My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

My son shot his first deer saturday morning. He is 7 years old and shot what looked to be about a 100" give or take a few inches 8 pointer. It was about a 40 or so yard shot which is well within his range as he has been shooting for several months now. He was using a 22-250 which is not a large caliber, but it has taken many a deer down here in Texas and he is only 7 and I did not want him shooting to much gun. The shot looked like it was pretty good maybe slightly back. The deer jumpeda fence and went through a tree line on the other side of the fence. (From the shot to the fence and trees is about 10 yards) After the shot, I congratulated him and we waited for about 15 min. or so before we went to track him down. I went to the sight of the impact and there was no blood. I looked where he crossed the fence and went through the trees, still no blood. We walked around on the other side of the trees for about 30 min. and then found a pool of blood about the size of a dinner plate with two smaller pools (4" dia) within a foot of it (bright red with bubbles in it). I figured he ran through the trees into the open pasture, stopped to decide which way to go. We looked all around the blood out to about 25-30 yards all around it and found no blood trail leading any direction. He had gone through trees, so I could not see which way he went. We spent about 3 hours combing the pastures and entire area for about a 1/2 mile radius until I had to get back home for my wife to go to music practice at church. We did not find a deer, blood, nothing. We went back the next day after church and was able to use my brother in law's dad's polaris ranger and upped the search to a much larger area and comb through all the knee tall grass and cedar trees. Still no deer. I have no idea what to do other than wait a few days and go buzzard chasing, but also don't want to exaust the area for the rest of deer season (where we could get another deer that we would accually be able use the meat from.) Has anyone else had this happen? Did we do something wrong? Any recommendations?

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

Got a buddy with a good dog?

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

Well I'm no expert but when you found the pools of blood with no blood leading up to it and none after it you may have pushed him. You might should have backed out from that point and given him a chance to bed down and die. Could you tell if he bedded down at the pools or just stood there? A deer with a lethal shot that is beingpushed can still travel an unbelieveable distance. Sorry you did not find him. Make sure you get your son right back in the saddle again. Don't let him get too discouraged.

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

dont let your boy get down! Get him back out there and keep him involved in the sport. Take him shooting so he is confident again. and go buzzard hunting in a day or two.
-Jake

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

Ok first thing first. If he can handle a 22-250 he can handle a 20 gauge or a muzzle loader or even a 243. Just something to think of for the future.

Anyway. go to where you found the blood. Track backwards towards the shot. I've seen that many times the spot you think the shot isn't realy where they were standing. You may be supprized if track backwards to the shot. You should find some hair etc. Then track the other way. I personaly would never have gone after him untill I let him sit a while. Of course I don't remember you mentioning how long you waited.

Also where did he hit the deer?

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

Sometimes a deer will go in one direction and all of the sudden they will backtrack the same trail they came up. That almost happened to me. i shot a doe and she was going one direction and all of the sudden she changed direction on a dime. There might be a good chance that the deer is not that much farther from the place you saw that pool of blood.
Another thing I would suggest is to use a heavier caliber like a .243 next time. Im sure your 7 year old can handle the recoil. Anyways good luck finding that buck.

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

We waited about 15 min. before we got out of the stand. it was a good 30 before we crossed the fence to try to look for him after that due to finding out if it was ok to go on the other guy's property. the shot looked fine, maybe a little back. Where the pool of blood was, it did not look like he laid down there, just stood still for a bit. the grass was not laid over at all and no smear marks.

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

Hope you find your sons first deer/buck. If you don't, let your son know that, that stuff happens sometimes, and keep him incouraged so he keeps at it.

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

jk, I hate to hear about you guys not finding the deer. Like everyone else said keep at it, keep your boy on the end of the gun practicing!!!!! I have a 7 year old daughter that shot her first last year with a .243, I have shot a deer in the past with a 22-250 and have found that the bullet never exited. Suggestions: (1)Possibly bump him up on caliber a little, (2) It sounded like you are hunting in some taller grass, not sure where your hunting but I know in the tall grass that is on the brown colored side, sparseblood is very hard to see (for me). I have found that when looking for a sparse blood trail in that brown grassysituation, I can see the blood better at night with a coleman style lantern with a shield on it. If I had been in your shoes, I would have gone back in the dark with my lantern and looked for blood in the dark....I wish you guys the besy of luck on your next days afield!!!!
Where are you guys hunting????

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

Is there any water around? If there is look there. Wounded deer will go to water.You said the shot may have been a little back? He may have got only one lung and a deer can go a LONG ways with one lung. Good luck with your search.

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

took the words outta my mouth... look around ponds creeks, heck they will even take to and follow dried up ditches cause they know it leads to water adn they just wont to lay in water to clot the wound if possible.. deer are super smart, also i saw someone say somethin bout a dog that is the best idea if you cant find blood

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

It's not the calibers fault, if the shot was a little back you get the lungs but not the major arteries of the lungs, you just clipped them.
I hit an 8 pointer with a bow the same way and it did the same exact thing, I gave him an hour and still I pused him. A bad shot is a bad shot.
If you hit dead center of the vitals they expire quickly.

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

I had the same problem. Very little blood where I shot a deer. Arrow shot a little far back. I couldn't find her and called a buddy. I told him which direction she ran and he found her trail heading up a ridgeline. Sure enough; a pool of blood where she stood for a bit. It had been a good two hours before we found the trail. But the blood was strong from there and we found her still alive but barely. I gave her another arrow and she ran again but not far.....she expired a little after. Anyway, like the others have said...get your son back in the saddle. Every hunt good or bad is a learning experience and a great experience everytime. He will learn the spirit of the hunt....

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

I agree with what others have said, I'd step up in caliber or gauge. My 8 year old shot his first deer with a 20 gauge. He also shoots a .243.

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

Sounds like the pools of blood was him maybe getting slow. If you would have given him about 15min more, hey may have bedded there and died. Keep looking. Also he can probly handle a .243. Let he test a few smaller caliber guns and explain that the bigger the better. See what he feels comfortable with.

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

Thanks for the input. by the way, we were hunting near Evant, Texas. It's between Waco and Brownwood.

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

True but a large caliber gives a bigger margin for error. The shock of a larger bullet does more damage and could have made the difference in taking it down on the spot or getting it to bleed out faster.

As for the boy. Keep him at it. Show him that you need to do everything you can to recover the animal (I think your doing this) and then get him back out there when he's ready.

RE: My 7 year old's first deer- we can't find it???
 

Thats a debate that will go on forever, but in 25 years of doing this I have seen large calibers wound more deer than smaller calibers. Why ? probably because hunters who use small calibers know what theyre doing. You cant make a bad shot and blame the caliber, no one knows for sure what a larger caliber might have done. The 22-250 leaves some nasty damage as well.
and shock doesnt come from larger bullets it come from velocity. Shoot a jack rabbit with a 30-06 and shoot one with a 22-250. the 22 will disentegrate the rabbit and the 30 will put a hole in it, thats shock in my opinion.
a 22-250 expanded diameter is about .42, a 30-06 is about .6 thats 2 tenths of an inch bigger hole, not a lot of difference. Not like when talking broadheads, theyre can be 3/4 inch difference in broadheads cutting diameters.