Lost a deer for the first time
12-12-2015, 05:07 PM
#21
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
If you were on the ground shooting horizontally and hit that doe anywhere solidly in the body with a 165 grain 30-06 at that distance she shouldn't have run out of the country like you're saying without giving some kind of evidence. It sounds like the shot that you think went though the vital lung area didn't if the country is mostly open cut alfalfa like you're mentioning and she wasn't anywhere to be seen. If she went out of the country without you being able to see her, there must be enough cover or something to block your view. Is that basically what you mentioned when you talked about the rise in the field to where you glassed from and she went over it and out of sight? Sorry I'm getting on you like I am, but I've read so many posts on various websites by people that have lost deer or elk this year and posted about it since I got back from Wyoming a few weeks ago that I'm about ready to puke! I guess this post of yours was the last straw even though you may have done everything right---sorry, but I still think you should do more followup by asking the neighbors for access to look for her where you think she may have gone. I tracked a doe a guy shot one time with a 12 gauge slug that went over 200 yards and when I found her and dressed her out the slug had blown her heart in half. They have a tremendous will to live and sometimes can go a long way even when hit hard and I'd have never believed that one if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.
Last edited by Topgun 3006; 12-12-2015 at 05:17 PM. Reason: Spelling
12-12-2015, 05:10 PM
#22
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Germany/Calif.
Posts: 2,664
I've been shooting Core Lokt bullets for many years. Once in awhile I'll get a through and through with seemingly no bullet expansion whatsoever. The wound just doesn't bleed much, if at all. Maybe it is my bullet placement, maybe it is the bullet.
All around it is a good bullet, it seems to put them down OK, doesn't tear up a bunch of meat or fragment bruise excessively. Just every once in awhile I get the same size hole exiting as I do entering and no blood.
Some years back I shot one in the snow, it was getting dark. It was standing behind a weed grown barbed wire fence. I picked a gap in the weeds and shot. Took off like it was never hit and actually ran right under my high seat. No blood, a whole bunch of tracks from other Deer, I figured my bullet hit something on the way to the Deer and I had a clean miss. I eventually gave up and figured I'd bring the dog back in the morning. I started up the truck, turned on the headlights and my Deer was laying maybe 45 feet in front of the truck.
Sometimes you need a little luck, skill isn't enough.
I'm really not all that good of a tracker, but I am kind of obsessive and stick with it way longer than most people would. I've found a lot of game other people gave up on.
All around it is a good bullet, it seems to put them down OK, doesn't tear up a bunch of meat or fragment bruise excessively. Just every once in awhile I get the same size hole exiting as I do entering and no blood.
Some years back I shot one in the snow, it was getting dark. It was standing behind a weed grown barbed wire fence. I picked a gap in the weeds and shot. Took off like it was never hit and actually ran right under my high seat. No blood, a whole bunch of tracks from other Deer, I figured my bullet hit something on the way to the Deer and I had a clean miss. I eventually gave up and figured I'd bring the dog back in the morning. I started up the truck, turned on the headlights and my Deer was laying maybe 45 feet in front of the truck.
Sometimes you need a little luck, skill isn't enough.
I'm really not all that good of a tracker, but I am kind of obsessive and stick with it way longer than most people would. I've found a lot of game other people gave up on.
12-12-2015, 05:18 PM
#23
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 592
If you were on the ground shooting horizontally and hit that doe anywhere solidly in the body with a 165 grain 30-06 at that distance she shouldn't have run out of the country like you're saying without giving some kind of evidence. It sounds like the shot that you think went though the vital lung area didn't if the country is mostly open cut alfalfa like you're mentioning and she wasn't anywhere to be seen. If she went out of the country without you being able to see her, there must be enough cover or something to block your view. Is that basically what you mentioned when you talked about the rise in the field to where you glassed from and she went over it and out of sight? Sorry I'm getting on you like I am, but I've read so many posts on various websites by people that have lost deer this year and posted about it since I got back from Wyoming a few weeks ago that I'm about ready to puke! I guess this post of yours was the last straw even though you may have done everything right---sorry, but I still think you should do more followup by asking the neighbors for access to look for her where you think she may have gone.
Well, I guess we just disagree. She reeled back, paused and ran funny. Looked like many of my other hits in the past. So, puke away.
I have been hunting for many years, and have never lost one. Ever. This is the first. I have followed some blood trails for a long time, but this time had no trail to go after. Most of my deer are dead very quickly, and near by. Not sure what happened here, which is why I posted. I was looking for that one response that had some insight.
There is ablosutely no access to that neighboring ranch. It is just that way. I have hunted this land for three years, and the access that way is never available. Never had a deer, or pronghorn, run that way either.
Enjoy the puke. I did my best, and have a clear conscience that I did all I could. Just nothing to go on.
