RutSniper

Can anyone help me understand this: I shot a six-point buck last weekend with a .44 mag carbine. Range was about 100 feet. Pretty sure I hit him in the neck, as that was all that wasn’t obscured by a tree at the time.

He immediately folded up and collapsed on the spot, then thrashed his head and neck a bit for about 15 seconds before going totally still. I sat in my stand for another 4-5 minutes to be sure. But as I started to get down he jumped up and began to wander away! I didn’t have another shot at him because of the thick woods, so I just sat there for another 30 minutes, sure he couldn’t go far.

I got down and found lots of blood where he originally went down, and followed a heavy trail through the woods for 150 yards. The blood trail started to thin out by then, and when he came to a narrow road I lost him. I looked around on foot and ATV for another 2+ hours and never found more sign.

It wasn't a huge deer, but I was impressed by the stamina. Anyone had a similar experience?

Pa Trophy Man

You don't need kryptonite bullets, learn better shot placement. Shoot for the heart/lungs.

jrbsr

You needed to wait at least 30 to 45 minets to let it bleed out and and die before going up to it.

Try to do that next time.

It sounds like you got off a good shot its just the adreanalin got the buck going again.

So next time just wait at least 30 to 45 minets OK

And go back and bring some friends with you and do a zig zag patteren where yo saw it last.

And maybe you will recover it.

Good Luck

jrbsr

wishuntermaster

try a better shot next time shoot for the heart or lungs

Handles

Which is easier to hit, an 8 inch dot or a 1 inch dot? The neck is a stupid place to shoot, the spine and/or the main artery are each less than 1" in diameter.Wait for the lungs/heart in the future. Yes, I know, many many deer,elk etc. have been harvested by the "good ol' neck shot", but I say it is still too risky.

Go back to where you last saw blood, take at least one other person with you who is determined to find the buck, and look, look,look. I didn't stop looking for my buck for 7 days. He ended up living but if I had quit after the 2 hours, or had I just drove around on my ATV, I would have never found the additional 200 yards of blood. I'm talking about being on hands and knees in some areas if needed. Your buck may be at the end of that additional 200 yards of blood that you didn't find. Also think about circling back near the area you shot him.

RutSniper

Hey Handles, the advice alone was worth the price...will the attitude-laced lecture cost me more? I too have read the pros and cons of a neck shot, but have never attempted one before this year. Sometimes conflicting reports require you to solve the argument with your own experience. I’ve done that now, and won’t settle for anything but an H/L shot in the years to come. But I’ll remember my experience long after I’ve forgotten your self-righteous posturing.

To the rest of you, I appreciate your input and wish you good, safe hunting.

Handles

Sorry about the attitude. I've seen some nasty neck wounds and escaped deer from guys who swear that it is the best place to shoot to "drop 'em". Perhaps that's the reason I sounded snooty. Please update us on any information.

nyorange

Shot a 6pt with a 44mag 1894 in the neck two years ago. Went over to it immediately as it went down instantly. Blood sprayed out from the initial shot but it was not bleeding alot. Deer had its eyes rolled back in its skull(all white,no pupils could be seen) and seemed to be having some sort of convulsion, I put another one through the neck and jugular and the eyes came back and the body relaxed and it was dead. I will not do another neck shot with a .44 mag and proabably not in general. if I were to do another one I would make sure I was using a fast and explosvie bullet say a something like Nosler BT moving at 3000fps which would really shock the system. What bullet were you using? A JSP? I may switch to some premium JHP for hunting with the .44 mag to increase the shock value. Right now, with the 240g JSP it just seems to go through things leaving neat clean holes. Good for lung shots but not a drop in its tracks kind of round. May have to up the shock factor a little via different bullet or another round.IMO

bow27

My brother shot a deer that our neighbor had shot about 1/2 hour earlier through the neck. The neighbor said it went right down and about 15 min later got up and ran away, it came by my brother walking and feeding. we didn't believe it until we saw the wounds.

FL/GA Hunter

RutSniper, give Handles some leeway - we heart/lung advocates have heard plenty of people espousing the neck shot as 'the only shot you should take,' and saying that we were ridiculous to worry about missing, only to hear plenty of stories just like yours. The 'try it for yourself' thing is very valid, until you realize that 'trying it for yourself' might have condemned that buck to days, weeks, or months, of agony, possibly leading to a painful death that does nobody any good (since you wouldn't be able to find it at that point).

All that aside, good luck on finding him and dispatching him.