Wounded a monster this morning.
12-10-2011, 11:53 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: MN
Posts: 1,260
Wounded a monster this morning.
I had a really nice 10 come in this morning. My gun hit my stand when I was raising it and he spooked and trotted 15 yds behind some brush. He finally stepped out and I shot and he bucked and ran off. While he was running I noticed his tail up. Not a good sign from past experiences. I went to where he was standing. Nothing. I followed his tracks about 300 yds and found 1 spot of watery blood. At that point he was walking like nothing happened. I looked and looked nothing. So dismayed I started to walk back to my truck. I was about 50 yds from my truck and I notice a huge track in the sand and it hits me. Wow that looks like the track from the buck I just shot. I look up and he's 30 yds in front of me just walking down the logging road. I tried to take a shot but he spooked put his tail up and jumped in the thick brush. I just stood there in disbelief. If it was the same buck which I think it was. He made a complete circle and walked by the same stand I shot him out of 2 hrs earlier. I think he'll be back. His tracks are all over. Obviously he wasn't spooked. Just wanted to get all your thoughts. I just have this fear that he laying in the woods dead and that was just a different buck. To me nothing worse then leaving a deer in the woods.
Last edited by deernutz; 12-10-2011 at 11:56 PM.
12-11-2011, 06:18 AM
#2
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 83
First off, it's probably unlikely that the deer you shot is dead. Though not 100% sure, from the description you gave of the blood you found, it sounds like you might have hit bone. Also, judging from that fact that you didn't find "initial" blood in the area where he was standing when you shot him likely means the shot you put on him was not critical. Usually when you have to walk 300 yards to find 1 spot of blood, it usually means the deer is not hit critically at all. There have been instances where a bullet can actually "seal off" the flow of blood for some amount of yardage until it breaks free of becomes dislodged and hunters will start to find "good blood" several yards into their tracking. But usually if this was to happen the deer would start pushing out blood at a good rate and usually far before 300 yds. Watery blood is usually a distinct sign that you likely hit some bone somewhere on the deer's body.
I do have a couple questions to ask you, if you can think back and recall your observations when you watched the deer trot away after the shot.
1) Was he limping at all when he was walking away? Although a shot to the front shoulder is not always critical, a deer will usually limp when it is hit in the front shoulders.
2) Do you recall any hair being found in the area where he was standing when you shot? The color and even length of hair found in that area can also indicate where you might have hit him. White can mean belly hair, throat patch or even rump areas, where as whitish beige color hair can mean a grazing behind the legs anywhere from the " elbow knuckle area" up to the base of the brisket to where the two intersect. And obviously dark brown hair would be a sign that you hit him up top near the shoulder area.
3) If you didn't get to see if he was limping away, did you at least get to decipher some really good track impressions when you where following his trail? Was there anything unusual about any of his tracks, like finding only (3) tracks making contact with the ground instead of the usual 4? Where there drag marks on any of the tracks that would indicate he was favoring one of his front legs?
Now, on to deer walking in circles:
I don't know if you have ever read any books on tracking or stalking deer by following their tracks. But in a whole bunch of the stories a lot of hunters have made observations that deer usually will walk in large circles, even if they are being followed by a hunter. And what's even stranger than that, some stories say that they will walk in their circular patterns even if they KNOW that a hunter is on their tracks following them. If you ever get the opportunity to follow some tracks and stalk a deer, you are going to learn a whole lot about deer. (especially when they know you are hot on their tail) They can take you on a pretty wild ride and they have a lot of tricks up their sleeves when they know they are being followed.
I do have a couple questions to ask you, if you can think back and recall your observations when you watched the deer trot away after the shot.
1) Was he limping at all when he was walking away? Although a shot to the front shoulder is not always critical, a deer will usually limp when it is hit in the front shoulders.
