PA 9 point stolen
 

Well as all you PA guys know monday's opening day was anything but a nice day. The rained started around 9 andnever let up. Anyway, my morning was still a good one.
Around 8:45 my dad radios me on the 2-ways and says a deer is on its way up the hill. Two guys were shooting at it and literally running behind it in an effort to hit it. It was so foggy I couldnt see much further than 50 yards, but shortly after my dad says that a deer is on its way there it is. When I first saw it, it was running but it quickly stopped and turned my way and walked without worry. He walked to within 30 yards quartering to, I had been after this very deer since bow season and he was a 9 point 18 inch spread 4 inch brow buck.. Would score around 120.. So when I saw him coming riight at me i knew he was mine. The path he was walking though was going to make him quarter to and he would have been broadside at a mere 10 feet, so I decided the broadside wasnt going to happen so I took the 22 yard quartering to the left shot. I figured at that angle my shot placement should have been JUST after the shoulder. I wanted to miss the shoulder boneas to notrisk having deep enough penetration. So I stopped him in a clear shooting lane settled the crosshairs just a hair past his left shoulder and pulled the trigger. The deer shook with pain and took off ona run towards me, I reloaded and just as I thought the deer ran a mere 10 feet by my stand, and his left side had a 3 inch diameter entrance wound, so I figured he would be down in no time.
i got out of my tree and went after the deer. The blood had bubbles and lung in it and the blood trail was decent. Although after following the trail for about 80 yards I knew something wasnt right. I continured to follow the trail but the rain washed away the blood nearly as fast as it hit the ground. So i kept looking even after I lost all blood trails from the rain. The blood trail goes right behind this old guy a mere 10 yards. i ask if he saw it and he says that he hadnt. I loose the blood trail but he says he might have seen a tail up the hill. So i go up and look and comb, and nothing. Around 3pm, a friend on a 4wheeler sees me and says a HUGE 9 point was being drug out of this valley as we spoke. I told him it was my deer and I went down to look. By the time i arrived the guy had it in his truck and loaded up. The funny thing, it was the old guy who "had not seen my deer." I asked if he found it or shot it and he says he shot it, although I heard no shots over that way. So there lie my deer and their is nothing i can do.

This leaves me with one lasting question. My shot placement. After I think it over, I'm not concerned whether my shot would have killed the deer. i know my shot would have or did kill that deer, but the amount of running it did was overboard. So after thinking about it, I think with my .30-06 I had enough power to just forget missing the bone and just take the shot right through the left shoulder bone. (keep in mind the deer was quartering toward the left when walking towards me.)

So i think what i may have done wrong was placement. What is the proper shot for that deer in my situation, and if some sort of a diagram is needed to understand my shot I am sure I can make something up.

RE: PA 9 point stolen
 

I LIKE TO SHOOT A BUCK IN THE FRONT SHOLDER SO IT WILL BREAK HIM DOWN ..HE MIGHT RUN A LITTLE WAYS BUT NOT FAR ...

DD

RE: PA 9 point stolen
 

DITTO!!!!!!

RE: PA 9 point stolen
 

I agree with the shoulders

RE: PA 9 point stolen
 

DD is right. I shot an 8 point through the lungs and it ran off (I got it, but it ran 30 or 40 yards in some thick stuff). A while later, I shot a doe in the shoulder and it dropped like a rock. No longer will I shoot for the lungs!

RE: PA 9 point stolen
 

fingerz around that old guys neck......shoulve called the police and they could tell if his gun was fired and if he had residue on him....shot placement yes....some deer are tough..just like you , they have a strong will to live.....that still doesnt let the old guy off the meat hook

RE: PA 9 point stolen
 

That stinks. I know that it happens, but it is hard to believe that someone needs/wants a deer that badly.[&o]


I wouldn't announce this as it is illegal.


Mitch

RE: PA 9 point stolen
 

Fingerz--How can you say it was stolen,when you never had it?
I know how you feel though,but the PA law says that whoever
downs the deer is the true owner of the beast..

I shot one a few years ago and seen it go down..When I got there
there was a hunter gutting it out...Oh well..He even told me he
but the killing shot into it..So,I said,nice deer and walked of..I was not going to hang around and help him drag it out....John

RE: PA 9 point stolen
 

He cant run to far without any shoulders and an 06 will get you though the shoulders

RE: PA 9 point stolen
 

Well johnny I didnt sit there and ask the guy for the deer or anything I simply went down to verify it was the deer i shot. The thing is this, no shots were fired over the hill. So technically, it was my deer, and if it werent for him already having the deer packedinto the bed of his truck I'd have taken that deerr away from him in a heartbeat. It would be one thing if he shot and killed it, but when no shots are fired and their is a dear he claims is his, that just aint right.