country_guy9734

hey yall, i have been a member for a while but this is the first time in a few years since i have been on. Hey to all of my buddies out there.

i was hunting in middle state SC this morning and i had a nice buck chase a doe out beside me. it was thick so i picked a hole about the size of a pie plate and shot. the deer ran 15 yards. stoped and then started chasing the doe again. as the buck ran away i could tell i had completely broken the front leg on the opposide side of the deer. i found spotty blood and chunks of meat on the ground. i even found a good 1'' by 1'' piece of bone on the ground. the bullet made a complete passthrough b/c i found blood on each side of his trail. 200 yards later no blood. a bucks urge to breed is amazing.

seems to be that i hit the deer a lil to far forward and missed the vitals.

Do you all think this deer will die reletively close to where i shot him? or will the deer live. What is yalls thoughts??

this would have been my biggest buck to date.....

iSnipe

I don't think he'll live. I once was way off on my mark trying an off-hand shot at a doe a loooooong ways off. I should have taken a kneeling rest... something other than standing. I hit her low in front of the leg in the lower chest. I used a .243. She ran about 40 yards and bedded down. I gave her a little time and when I walked up, she put her head down trying to hide. I dispatched her and was amazed she was still alive, but after seeing the shot, I can see why she didn't expire immediately.

I think your buck will be out there dead when you take up the trail in the morning.

Good luck friend. I know it's frustrating, but the tracking is not over yet!

iSnipe

NC Buck Slayer

sounds to me like you just hit the leg. i dont think youll find him. but he probably is dead somewhere.

StraightArrowNY

So..... Are you going back to look? I only ask because this last statement you made makes it sound like you're done looking.

It sounds to me like you've got a dead deer somewhere. He may not be easy to find, but you have to try. Go get your "biggest buck to date".

Good luck and keep us updated.

turkey guide

Search tomorrow and watch for buzzards the next couple days after that if you don't find him. They will sometimes lead you to them. Most have flown South by now where I live but hawks, and eagles will also feed on dead deer. Also your nose could lead you to him if you circle near where he lays. None of these options are ideal but you may still save the antlers for mounting. I'm not a big trophy hunter but if thats all you can save you may as well try.

redgreen

IMO the deer may live. I have shot a few that were missing either a front or a hind leg. The severed leg had healed completely over, and the deer was fine.

crokit

Sounds like a deep brisket hit. He'll live for awhile. Rut will do him in, if not first the 'yotes.

1shotkill1993

He won't live, but you may never find him

iSnipe

Remember guys, he said...

"as the buck ran away i could tell i had completely broken the front leg on the opposide side of the deer."

I take that as the shot went through the body first, then exited the other side to hit the leg.

iSnipe

country_guy9734

thanks for the posts! i didnt have a chance to follow up on the trail since it was my last hunt. i live in NC and hnt SC on weekends. i did mark the trail with my GPS so i will be able to pick back up on it. i think if it wasnt chasing a doe i would have found it then. hopefully he will be reletively close. i hunt ungodly thickets so i will have to walk right up on him to find him.