davidhardegree

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

gamehunter1269

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

Double Creek

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

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.

adams

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

Hitch

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.

GR8atta2d

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!

Lefty26

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.

michigandrake

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.

Rob/PA Bowyer

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.

Wolf killer

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.