Buck Down in Nebraska
 

So I shot a 4x4 at 200 yds, uphill, this evening around 5 pm. He ran about 75 yds (put another bullet in him on the run) and laid down in the field. I gave him 15-20 minutes with his head laying on the ground pointed away from me with no movement, when I decided to get out of my ground blind. Well, this was the wrong move! He gets up and does the run where he falls on his face, gets up, and repeats for about 100+ yds back up into his bedding pines.

It got dark on me, and without much moonlight, or a good spotlights, I couldn't do much in the thick pines. So, I left him for tomorrow morning.

I'm shooting a 25-06, 120 grain load, as it has done great for me in the past. The buck did the gimpy run where he could take some steps, then falls forward on his face, then struggles to get up. I know it is hard to tell, but did I just nick a vital or does that shot sound pretty fatal?!?!?! I know the first shot was solid and figure the second was decent as it knocked him down, but where the heck did I go wrong on this one?

First time I've had to leave a deer overnight and track the next morning, so I am anxious. I have bigger mounted on my wall, but I just feel crappy leaving the deer out there and the suffering bugs me a touch. Hey, I know it's part of the territory that comes with being a hunter, but dammit, I would rather have that buck just drop dead from one solid shot!

I do take some solace in the fact that he went back to the bedding area, which I am hoping will keep the coyotes away.

Any thoughts or advice? I feel pretty confident I will find him as I found a huge puddle of blood where he laid in the field. Just can't understand how he could go 200+ yds after taking a chest shot!

Thanks for the help, advice, stories, etc.

Not sure what to think on that deal.. Hope you find him and let me/us know where your shots were. Only thing i'm thinking is maybe a high lung shot where the lungs are thinner and it will take them longer to die. Almost sounds like you got to far forward on the chest in the brisket area and maybe a shot towards the gut or liver if you hit him twice. I'm curious to know where you hit him. Good luck finding him....

First entry was through the left front upper leg, through the chest, and out the other front leg. Broke the shoulder on the front left leg and shattered the upper leg bone in the other front leg. Second shot was on the back end of the lungs. He didn't make it far from my last spot, it was just in some heavy pines. With night fall and virtually no moon, the flashlights didn't help too much.

Definitely had some ground shrinkage too, but that's ok. Unfortunately, the coyotes got to him first and ate the back half off, so there is basically nothing to salvage.

Sounds like your bullet did the job and so did you. Some deer are tougher than others and it doesn't always have to be about size. Lung shots are funny they can drop a deer and some just drown in the blood as the minutes tick by. Cutting through both sholders usually is a sure thing for dropping a deer. But that deer proved us wrong on that thought. What kind of bullet did you use. Did it mushroom did it go straight through with out a mushroom. You could ponder these questions all day long. Great that you got your deer and any deer recovered is a trophy.