12-12-2015, 05:31 PM
#24
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Germany/Calif.
Posts: 2,664
I'd go back and work on the assumption she is in a pile in a slight hollow or dip, vegetation covering some of her. Seriously, I've been within feet of a downed Hog or Deer before I've seen it.
I figured out a long time ago, I don't see shape well, I see motion. It really doesn't take much cover to hide a Dead Deer, just enough to break up it's outline a little and it can be nearly invisible.
And seriously it really doesn't have to be a trained hunting dog. If most any dog gets a whiff of a dead Deer it is going to want to investigate. Do you know anybody with a Dachshund you can borrow?
I figured out a long time ago, I don't see shape well, I see motion. It really doesn't take much cover to hide a Dead Deer, just enough to break up it's outline a little and it can be nearly invisible.
And seriously it really doesn't have to be a trained hunting dog. If most any dog gets a whiff of a dead Deer it is going to want to investigate. Do you know anybody with a Dachshund you can borrow?
12-12-2015, 05:31 PM
#25
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
Well, I guess we just disagree. She reeled back, paused and ran funny. Looked like many of my other hits in the past. So, puke away.
I have been hunting for many years, and have never lost one. Ever. This is the first. I have followed some blood trails for a long time, but this time had no trail to go after. Most of my deer are dead very quickly, and near by. Not sure what happened here, which is why I posted. I was looking for that one response that had some insight.
There is ablosutely no access to that neighboring ranch. It is just that way. I have hunted this land for three years, and the access that way is never available. Never had a deer, or pronghorn, run that way either.
Enjoy the puke. I did my best, and have a clear conscience that I did all I could. Just nothing to go on.
I have been hunting for many years, and have never lost one. Ever. This is the first. I have followed some blood trails for a long time, but this time had no trail to go after. Most of my deer are dead very quickly, and near by. Not sure what happened here, which is why I posted. I was looking for that one response that had some insight.
There is ablosutely no access to that neighboring ranch. It is just that way. I have hunted this land for three years, and the access that way is never available. Never had a deer, or pronghorn, run that way either.
Enjoy the puke. I did my best, and have a clear conscience that I did all I could. Just nothing to go on.
You haven't said how much land you have to hunt on and how far that doe could run before she got out of sight and onto property you say you can't access even if you ask for permission to have only taken an hour before you gave up. Please answer that because I'm sure I'm not the only one reading this thread and responding that is wondering about only about an hour followup. I also believe I just gave you a good response and that is that I don't believe you hit her where you said you did to not be able to find her even if the bullet may not have fully expanded at that short distance. If you can't access the adjacent property legally and it's not very far to it, my final suggestion is to start shooting your deer right on the shoulder to knock them down and then if they try to get back up shoot again so you don't have to do any tracking! You'll lose a little more meat than a vitals shot through the lungs, but not the entire deer like you did this doe!
12-12-2015, 06:25 PM
#26
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
I aint going to jump ya, much 
, but I feel you kinda shorted the search a bit. If you hit it where you think you did and didn't jump right up after it then more than likely that deer didn't go more than 100 or so yards. Lung hit deer tend to lay down faster than heart hit deer. Shock from both the shock of the bullet strike and the not being able to breathe puts them down fairly quick. Anywho, sorry to hear you lost ya deer.
If you want a shot placement that is absolute dead right there have a look at this image and practice aiming for the red spot.
That right there will USUALLY take out the spine or at least cause serious trauma to it while taking out the lungs as well. Wastes very little meat and what little it does damage is well worth the not having to track the dang things. Getting to dang old to track after a deer for miles!
, but I feel you kinda shorted the search a bit. If you hit it where you think you did and didn't jump right up after it then more than likely that deer didn't go more than 100 or so yards. Lung hit deer tend to lay down faster than heart hit deer. Shock from both the shock of the bullet strike and the not being able to breathe puts them down fairly quick. Anywho, sorry to hear you lost ya deer. If you want a shot placement that is absolute dead right there have a look at this image and practice aiming for the red spot.
That right there will USUALLY take out the spine or at least cause serious trauma to it while taking out the lungs as well. Wastes very little meat and what little it does damage is well worth the not having to track the dang things. Getting to dang old to track after a deer for miles!
12-12-2015, 06:36 PM
#27
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
I aint going to jump ya, much , but I feel you kinda shorted the search a bit. If you hit it where you think you did and didn't jump right up after it then more than likely that deer didn't go more than 100 or so yards. Lung hit deer tend to lay down faster than heart hit deer. Shock from both the shock of the bullet strike and the not being able to breathe puts them down fairly quick. Anywho, sorry to hear you lost ya deer.
If you want a shot placement that is absolute dead right there have a look at this image and practice aiming for the red spot.
