Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

One of my biggest fears is not snakes or falling from a stand. It is approaching a downed deer that you knew was dead from the result of a fatal shot. I've heard stories of deer that were down, but not dead. And all of a sudden the deer would attack the hunter trying to defend itself.

I've only had one experience nearly similar. On one of my first hunts as a boy my uncle shot a doe. We loaded on the back of the 4-wheeler and tied her down. Half way back home on the ATV the deer started moaning. You talk about scared. Boy, I stomped on the brake pedal with my foot and jumped off. I know they have sharp hooves and I didn't want to take a chance. My uncle and I didn't quite know what to do (he's only a few years older than I am). We of coarse couldn't shoot the animal again. We had her tied on the 4-wheeler. We wound up putting a blade to her neck. It was the most tramatic thing I've ever been apart of (I hate to see a deer suffer due to an ill placed shot), but sometimes it happens.

Have any of you had any instances where the deer wasn't completely expired or heard of anything like mentioned above with deer being aggressive toward a hunter in defense of itself?

David

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

I cant say thats ever happpend to me but that is one thing that i would hate happending to me

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

I wouldn't worry too much about being attacked by a deer:D

But, I have seen 2 instances where "dead" deer came back to life.

One was a doe my Dad shot in texas. The deer was recovered and loaded into the truck. On the way back to camp, the deer jumped out of the truck as was standing in the middle of the road. They stopped, shot it again, and took it on to camp.

The other was a buck that had been shot low in the leg with 300mag. We tracked the buck for almost a mile and then found him lying flat on his side with his head on the ground. All indications were that he was dead. When we reached down to grab his horns, he jumped and hauled butt. Scared us to death!!! We finally recovered that deer about a mile later.

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

I always approach a downed deer from it's back side. I take a long stick and poke it in the butt. If it's jello I get right to work dressing it out and then draging out of the woods. If it's not dead it will be tense. The only time I've ever had a deer down in front of me that wasn't dead was a small spine shot doe. She layed there playing possum until she was poked and then she started thrashing to try and get up. One through the bolier room finnished her off but I could see how it could be dangerous.

Approach with caution and you should be okay. oh. sstay away from the hoves and antlers. The both are lethal;)

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

Reminds me of a story written in the Wisconsin Outdoor Journal years back. It was opening day of deer gun season, and a hunter watched with amazement when a buck ran past his stand with a 30-30 lever-action nestled in his antlers. It wasn't long before the real owner of the gun came through looking for the deer and the gun. He had shot the deer and put the rifle in the antlers for a picture. Word is that niether the deer or the rifle were ever found.

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

I almost lost my biggest buck this way. I was rifle hunting opening day of Pa season 2002. I had seen several bucks but was waiting on a wall hanger. I had seen one early in the morning but he was trailing a spike and a sixpoint. As luck would have it the big buck stopped behind a tree and the spike got too close to me and spooked the other 2 bucks. I passed on the improbable running shot and stayed on stand hoping for another opportunity. That chance came about 2 hours later when i saw a monster (i think the same bigger buck from earlier) sneaking down the bench quartering away from me. He was walking fast but not running. I found an opening waited for the shot and Boom..the 7mm roared. The Buck turned back up the hill..Boom.. old betsy roared again. The buck went straight down. I moved cautiously towards the buck in the dense forest. I got within 50 yards leaned against a tree and watched the buck through the scope. No movement, It's head was down. I watched for what I thought was enough time to confirm that it was over. As i approached the deer he took off up the hill out of sight. My heart dropped. In Pa there is a over 1 million hunters that hit the woods opening day. I just knew there would be another shot as someone claimed my buck of a lifetime. Luckily he went just over the hill and expired. Whew. That last bit of adreline can make them do crazy things!

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

A couple years ago a friend of mine shot a big buck in ML season, the buck dropped dead in its tracks. He ran up to it, grabbed its horns and was yelling caused he killed a monster, well that old buck jumped right back up and took off with my buddy in tow, drug him about 30 feet before he fell off. It was the funniest thing I have ever seen in my life. Luckily no one was hurt, you have to be careful and make sure its dead or things can get scary.

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

I have never had a deer come back to life on me, but I remember several stories about hunters having to fend of deer after the suposed kill shot.

The only way I know to tell for sure if an animal is dead it to touch its eye....if it blinks it is still alive.

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

When I watch the hunting shows on television I always find it rediculous when people walk up and poke the deer in the hinds....that's not telling you anything....if you want to check, poke the deer in the eye. If it still has life in it, the eyes will react...the hinds tell you nothing.

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

I had a Whitetail doe drop in her tracks at the shot from my 7mm-STW. She jumped up & ran when I got about 20-yards from her. She fell over dead after she ran for about 40-yards. I just got my crosshairs on her & was ready to take a second shot when she fell over dead, for real that time.

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

OK, You pulled the trigger, the deer is down. The game isn't over. Now is the time for discipline and prudence. You should have jacked another shell in immediately after pulling the trigger and secured the gun on safe. If bowhunting, you should be waiting anyway. When you find your deer, walk slowly to it. Approach from the rear. Stand near the deer for a few moments and just watch it. If it is still alive, and you pay attention, you will see some movement in the chest at some point. If after a couple of minutes you see NO movement, move around to the head and touch it's eye with a stick. If you can indent the eye and no blinking occurs, it is dead. One reliable indication of deadness is if the eye is open and no blinking occurs for several minutes. If the eye is closed, watch your a$$. Deer seldom close their eyes completely when dead.

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

Never had one come back to life after field dressing it.

