the deer did, but thanked him for his permission. His wife and him even invited me to dinner (which I refused).

I later took him a stick of venison salami I made. And now when we pass on the road we smile and wave...