What happened to my buck? Please read(Update Pg.2)
11-23-2007, 08:55 AM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Navasota Texas
Posts: 854
What happened to my buck? Please read(Update Pg.2)
Well yesterday morning i was on stand and had 5 does came by early which kept me optimistic. I had shot a good 8(see "Got one") th evning before and it was the coldest its been this year. At about 7:20 i see a little buck, probly fork horn or so so i moved down to the creek and cam out the other side to a field where deer had been coming from in hunts past. So im glassing and i see a big doe about 200 yards away. So i continue to glass for other deer and see a BIG deer on the fence line close to her. So i look and hes a tall and thick 7 or 8, never saw points good i just knew he was a shooter. So i have nothing to shoot off of and i know this would be tough free handing him so i creep about 50 yards to a yopan thick with and old oak going through so i crawl down go under the thorns and set up put it right and his shoulder and let it go.
Heres the odd part. He stands on his back legs with his front in the air stiff, then as he is falling he goes on his left side and hits the dirt kicking. He ended up sliding about 20 feet on the ground then he quit moving. The reason i know because he quit kicking up grass. So i wne tto my stand, got the rest of my stuff and my dad picked me up and we drove over there. What did we find, NOTHING. No blood, which doesnt surprise me with the kind of grass, which makes no tracks visible, but NO DEER. We searched the neighboring fencelines looking for where he might have gone, but found nothing for sure.
So what do you all think happened. I went hunting yesterday and saw a few doe but no buzzards or anything. We'll be heading out this evening. By the way i watched in his area for about 20 seconds after i shot. There was a high spot in the field which allowed me not to see him
Heres the odd part. He stands on his back legs with his front in the air stiff, then as he is falling he goes on his left side and hits the dirt kicking. He ended up sliding about 20 feet on the ground then he quit moving. The reason i know because he quit kicking up grass. So i wne tto my stand, got the rest of my stuff and my dad picked me up and we drove over there. What did we find, NOTHING. No blood, which doesnt surprise me with the kind of grass, which makes no tracks visible, but NO DEER. We searched the neighboring fencelines looking for where he might have gone, but found nothing for sure.
So what do you all think happened. I went hunting yesterday and saw a few doe but no buzzards or anything. We'll be heading out this evening. By the way i watched in his area for about 20 seconds after i shot. There was a high spot in the field which allowed me not to see him
11-23-2007, 09:14 AM
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 721
RE: What happened to my buck? Please read
Sounds like a nicked spine shot. Your gave him a "stinger" which put him down momentarily, then as he got the feeling back, he ran off. May not be a dead deer, but I'd do a thorough search.
11-23-2007, 09:56 AM
#4
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Navasota Texas
Posts: 854
RE: What happened to my buck? Please read
ORIGINAL: DropTine249
Definetly hit him !!!
What round are you using ? No blood isnt a good sign. The entry/exit holes may have plugged up a bit. My guess is that he is down in some tall, thick grass. Id scoar the area again, and again, and again. You owe it to that animal !!!
You sure your neighbor didnt take him ?
With the description of his actions after you shot, he HAS to be dead. This is strange. Id just keep looking, maybe you were in the wrong spot.
Check this out:
Last night, I ranged some strees, stuck my buck at 33yards, PERFECT entry. I get down and look for blood. My arrow hit offside shoulder an was still in him as he ran off, so I didnt expect to find alot of blood. I found like a few little drops. I was worried. I looked and looked.I could see the trail he took when he ran away, so I tought. Im heading to the truck, walking away and I happen to look down and find GREAT BLOOD !!
I was positive that I knew the trail that he took when he ran. However, I was wrong, the trail i was looking at that his trail in, remember, bucks drag their feet to conserve energy, so its easy to see where they walked. After all that worrying and searching, I was a few yards off. I wouldnt have went back until this morning, had I not found that blood.
So, where you THINK he/sign should be, may infact be a few yards off, give or take. Made the difference in me retrieving my buck last night or this morning !!
Definetly hit him !!!
What round are you using ? No blood isnt a good sign. The entry/exit holes may have plugged up a bit. My guess is that he is down in some tall, thick grass. Id scoar the area again, and again, and again. You owe it to that animal !!!
You sure your neighbor didnt take him ?
With the description of his actions after you shot, he HAS to be dead. This is strange. Id just keep looking, maybe you were in the wrong spot.
Check this out:
Last night, I ranged some strees, stuck my buck at 33yards, PERFECT entry. I get down and look for blood. My arrow hit offside shoulder an was still in him as he ran off, so I didnt expect to find alot of blood. I found like a few little drops. I was worried. I looked and looked.I could see the trail he took when he ran away, so I tought. Im heading to the truck, walking away and I happen to look down and find GREAT BLOOD !!
