Deer Running away from gunshot?
#1

I'm sure most of you have heard "deer don't know where the shot comes from when you shoot a deer with a Rifle or Shotgun". But how come they always run away from the shot and not towards it?
#2

They usally run to the area that they came from..But i have found in most cases that when i shoot a deer that it runs straight from where it was shot and in the direction that it feels the safest. But no one person can tell where the deer will run once hit!
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,320

How in the world would anyone know what a deer knows.....that takes some special skills that even the internet hasn't developed yet.
My guess is they figure out it pretty quick or they don't live long to learn.
No doubt they could be confused but I'd give them more credit than "they don't know".
My guess is they figure out it pretty quick or they don't live long to learn.
No doubt they could be confused but I'd give them more credit than "they don't know".
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: west central wi USA
Posts: 2,210

I once shot 2 does out of a group of 5. The first one dropped immediately. She must have been the lead doe because the rest just stood around not knowing what to do. The second doe took 2 steps and dropped. The other 3 still just stood there. I could have taken another out of the group, but I ran out of tags.
#7
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425

If you want to kill multiple deer, hunt a field, let them get out there and get comfortable...Take the lead doe, hit her high in the shoulder so she drops...Then you can start taking out the others...They don't know where the shots are coming from and are just as liable to run right back under you as away from you...
#8
Typical Buck
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Colorado
Posts: 797

Most deer/herd animals will flee right back the way they come. They have already been in that direction and they know it's safe. There's always the exceptions.
Across canyon shots tend to confuse animals because of echo's. Sometimes they don't know where the shot came from. When muzzle breaks came into the hunting world that changed things for those shooting across canyon with a break. I've watched elk and deer turn and look right at where the shot came from using a break then take of in the opposite direction. No reference really just thought how interesting that was when using a break that the sound of the shot spread out around you instead of carrying forward like a rifle without a break. Within 100 to 200 yards most animals are going to know where that shot came from.
Across canyon shots tend to confuse animals because of echo's. Sometimes they don't know where the shot came from. When muzzle breaks came into the hunting world that changed things for those shooting across canyon with a break. I've watched elk and deer turn and look right at where the shot came from using a break then take of in the opposite direction. No reference really just thought how interesting that was when using a break that the sound of the shot spread out around you instead of carrying forward like a rifle without a break. Within 100 to 200 yards most animals are going to know where that shot came from.