Did I connect?
 

I know theres a lot of posts like this but I'm going nuts. Around 6 tonight I had a doe popped out and a nice 8 pt steps out behind her at 200 yds. The rut is definately on in SC. I grunted up a monster withing 20yds in heavy brush. Couldnt get a shot He came smashing through the woods grunting all the way. Ok back to tonight. I aim and bang. He's still standing there. I steady myself and put another round in the chamber. Bang he bolts down the hill into the woods. I walk over no blood.

It's gonna drop to 34 here tonoght. I decided to back out and look tomorrow morn. I've missed before on this stand for whatever reason. I my past experiences I shot the deer stands there and slowly jumps away. Tonight he ran down the hill like a bat out of hell. No juming just a blaze into the woods.

I talked myself into thinking I missed at first. But the more I think about it. He didn't act normal. Based off all the experience on this website what do all of you think? I keep trying to talk myself into thinking I missed. Please respond with ideas or thoughts.:bash:

Hard to say........
Guess it depends on what you call "not acting normal".
I say its definately worth looking in the morning.
I shot one last year. Same thing ,showed no sign of being hit. Got down and found no blood what so ever. I couldnt believe I had missed. Continued to look where he enterd the woods. After about 30 yards I began to find drops of blood. Went on less than 50 yards and ther he lay dead.

What kind of gun are you using? Was there any trees around him that you can look for your bullet in?

I hunt with a 30-06. I ranged a bush he was next to and it was 203 yds. I went there and didnt find anything. I decided with fading light to back out. I might be off by ten yds or so since most hunters are by ten. Just didnt want to bump him if I made a bad shot. I thought I missed the one in my avatar to the left but went back in the morn and ten yds where I stopped wow blood led to my biggest bow buck. The old saying when in doubt is true.

If you hit him, there may not be any blood at the scene, but there is almost always at least some hair. If you know what bush he was standing by then scour that area for some fur that the bullet clipped off. Good luck.

rw

well? Did you find him Deernutz?

I say look hard for him. I hit a nice 6 ptr at 40 yards quartering too me. The bullet apparently didn't exit and there was no hair or blood at the scene. My father-in-law and I gave a cursory look because it appeared that I miss. A few days later, my father-in-laws brother found the deer not too far away. Needless to say I have regretted not looking harder but there was just no sign that I hit him. I have since switched to Nosler partitions and get pass throughs now. I haven't had to track a deer out of site since I switched with most of them literally dropping in their tracks.

I hit a BIG doe a couple years ago with a 270, just about perfect shot, right in the vitals. She ran probably about 80 or so yards without a drop of blood. 1) there was no snow, so there is a possibility that I just missed it (was very brushy and I had to sneak a shot in) 2) I'm really not used to shooting deer with rifle and having to track. I've only had to track 2 otherwise everything normally just drops where it is. Makes rifle season easy ;)

Good luck though man.

I would say you missed but only you will be able to find out if you hit or missed,I know if I was hit with a bullet id jump.