I've killed about 300 deer...None made it 30 minutes, at least 95% died within a minute of being hit, and most of them within 10-20 seconds...Which is a heck of a lot faster than most of us will die...

Frankly, I hate to see any animal suffer, I usually drop them with my .243 and in all the years using this rifle I have only lost 2 deer...I do remember losing 2 bow shot deer and one with my flintlock, that's it...

If you hit a deer in the lungs with a good projectile or arrow then the animal dies quickly, certainly within 10-60 seconds...Next time you shoot a deer in the lungs, look at your watch and time when you hear it crash...A minute after the hit is a long time...

It's always interesting that folks that don't hunt think we are cruel...You want to see cruel, visit the cancer wing of any hospital...The way most deer die is the most humane way to go, walking along without a care and bang, lights out...We should all be so lucky...

I am getting ready to start my 22 year of hunting and I guess I have killed between 50 and 60 deer. With what I can remember, I only remember not recovering 5 deer over the years. Most deer die within sight but there have been a handful that I did have to track.

started deer hunting in 1970 at the age of 13. i have check tags that i've saved that total over 150,plus all the crop damage deer and special park hunts we've done over the years. i figure around 275 -300 whitetails in 39yrs .

After over 45 years of chasing bambi I lost count. It's over 150 though. Many were DRT, some traveled a bit. I've lost two bow shot bucks (which really sucks BTW).

I've taken


1......PA black bear

1......Newfoundland moose

122.......deer

Of those deer, most were does fawns and small bucks. Only a couple of the bucks would be considered nice.

59 were with a rifle

56 were with a bow

4 with an inline muzzle loader

2 with a flintlock muzzle loader

1 with a .357 revolver


I hate to admit it but I've lost several with a bow and only one with a rifle.

1. I have been hunting for 5 years and I have taken 5 deer.

2. All of them have been gun kills except one, and each one died within sight.

3. I shot 2 deer with a bow and found one 2 months later, but the other was never recovered.

I been hunting for 10 years and have killed 8 deer and they have all died within sight

I am up to about 25 deer in 25 years of hunting. To date have lost one deer (but I was trailing him when my dad put a kill shot on, my shot was not lethal). I don't think any of my deer have lived much more then 1-2 minutes after being shot. I have used a second shot on a few deer that were dropped with high shoulder shots.

Best guess is 90+ whitetail. Over 60 with a bow,a few hogs and I got a Maine bear hunt in a few weeks.

Lost 2 that I hit. One with bow and one with gun.

I've hit a few in the spine and had to finish them off with a second shot. always had good luck with recovery. Hope it keeps up!! Cant wait till Oct.1

Having hunted for 50 years, I'd guess a 100+. Only lost 1 and I found it the next day.....nice 8 point. The rest, were located in several minutes.
Dan