Tough situation, tougher ending. What would you have done?
11-15-2010, 07:15 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Virginia
Posts: 1,473
Tough situation, tougher ending. What would you have done?
I’m all excited to post about my first muzzleloader kill ever (great experience), but I want to post pics with it and need to wait for my buddy to email them to me. So, I’m going to post regarding my second kill this past weekend, which was not so great of an experience.
I was hunting up at my buddy’s dad’s farm in the mountains of Virginia, and I was situated near the top of the mountain, looking over a nice slope where you could see pretty far. I heard movement to my right but couldn’t see through the trees. I heard it start to go back up the mountain and come in behind me, so I turned prone to wait for a deer to pop up on this flat area near the ridge. Sure enough out comes this big doe standing broadside at 50 yards, but I didn’t have a shot yet (obstructions). The sun was beaming right on me like a spotlight from the south, and she could see me. I waited for her to continue on before moving my gun, which must have been glimmering in the light. She began to move, so I brought the crosshairs up behind her shoulder and fired. She went right down, but I could no longer see her because she was hidden behind some rocks.
As I started to reload, I heard movement from her direction, so I assumed she was still alive. I climbed up the mountain so as to circle in behind her. When I got up high enough, I started moving in her direction, and then I spotted her, just 10 yards below me, still moving slightly. It was then I discovered that she wasn’t a she; I had shot a button buck. Somehow the perspective I had from below him caused me to misjudge the size of the animal. At any rate, I needed to finish him off. I was not in a position for him to make visual contact with me, and I wanted to keep it that way just in case he was able to flee at the sight of me. The angle I had at the moment only allowed a head or neck shot, so I aimed for the neck and fired.
He was STILL alive.
I didn’t know what to do, but at this point I figured there was no way he was going to get up, so I went moved 10 yards back down the mountain to him. Turns out that I MISSED the second shot. I have never fired my muzzleloader at that distance, so I figured when taking the shot that I should aim two inches low. I guess that wasn’t low enough because it looked to me like the shot still went over him. It also turns out that although I could have SWORN my crosshairs were behind his shoulder during my FIRST shot, I actually hit him in the neck. I have gone over this 100 times in my head and I cannot fathom how this happened. Not that neck shots are bad shots, I just wasn’t aiming there!
So, here’s where the “What would you have done?” comes into play. This is your CURRENT scenario that you cannot alter in any way: You’re next to this dying fawn (who is NOT going anywhere), you’ve blown your follow up shot, and you discover you left your knife on your utility belt 50 yards down the mountain. It will take you AT LEAST another 5 minutes to climb down to your gear to get a knife (or another load if that’s your preference) and get back to the deer.
I will finish the story with what I actually did in a bit. I am just really curious to know what y’all would have done.
Two big errors on my part were leaving my knife behind and not knowing my precise POI at such a short range. I now know the importance of this knowing short-range POI. As for leaving the knife behind, you have to realize that I hiked up the mountain will ALL my gear (packed heavy clothing, etc) on the utility belt and suspenders. When I got to the “spot”, the utility belt came off. In the heat of the moment, I just forgot to grab the knife off the belt. I wasn’t planning on gutting the deer on the spot, so I probably subconsciously though I didn’t need it since I had the second load in.
I know some of you think I must be a terrible shot, but I assure you that I can shoot straight, as evidenced by my kill the previous day (140 yards, no rest, perfect heart/lungs shot squeezed between a 6-inch gap in the trees).
The lesson here is for me to take a deep breath after the shot to gather my wits before proceeding to the next step. Be prepared, and then some; it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!!
I was hunting up at my buddy’s dad’s farm in the mountains of Virginia, and I was situated near the top of the mountain, looking over a nice slope where you could see pretty far. I heard movement to my right but couldn’t see through the trees. I heard it start to go back up the mountain and come in behind me, so I turned prone to wait for a deer to pop up on this flat area near the ridge. Sure enough out comes this big doe standing broadside at 50 yards, but I didn’t have a shot yet (obstructions). The sun was beaming right on me like a spotlight from the south, and she could see me. I waited for her to continue on before moving my gun, which must have been glimmering in the light. She began to move, so I brought the crosshairs up behind her shoulder and fired. She went right down, but I could no longer see her because she was hidden behind some rocks.