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

If the eyes are closed, it's alive, if they're open, poke one with the broadhead, if it blinks, it's alive. The blinking is a reflex, and if it doesn't happen, you can be sure it's dead.

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

My neighbor told me the same thing about the eyes being closed. I've never experienced a downed deer with eyes closed. they've all been open.

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

Reminds me of the story I heard last year where the Som shot his first buck and and hollered for his dad. Attached the deer drag to his harness to start pulling towards his dads stand when the deer decided it had had enough of the sled ride and started to pull back a bit:D Took the youngster on 40 yard "Dirt Ski" ride.

Luckily the buck ran right by the father and he got a hold of the starap and slowed it long enoug to cut his son free.

I bet they both make sure now;)

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

I have to agree on the eys closed tip.
I once shot a buck that went down out of sight. When I approached it it was facing me with its head on its front legs much like a dog would lie down.
At first I thought that it had died in that resting position but immediately noticed the eyes were closed. I have never seen any deer that I killed die with its eyes closed. Almost all had their eyes open and tongue out.
I watched this deer from a distance for about 10 seconds and noticed that he did take one breath in that time. As soon as I saw his chest rise I drilled him with another round head on at the top of his body where the neck meets the spine.
He rolled over let out a huge gasp and his eyes opened and mouth went slack.
NEVER assume that a downed animal is dead!

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

yup sounds an awfull lot like my first year riffle hunting way up north... opening day im riding along with my uncle in his truck when out of no where a buck jumps out of the woods right in the way. after a few moments to recover from the impact we threw it in th eback of teh truck... this truck had a cap on it. about two miles down the road and almost to the hunting spot the sun was rising legal shooting time. all of a sudden there arose a clatter, pure commotion coming from the back of the truck. my uncle threw the truck in park, grabbed the riffle from behind the seat and told me to open the tail gate and get off to one side. after asking him if he was clinically insane, and argueing for a few seconds i did it. that deer coudlnt ahve bolted faster, nearly knocked me down as i spun around i cought my self on the side of the truck only in time to hear the boom of the 300 mag and look up to see my uncle packing the gun back into the truck. he turns to me and says "TIME TO EARN YOUR KEEP BOY!" after that i always make damn sure they are dead before i touch em!:D

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

just reminds me of the scene from Tommy Boy when they load the "dead" deer in the backseat.....................lol

---Richard's car is destroyed by a deer---
Richard Hayden : No way that just happened.
Tommy : I've seen some crazy stuff in my time, but that... was... AWESOME. Oh, sorry about your car, man.




seriously, i would imagine this happens at one time or another to all deer hunters....................

.................................the answer is: always be ready to take a follow-up shot at a second's notice

unless you're planning to have the deer mounted, i would cut the jugular before transporting the carcass (messy, but then you know the critters dead)...
(actually, i usually field dress deer before trying to move the animal -- added benefit is decreasing the weight you will be draging to nearest pick-up location)....

as with many "phobias", your intentions are good, you just need to pre-plan how you will handle the situation before you have to actually deal with it..... good luck!




for $2500 the actual deer from the movie can be yours: [link]http://www.starticles.com/movies/tommyboy.html[/link]

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

I honestly thought everyone knew about the open eye poke with a stick thing.

That's the ONLY way I know of, and the ONLY way I've ever heard of anyone checking a downed deer.

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

exactely, if its alive it will blink.

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

A frind of mine shot a real nice buck with a ML. He rattled and grunted it in, and this buck was looking for a fight. He didn't hit it very well on the first shot, knocked it down but it was getting up while he reloaded. Shot it again as it was moving away. The deer bolted at the shot and made a wide arc, back towards him while he reloaded again. The deer dropped within sight. He walked up to it, approaching the head and antlers. He thought it had to be dead, and got too close. The deer hooked its antler on the his ankle and dumped him as it got up again. Shot #3 put him down for good. That deer went 218 field dressed.

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

I've always approached the downed deer carefully--even when I'm sure it's dead. I've also ALWAYS touched the eye to make sure.

I would NEVER have a dead deer loaded in my vehicle get up and raise havoc though--they have all been field dressed and their heart is with the rest or their organs in the gut pile.

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

30 years of hunting, and you find out there is so much to learn. Jeez, it never locked into my brain about the eyes closed, always right in front of me (2+2=4, stupid)

thanks for the tip
The Trashcanman

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

a couple of my childhood friends, to protect the guilty we'll call them billy and bobby, caught a buck swimming a creek, you've got to remember this was late 60's early 70's, well they took one of those old aluminum boat paddles and whacked the deer between the ears, the thing went stiff-legged like a fainting goat, they drug the buck into the flat-bottom and are paddling down this creek thinking there dad is going to be so proud. do you know what a deers hooves sound like on the bottom of a flat-bottom, i don't either but both brothers assured me its not a sound you'll want to hear or that you'll soon forget[:-]. well billy dove out the back, bobby went out the front , the flat-bottom continued down the creek, in bobby's words with the buck standing there looking out, the boat runs up against the bank and the buck walks onto the bank like nothing ever happened. i don't know how much of this story is true but both brothers tell it the same, but i cannot imagine a deer standing up in that boat, funny story anyway...

by the way this deer was squinting(sp) so always check the eyes, like someone else said, i don't know what good checking a hind quarter would do, if the deer comes back to life i'd say it would for sure mean a change of undergarments, and maybe a tenderized hind quarter

RE: Is it dead? Are you sure?
 

Check the eyes! Dead deer do not have their eyes closed. Approach it from its back and touch the eyeball. They will flinch and you will know!