Downed deer gets resurrected...
 

I'm up a tree in my climber, about 50 yards from river... and three big does walk right up to the tree. Not a runt in the line. I observe - they're all the same size, I decide to go with #2 - when #1 doe busted me as I shouldered rifle. They scattered - #1 runs up hill and stops to eyeball me, and BOOM I shoot her broadside. Big cloud of blackpowder smoke; it clears and she's down, lets out a very loud & pitiful BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHT a couple time, and that's it.


Well... the other two deer ran a few yards and stopped; I can barely see one through the trees. I'm watched them a moment, thinking, maybe I'll shoot TWO deer. So then I start to reload: pour in powder, start bullet in muzzle, pull out ramrod and ram bullet home... at this point, the down deer starts a-kicking. I'm surprised; more surprised, when she staggers to her feet and runs about five yards, falls again. Now I'm fumbling with primer... she runs a few more feet... falls... then runs a little half-circle, and down... then is off and out like a shot. I'm stunned. If I'd brought anything other than the muzzleloader, I could have gotten her a 2nd time.


Well... I finished loading... climb down from tree, walk to where she fell.Ground is stirred up, there's blood. Little more blood a few feet a away. Another hunter walks in at this point; we end up looking for that deer for two hours. No bloodtrail to follow, only found blood in a couple places where she'd fallen.


This hurts. She was hit with 240gr XTP, which has performed fine in the past; I'm guessing I didn't get into the lungs. A couple times while following trail, early on, we caught just a whiff of stomach. We looked hard - real hard - and couldn't find her. I wish I'd missed.
Only positive is, critters gotta eat, too - and they'll have a nice feast of my deer.

RE: Downed deer gets resurrected...
 

My guess is that you hit high. I've seen it happen several times when m/l hunters overestimate the distance/holdover and hit a deer high in the back. Not low enuff to break the back, but low enuff that the shock knocks the deer down stuns the animal. Usually, they are temporarily stunned by the blow, but gradually regain their senses. Then, they run forever. May even leave a pretty good blood trail.
I lost the first deer in the past 15 years last season because of a similar poor shot. Almost the same exact scenario.
I have also seen the results later when we put dogs on wounded deer to try to recover and eventually get them. Almost every time the deer is knocked down and then magically gets up and goes later, when we find them there is a very ugly, high back flesh wound.
The deer may survive, but you will probably never find it.
Hank

RE: Downed deer gets resurrected...
 

I believe you're right, ahankster. I'm about 99% sure Ihit right above backbone. Here's why: I was aiming for the high front shoulder this morning; you know what happened. When I got home for lunch,I walked back into woods behind house, and setup target at 60 yards. Got a rock-steady rest and fired one shot - bullet hit near 6" high. I'd adjusted last week; I think I had brainfade & adjusted up when I meant to adjust down. So when I shot for the high front shoulder this morning I suspectI hit the area right above spine. Just like you said - this hurt and stunned deer, but didn't destroy anything vital. Evidence?Little blood, and how the deer seemed to recover as time when. Anyhow ... I adjusted scope requisite clicks (it's 1/4" @ 100, just figured the diff for 60)- gave rifle a while to complete cool & swabbed/cleaned barrel, inorder toduplicate a cold barrel shot - and fired again. Bingo - 1" high at 60 now, windage was fine. Shots where I'm at are going to be not much more that 60 yards, all have been less, so far. I've got good confidence in the rifle & bullet - this is the first time I've hit one withmuzzleloader & lost it. Ijust have to put it in right spot.

RE: Downed deer gets resurrected...
 

Well Ive had something similar to this happen to me before.I had just got out to my place near Millican Texas.Well we parked the truck and just sat for about thirty minutes before 3 does walked up.Well I got my 7mmMag and shot one of the does at about 170 yards perfect heart shot(so I thought).Well we put the deer in the truck and headed home.Well before we got home to clean the deer,I stopped at the store to get something to drink.When I pulled up to the store,I looked in my rear view mirror and the doe was standing up looking dead at me!Talk about surprised.

RE: Downed deer gets resurrected...
 

I gotta hear the end of that story.
Did she jump out and run away?
Did you shoot her again in the parking lot?
..or did she fall over and make it easy?

RE: Downed deer gets resurrected...
 

man, you hit a deer with a .50cal 200+ grain sabot and it runs away after falling to the ground???? that is one tough cookie!!!!!

RE: Downed deer gets resurrected...
 

I shot a doe last year with my muzzelloader and it went strait down and started crawling on its fron legs because it couldent move its back legs then it just stoped moving and layddown soIwaited about 15 minutes and then reloaded mygun but when I was done reloading my gun I looked up and I couldent see her so I got down and couldent even find any blood very disipointing.

RE: Downed deer gets resurrected...
 

Icetrey, I wonder what anyone else at the store thought of the doe milling around in the back of your truck!

RE: Downed deer gets resurrected...
 

Shot a doe once high.(last year) Barely got the top of her lungs w/ .270.

Not a drop of blood anywhere. Kept looking where I knew she went. Kept looking, and looking, and looking. I knew I hit her.

Dad finally found her about 65 yds away in some REALLY thick stuff. There was a major blood pool where we found her. She had bled out inside, till she laid down.

RE: Downed deer gets resurrected...
 

I hit a deer one year at 300 yds. with my .308 and 150 gr core-lokt bullet. I knew i hit her as soon as I pulled the trigger and saw her jump straight up and take off running as soon as her feet hit the ground. My dad, long time hunting partner, and I decided to give her about 30 minutes before we went to track her. When we got to the site of impact, we found a large tuft of hair and a decent blood trail. We followed it into the woods and heard her jump up. After locating the area she ways laying at, i knew for sure she wouldn't be far past the blackberry patch we were in. Well we kept tracking her for about another 1/2 mile and the blood trail kept getting thinner and thinner until it lead to a seriously thick area. We were about to follow it around when we heard a shot. We followed after a while to the area of the shot and found a hunter dressing out a nice fat doe. He hit her directly through the heart and dropped her in the spot. I noticed she had another bullet hole approx 2" down from her backbone and just back of the lungs. I did get another doe later that day, but it just shows you how hearty these creatures are!