As I started to reload, I heard movement from her direction, so I assumed she was still alive. I climbed up the mountain so as to circle in behind her. When I got up high enough, I started moving in her direction, and then I spotted her, just 10 yards below me, still moving slightly. It was then I discovered that she wasn’t a she; I had shot a button buck. Somehow the perspective I had from below him caused me to misjudge the size of the animal. At any rate, I needed to finish him off. I was not in a position for him to make visual contact with me, and I wanted to keep it that way just in case he was able to flee at the sight of me. The angle I had at the moment only allowed a head or neck shot, so I aimed for the neck and fired.
He was STILL alive.
I didn’t know what to do, but at this point I figured there was no way he was going to get up, so I went moved 10 yards back down the mountain to him. Turns out that I MISSED the second shot. I have never fired my muzzleloader at that distance, so I figured when taking the shot that I should aim two inches low. I guess that wasn’t low enough because it looked to me like the shot still went over him. It also turns out that although I could have SWORN my crosshairs were behind his shoulder during my FIRST shot, I actually hit him in the neck. I have gone over this 100 times in my head and I cannot fathom how this happened. Not that neck shots are bad shots, I just wasn’t aiming there!
So, here’s where the “What would you have done?” comes into play. This is your CURRENT scenario that you cannot alter in any way: You’re next to this dying fawn (who is NOT going anywhere), you’ve blown your follow up shot, and you discover you left your knife on your utility belt 50 yards down the mountain. It will take you AT LEAST another 5 minutes to climb down to your gear to get a knife (or another load if that’s your preference) and get back to the deer.
I will finish the story with what I actually did in a bit. I am just really curious to know what y’all would have done.
Two big errors on my part were leaving my knife behind and not knowing my precise POI at such a short range. I now know the importance of this knowing short-range POI. As for leaving the knife behind, you have to realize that I hiked up the mountain will ALL my gear (packed heavy clothing, etc) on the utility belt and suspenders. When I got to the “spot”, the utility belt came off. In the heat of the moment, I just forgot to grab the knife off the belt. I wasn’t planning on gutting the deer on the spot, so I probably subconsciously though I didn’t need it since I had the second load in.
I know some of you think I must be a terrible shot, but I assure you that I can shoot straight, as evidenced by my kill the previous day (140 yards, no rest, perfect heart/lungs shot squeezed between a 6-inch gap in the trees).
The lesson here is for me to take a deep breath after the shot to gather my wits before proceeding to the next step. Be prepared, and then some; it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!!
11-15-2010, 08:16 AM
#2
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
Well you have a wounded deer on the ground and no knife handy (has happened to me) to finish him off. Since the horns are not a factor, I would have brain panned him. What I mean is... Just shoot him in the back of the head so it did not ruin any meat. I know it will make a terrible mess, but it is a humane way to end it for him. Besides the neck is already ruined. So you just drag them out by the back legs instead.
11-15-2010, 09:18 AM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Montana
Posts: 151
Back up, let him bleed out without pushing him or stressing him or, if you are really savage, big ole rock to the head. Won't kill him but could knock him out.
You said he was not going anywhere so, I assume you mean his spine was broken and he was paralysed from that point back.
Regardless of what's happened at that point, you don't have what you need to put him down so, if you didn't choose the big ole rock method (tough to do) you have to get what you need.
So the choise becomes try to knock him in the head to put him out while you go get your stuff or go get your stuff and leave him be. Tough position to be in.
You said he was not going anywhere so, I assume you mean his spine was broken and he was paralysed from that point back.
Regardless of what's happened at that point, you don't have what you need to put him down so, if you didn't choose the big ole rock method (tough to do) you have to get what you need.
So the choise becomes try to knock him in the head to put him out while you go get your stuff or go get your stuff and leave him be. Tough position to be in.
11-15-2010, 09:46 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Northern Chautauqua Co. N.Y.
