Clean miss or NO?
 

Was hunting with my in-line today and missed a monster of a buck. I think I had a clean miss, looking to see what you think.

My first shot I saw that I clearly did not hit the buck. I also found the bullet in a tree either left or right of the first shot.

He trotted off 20 yard and gave me time to reload and fire again. He was in some vegetation but, I was able to see his head, neck and front shoulder. This shot I fired and did not see him run off. Smoke cleared and he was gone. I went to where I thought he was standing and found no blood or hair. Found nothing but hoof prints to where he took off from. Looked on trees around the area and could not find a bullet. Had a buddy help me look and follow what we believed to be his tracks for 20 yard before loosing them. Also, did a walk about 50 yards or more out from the second shot and found no signs or the deer.

IMO it was a clean miss although I can't prove it other then the above. Am I out of line?

RE: Clean miss or NO?
 

well no one here will ever know with 100% certainty, and unless you find blood or hair, and did a good grid search of where he was standing, I would say you likely missed.....

But again, without being there, no way I can know, or anyone will know if you did miss......

RE: Clean miss or NO?
 

If I had taken a shot at a monster of a buck I'd be out there still looking for sign of a hit or a dead buck. Tough to tell without being there but no blood or hair doesnt always mean a clean miss. One thing I've learned through the last 2 deer Ive shot is that they dont always bleed right away if you hit them a little higher. There may be an initial splatter of blood, but not always, and they wont start pouring blood until the chest cavity fills. I've had deer make it 40-50 yards before bleeding, and had to follow only tracks. If I were you I'd get back out there!

RE: Clean miss or NO?
 

So let me see if I understand what your asking.....

you were there, made the shots, checked for sign, followed tracks and didn't find the deer......right?

And you're now on the internet asking random strangers around the world if it was a clean miss?


come on man, if YOU don't know, how do you expect us to know?

RE: Clean miss or NO?
 

I'm confident it was a clean miss. Was asking more for the opinions and discussions. Not finding a tree that the bullet hit etc is the only think that gives me any type of hesitation. Other folks have been in similar situations.

Thanks for the input.

RE: Clean miss or NO?
 

Update.

Went to church this am and said a couple prayers about the good and bad fortune I had the day before.

Then, went to the gun range to find out why and how much the gun was off. At 50 yards, I shot a 4 times and had a 2-3 inch group. That actually made me more nervous and I said, I would take a quick walk in the woods to see if there was any signs I missed the day before.

As luck would have it, I actually stumbled across a big dead deer. Yup. it was him. Laying in a direction which my buddy and I had not looped around to. Had no reason to think he went in that direction.

Bullet was right behind the leg where you would want the hit to be. Just no exit wound or blood around the entry hole. All the blood was in the chest. Lesson learned for me.

Deer is now at the butcher and heads going to the taxidermist. This is my first buck in Delaware and I glad I went to the woods for one more check and the look where I would not think he would have went to.

Is he the monster I thought he was, yes. Shrunk a little but, not much. This was a old buck off public land. To me he is a monster.

RE: Clean miss or NO?
 

I am glad you found him.
And I would shoot him too.
Nice Buck.

Congratulations.

RE: Clean miss or NO?
 

way to keep looking Congrats

RE: Clean miss or NO?
 

very nice. would have been a shame for him to waste.

RE: Clean miss or NO?
 

Thats a Monster to me ANYDAY!!!! haha

Congrats man!!