2) Do you recall any hair being found in the area where he was standing when you shot? The color and even length of hair found in that area can also indicate where you might have hit him. White can mean belly hair, throat patch or even rump areas, where as whitish beige color hair can mean a grazing behind the legs anywhere from the " elbow knuckle area" up to the base of the brisket to where the two intersect. And obviously dark brown hair would be a sign that you hit him up top near the shoulder area.
3) If you didn't get to see if he was limping away, did you at least get to decipher some really good track impressions when you where following his trail? Was there anything unusual about any of his tracks, like finding only (3) tracks making contact with the ground instead of the usual 4? Where there drag marks on any of the tracks that would indicate he was favoring one of his front legs?
Now, on to deer walking in circles:
I don't know if you have ever read any books on tracking or stalking deer by following their tracks. But in a whole bunch of the stories a lot of hunters have made observations that deer usually will walk in large circles, even if they are being followed by a hunter. And what's even stranger than that, some stories say that they will walk in their circular patterns even if they KNOW that a hunter is on their tracks following them. If you ever get the opportunity to follow some tracks and stalk a deer, you are going to learn a whole lot about deer. (especially when they know you are hot on their tail) They can take you on a pretty wild ride and they have a lot of tricks up their sleeves when they know they are being followed.
12-11-2011, 06:47 AM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Lee , New Hampshire
Posts: 312
You wrote"he bucked and ran off" if he bucked like you said and that was just not a expression...he's hit pretty well. Are you sure you did not get off his track when you started? Go back, relax and start over slowly. Place your hat at the point of impact thats first...so you can judge distances if you can still see the hat. Do you have ANY hair at impact? if so what color is it? Think to yourself how far did you see that buck run off before you lost sight...make a mental note of compass direction. Was he hit on the right or left side...he will favor his hit side everytime, they look for water when hit if they can get to it within reason. BRING a buddy with you (no weapon for him), more eyes looking will help... but stay as a pair and work slow...you are the one with the weapon so you are in front at all times...he's looking down for blood you are looking for the deer...YOU CAN NOT GO SLOW ENOUGH. Good Luck
12-11-2011, 06:47 AM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 98
A couple of observations and questions:
1. most wounded deer that I have had to track have circled back. Even a big 8 I shot through the heart he was dead and didnt know it. Ran a 300 yard circle back and died 5 yards from where it was standing when I shot it.
2. watery blood doesnt mean anything it is still blood. Ok you may have hit bone but you did hit the deer.
3. what bullet were you using? By this I am asking was it a ballistic tip? or a powerbelt? If it was, then here is your problem. They just do not (in most cases) pass through therefore you dont have a good blood trail to track.
1. most wounded deer that I have had to track have circled back. Even a big 8 I shot through the heart he was dead and didnt know it. Ran a 300 yard circle back and died 5 yards from where it was standing when I shot it.
2. watery blood doesnt mean anything it is still blood. Ok you may have hit bone but you did hit the deer.
3. what bullet were you using? By this I am asking was it a ballistic tip? or a powerbelt? If it was, then here is your problem. They just do not (in most cases) pass through therefore you dont have a good blood trail to track.
12-11-2011, 07:13 AM
#9
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 83
Even though he drew blood doesn't mean that that deer is dead. And it is more likely given the fact that he found first blood after 300 yds.
I fleshed a deer's skull out once for a mount that had a noticeable bump over his left eye under his hide. When I removed the hide from the skull, There was a silver object lodged in his skull. It was a headlight bezel from being hit by a car and had been lodged in his skull for about 2 or 3 seasons.
We also where caping a large 9 point late muzzleloader season that had its windpipe severed by an arrow 2 months before. The wound was totally healed over and we found the broadhead and about 2 inches of arrow lodged in the muscle of his neck.
Deer are very tough animals and can survive a whole bunch of things. Especially if you don't hit him where it counts. Sure this deer might die, but given this hunter's description of the blood he found and how long he had to track to find it.... it's likely that this deer is not critically hit.