I was positive that I knew the trail that he took when he ran. However, I was wrong, the trail i was looking at that his trail in, remember, bucks drag their feet to conserve energy, so its easy to see where they walked. After all that worrying and searching, I was a few yards off. I wouldnt have went back until this morning, had I not found that blood.
So, where you THINK he/sign should be, may infact be a few yards off, give or take. Made the difference in me retrieving my buck last night or this morning !!
11-23-2007, 10:36 AM
#6
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Big Sky Country
Posts: 100
RE: What happened to my buck? Please read
It is my experience you hit him high, just below the spine. The deer falls down and then gets up and runs away when you collect your gear. No blood to follow. I would get some help and follow all the possible trails. I would bet he ran to water if there is any nearby. MV out!
11-23-2007, 10:55 AM
#7
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 71
RE: What happened to my buck? Please read
Sounds like something that happened to me. I hit a buck and knocked him slap down a couple of years ago, he was down below a rise so I couldn't follow with a second shot. I could see his head coming up and down and could tell he was crawling off, got out of the stand to try and get a 2nd shot just in time to see him stand up and run off. I could see blood on his back up high above the spine, very little blood on the ground and no blood trail. I looked for that buck for three days it was the last thing I thought about every night for days and days, felt terrible to lose him. I was sitting on the same stand during spike and doe only period at the end of the season and he walked out of the brush in front of me, I could see scabs on both sides of his backstrap, it was a load off to know he was still kicking. So maybe your deer is still out there healing up.
11-23-2007, 10:57 AM
#8
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Navasota Texas
Posts: 854
RE: What happened to my buck? Please read
ORIGINAL: jkelly
Sounds like something that happened to me. I hit a buck and knocked him slap down a couple of years ago, he was down below a rise so I couldn't follow with a second shot. I could see his head coming up and down and could tell he was crawling off, got out of the stand to try and get a 2nd shot just in time to see him stand up and run off. I could see blood on his back up high above the spine, very little blood on the ground and no blood trail. I looked for that buck for three days it was the last thing I thought about every night for days and days, felt terrible to lose him. I was sitting on the same stand during spike and doe only period at the end of the season and he walked out of the brush in front of me, I could see scabs on both sides of his backstrap, it was a load off to know he was still kicking. So maybe your deer is still out there healing up.
Sounds like something that happened to me. I hit a buck and knocked him slap down a couple of years ago, he was down below a rise so I couldn't follow with a second shot. I could see his head coming up and down and could tell he was crawling off, got out of the stand to try and get a 2nd shot just in time to see him stand up and run off. I could see blood on his back up high above the spine, very little blood on the ground and no blood trail. I looked for that buck for three days it was the last thing I thought about every night for days and days, felt terrible to lose him. I was sitting on the same stand during spike and doe only period at the end of the season and he walked out of the brush in front of me, I could see scabs on both sides of his backstrap, it was a load off to know he was still kicking. So maybe your deer is still out there healing up.
11-23-2007, 01:56 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: North Central Iowa
Posts: 1,642
RE: What happened to my buck? Please read
I bet you dont go get your stuff before making sure your deer is dead. Good lesson to learn. Good Luck finding him. I agree on some sort of spine shot. When I spined a doe she reared up and went down like you said, but she didnt get up.
11-23-2007, 02:21 PM
#10
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location:
Posts: 819
RE: What happened to my buck? Please read
Did you shoot him in the shoulder or behind the shoulder? I hit an antelope once at about 375 yards and I hit him square in the shoulder. (4" down from the back line and directly in line with the leg) He jumped up on his back legs and ran forward about 10 feet and pitched over.
With a 25-06 even a 120 grain bullet on a big whitetail may not have penetrated and broke both shoulders. He may have had the carp knocked out of him but He may have recoverd and if you only broke one shoulder, which would allow him to walk away if his vitals were untouched. If you did get through the one shoulder chances are he wandered of far enough for you not to be able to find him. If there ws no exit wound then he may be filling up with blood instead of leaking. Do a grid search. Pay particular attention if there is ANY water near by. They will go there to stop the bleeding and get rid of the fever.
Good Luck
With a 25-06 even a 120 grain bullet on a big whitetail may not have penetrated and broke both shoulders. He may have had the carp knocked out of him but He may have recoverd and if you only broke one shoulder, which would allow him to walk away if his vitals were untouched. If you did get through the one shoulder chances are he wandered of far enough for you not to be able to find him. If there ws no exit wound then he may be filling up with blood instead of leaking. Do a grid search. Pay particular attention if there is ANY water near by. They will go there to stop the bleeding and get rid of the fever.
Good Luck