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lost a deer. what do you think?

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lost a deer. what do you think?

Old 12-21-2014, 05:22 AM
  #1  
Spike
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Default lost a deer. what do you think?

I shot a doe yesterday at about 50 yards. slightly quarrying away. I believe I hit shoulder blade but the reaction of the deer was impossible to see because of the smoke from the shot.

After the shot she went about 30 yards and stopped. She was partially blocked by a tree but it looked like she squatted a bit and I thought she was going down. One off the other 5 deer that was with her was standing there looking back at her. Then then just kind of went on their way. Not running and not walking. All the deer after the shot seemed confused as to where to go. They didn't take off the just scattered a little and then looked around like what was that?

I was shooting my .54 Renegade with 90 grains behind a patched round ball. I recovered the ball at the sight where I hit her along with some bone fragments. The larger piece of bone has a little lead imbedded on the back of it which tells me this is bone from the opposite side of the deer where the shot was taken.

I found blood splatter at the hit sight and followed fairly light blood drops for about 30 yards to where it looked like she squatted. At that point I found a large amount of blood. Then after that I could only find another speck or two of blood and that was it. It's like she disappeared.

The large spot of blood where she squatted came from standing there for not more that 15 seconds.

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No appearent bubbles in the blood.

Stayed int he stand for 25 minutes after the shoot. Searched the area for 3 hours after with negative results.

Do you think she's dead?

Also found hair at the shot sight. Seemed more white/light brown than anything. about 1.5 inches long.
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Old 12-21-2014, 06:22 AM
  #2  
Typical Buck
 
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That bone fragment reminds me of that knob at their "elbow".

While this has happened to some of us*, it is disconcerting; I shot a doe with my .54 Renegade using the same load one time with similar results-shoulder hit, lotta blood, never went down.

After waiting 10 min since I was so sure of the shot, I began tracking only to watch the other does in her group nudge her on whenever she stopped...they eventually crossed property lines and went into a very large, very dense swamp. I tracked until totally losing the trail, maybe 3/4 mile or so total.

Game animals can take a hit.

*edited to reflect that some, not all ( & especially not muley), hunters have lost a deer.

Last edited by ModernPrimitive; 12-21-2014 at 07:25 AM.
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Old 12-21-2014, 06:23 AM
  #3  
Nontypical Buck
 
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Yep, dead deer out there today, likely due to blood loss.
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Old 12-21-2014, 06:23 AM
  #4  
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Not only do I think she's dead but not too far away. That bone could be rib bone also. Deer are amazing creatures. Even mortally wounded I have seem them do some incredible distances before expiring. But I would start walking large circles out there if you find no fresh track.
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Old 12-21-2014, 06:40 AM
  #5  
Boone & Crockett
 
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Not only do I think she's dead but not too far away.

i agree with cayugad. Start walking in ever increasing circles until the deer is found.
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Old 12-21-2014, 06:52 AM
  #6  
Giant Nontypical
 
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Originally Posted by ModernPrimitive
While this has happened to us all, it is disconcerting;
A bold statement that has always rubbed me the wrong way. Take a poll, and if everybody is honest, you'll see how many hunters have never lost an animal.
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Old 12-21-2014, 07:08 AM
  #7  
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Originally Posted by Muley Hunter
A bold statement that has always rubbed me the wrong way. Take a poll, and if everybody is honest, you'll see how many hunters have never lost an animal.
"rubbed you the wrong way"

I don't understand.

I am saying anyone who hunts has lost an animal and describing my similar such loss;though (hopefully) not a regular occurrence, it is still a disconcerting one, at least it is for me.

What, exactly, are you saying?
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Old 12-21-2014, 07:09 AM
  #8  
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Given that you didn't knock her down, and she didn't tear out of there hobbled up... my guess is brisket. If it hit the elbow, I think it would have penetrated the chest. Possibly your shot was farther forward than you hoped. A brisket shot will bleed initially decent, then peter out. Typically they won't die from a brisket shot unless infection sets in... because no vitals are hit.

I'm quite surprised you found the ball... that's gotta be some long odds to find it at the point of impact. Strange.

Edit:
I just re-read your post....the only other thing I can think.... possibly you hit her far back and hit the last rib on the way out. ? That would explain the hunching/squatting. The only time I've seen a deer do that is when they are gut shot... they typically don't go far initially and hunch up. Then the intestines plug the holes, and blood is almost non existent as it pools up inside. They usually don't go far though and lay down. Since you didn't notice that you jumped her when you started looking, who knows for sure.

One of those two is my guess.

Last edited by WV Hunter; 12-21-2014 at 07:12 AM.
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Old 12-21-2014, 07:10 AM
  #9  
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Originally Posted by ModernPrimitive
"rubbed you the wrong way"

I don't understand.

I am saying anyone who hunts has lost an animal and describing my similar such loss;though (hopefully) not a regular occurrence, it is still a disconcerting one, at least it is for me.

What, exactly, are you saying?
I'm saying not all hunters have lost animals. You're making an assumption that because you've lost an animal that everybody must have.
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Old 12-21-2014, 07:15 AM
  #10  
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Originally Posted by Muley Hunter
A bold statement that has always rubbed me the wrong way. Take a poll, and if everybody is honest, you'll see how many hunters have never lost an animal.
I've lost several over my hunting career... not proud of it, but certainly not ashamed. I've also killed a ton, so the % is low on losses.
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