That right there will USUALLY take out the spine or at least cause serious trauma to it while taking out the lungs as well. Wastes very little meat and what little it does damage is well worth the not having to track the dang things. Getting to dang old to track after a deer for miles!
, but I feel you kinda shorted the search a bit. If you hit it where you think you did and didn't jump right up after it then more than likely that deer didn't go more than 100 or so yards. Lung hit deer tend to lay down faster than heart hit deer. Shock from both the shock of the bullet strike and the not being able to breathe puts them down fairly quick. Anywho, sorry to hear you lost ya deer. If you want a shot placement that is absolute dead right there have a look at this image and practice aiming for the red spot.
That right there will USUALLY take out the spine or at least cause serious trauma to it while taking out the lungs as well. Wastes very little meat and what little it does damage is well worth the not having to track the dang things. Getting to dang old to track after a deer for miles!
12-13-2015, 02:11 AM
#28
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,186
It sucks DJfan I hope you didn't stay up too late worrying about this. As I sit here 2 hours before sunrise I am hoping you have a day planned of going back out to look for this deer again. 1 hour isn't enough time to look for a deer you didn't recover. You should also take your rifle and a target to see if something happened to your gun. This is what i would be doing if I where you. I will be offended if you are online the morning after typing about it when you still have things you could be doing.
I've shot many whitetails with cartridges far weaker than a 30-06 where SuperHunt pointed and, if I didn't get a good blood trail to follow, the deer have dropped with a broke spine or died close from blood suffocation with blood dripping out the mouth.
If the above didn't happen I either missed, hit where I didn't think, or been walking by a dead deer. Good luck and keep us updated on what you find.
I've shot many whitetails with cartridges far weaker than a 30-06 where SuperHunt pointed and, if I didn't get a good blood trail to follow, the deer have dropped with a broke spine or died close from blood suffocation with blood dripping out the mouth.
If the above didn't happen I either missed, hit where I didn't think, or been walking by a dead deer. Good luck and keep us updated on what you find.
12-13-2015, 03:25 PM
#29
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 323
I aint going to jump ya, much , but I feel you kinda shorted the search a bit. If you hit it where you think you did and didn't jump right up after it then more than likely that deer didn't go more than 100 or so yards. Lung hit deer tend to lay down faster than heart hit deer. Shock from both the shock of the bullet strike and the not being able to breathe puts them down fairly quick. Anywho, sorry to hear you lost ya deer.
If you want a shot placement that is absolute dead right there have a look at this image and practice aiming for the red spot.
That right there will USUALLY take out the spine or at least cause serious trauma to it while taking out the lungs as well. Wastes very little meat and what little it does damage is well worth the not having to track the dang things. Getting to dang old to track after a deer for miles!
, but I feel you kinda shorted the search a bit. If you hit it where you think you did and didn't jump right up after it then more than likely that deer didn't go more than 100 or so yards. Lung hit deer tend to lay down faster than heart hit deer. Shock from both the shock of the bullet strike and the not being able to breathe puts them down fairly quick. Anywho, sorry to hear you lost ya deer. If you want a shot placement that is absolute dead right there have a look at this image and practice aiming for the red spot.
That right there will USUALLY take out the spine or at least cause serious trauma to it while taking out the lungs as well. Wastes very little meat and what little it does damage is well worth the not having to track the dang things. Getting to dang old to track after a deer for miles!
12-13-2015, 07:15 PM
#30
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,359
I aint going to jump ya, much , but I feel you kinda shorted the search a bit. If you hit it where you think you did and didn't jump right up after it then more than likely that deer didn't go more than 100 or so yards. Lung hit deer tend to lay down faster than heart hit deer. Shock from both the shock of the bullet strike and the not being able to breathe puts them down fairly quick. Anywho, sorry to hear you lost ya deer.
If you want a shot placement that is absolute dead right there have a look at this image and practice aiming for the red spot.
That right there will USUALLY take out the spine or at least cause serious trauma to it while taking out the lungs as well. Wastes very little meat and what little it does damage is well worth the not having to track the dang things. Getting to dang old to track after a deer for miles!
, but I feel you kinda shorted the search a bit. If you hit it where you think you did and didn't jump right up after it then more than likely that deer didn't go more than 100 or so yards. Lung hit deer tend to lay down faster than heart hit deer. Shock from both the shock of the bullet strike and the not being able to breathe puts them down fairly quick. Anywho, sorry to hear you lost ya deer. If you want a shot placement that is absolute dead right there have a look at this image and practice aiming for the red spot.
That right there will USUALLY take out the spine or at least cause serious trauma to it while taking out the lungs as well. Wastes very little meat and what little it does damage is well worth the not having to track the dang things. Getting to dang old to track after a deer for miles!