Posts: 2,976
I would have ran like hell to get another shot and returned and shot him right in the head or neck at close rang to end it. Never let the Deer succomb to his wound and die it could take a long time, finish him off as soon as possible, it's the only thing to do.
(BP)
(BP)
11-15-2010, 09:52 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Virginia
Posts: 1,473
TOTALLY agree with that, BP.
11-15-2010, 09:54 AM
#8
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
About six years ago I had a similar situation with a medium size doe. Long story, but basically I left the knife back at camp and somehow lost my two speedloaders at some point during the hunt. I ended up using my drag rope to make a loop around her neck just below the head and pulled it as tight as I could. It wasn't pleasant, but went quick.
11-15-2010, 10:05 AM
#9
Typical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Lake Saint Louis MO
Posts: 723
I was hunting up at my buddy’s dad’s farm in the mountains of Virginia, and I was situated near the top of the mountain, looking over a nice slope where you could see pretty far. I heard movement to my right but couldn’t see through the trees. I heard it start to go back up the mountain and come in behind me, so I turned prone to wait for a deer to pop up on this flat area near the ridge. Sure enough out comes this big doe standing broadside at 50 yards, but I didn’t have a shot yet (obstructions). The sun was beaming right on me like a spotlight from the south, and she could see me. I waited for her to continue on before moving my gun, which must have been glimmering in the light. She began to move, so I brought the crosshairs up behind her shoulder and fired. She went right down, but I could no longer see her because she was hidden behind some rocks.
Problem #2 You also said the sun was beaming on you and you still could put the crosshairs on her, make the shot and she is now behind rocks?
Your biggest problem was not the neck shot but not identifying your game which could cost you plenty. If you shoot a buck and only are hunting a doe only area or vice versa. With the sun and obstructions I would have let it cross past you so you would not have delt with those issues of the sun and rocks. If the shot is not there then don't take it by all means. Folks get killed every year by folks shooting at noises they heard or what they thought to be an animal.
Just my 2 cents. A message like that is a life lesson but please don't post it hear. Too many anti gun hunters read this and use it for ammo against what we all beleive in.
11-15-2010, 10:14 AM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Nashville, Ohio
Posts: 1,109
That is a very tough situation to be in. Every hunter will eventually be faced with this scenario. The first deer that I shot with a muzzy left me with this scenario, or rather my shot left me with it. The doe presented a shot at a steep downhill angle and I did not account for it. I spined her her just behind the front shoulders, leaving her paralyzed from that point on. I was 13 and had never encountered this before. My Granddad was with me and told me that i had to finish what i started and had me reload. He told me to shoot her just like we did with the beef cattle (right in the back of the head).
The second and the last time that I was presented with this problem I was 17. I was in your exact situation this time. I left my gun at the top of the ravine, the deer had fallen into this steep ditch and was paralyzed from the neck down. I could find no way to get to her with my gun so I went down without it. Once to the bottom I realized my knife was in my pack that also held my gun. Not wanting to climb back up the ravine I decided that I would do without it.
NOTICE: I will never do this again, I got no satisfaction from it and it is not a fond memory.
I broke her neck after a time of trying to figure out how. It was not humane and it wasn't quick so I wont go into detail. I do not claim to be manly because of this, I claim to be stupid and learned from this mistake. It is what I consider my biggest failure as a hunter. It makes me sick to even think about. If I were to do it over, I would have sucked it up and went and got my knife.
The second and the last time that I was presented with this problem I was 17. I was in your exact situation this time. I left my gun at the top of the ravine, the deer had fallen into this steep ditch and was paralyzed from the neck down. I could find no way to get to her with my gun so I went down without it. Once to the bottom I realized my knife was in my pack that also held my gun. Not wanting to climb back up the ravine I decided that I would do without it.
NOTICE: I will never do this again, I got no satisfaction from it and it is not a fond memory.
I broke her neck after a time of trying to figure out how. It was not humane and it wasn't quick so I wont go into detail. I do not claim to be manly because of this, I claim to be stupid and learned from this mistake. It is what I consider my biggest failure as a hunter. It makes me sick to even think about. If I were to do it over, I would have sucked it up and went and got my knife.