A terrible Day

huntsman

Well-Known Member
Last weekend I was out after sika. I was walking up a fire break when suddenly a sika doe came out onto the break and started down staight towards me. I slowly dropped to the ground, she kept coming ,then stopped about 30 yds from me, she knew I was there . All I could do was keep still, then behind her I could make out antlers about 100yds away.

Eventually she returned to the safety of the trees she gave a few warning barks and I knew then my chance was lost . The antlers belonged to a pair of spikers. They stood their ground alarmed and looking in my direction.
A prone shot was not an option because of the long grass . Eventually they turned to leave. I raised the sticks and they did not run. So with rifle at the ready I stood up I placed the cross hairs on the shoulder /low neck areas and let go with 150gr sp from my 308. I saw the hit and the deer flop over. A conventional heart /lung shot was not an option as he was sort of quartering towards me. I waited a few minutes nothing moving. Then I saw the head and legs coming up and down and kicking out in the long grass . I decided to close the distance and fire again . To cut a long story short I didn't get a chance and he eventually made his way into the edge of foresty, crashing around and both front legs were not functioning . I decided to retreat and walk back 15min to the car to collect the dog. At this time I assumed he would have settled down and died.

On returning to the area which I had marked I could not find a single sign of a hit no blood ,hair or bone. The dog found where he entered the young plantation but no blood could be found as we went . Despite extensive searching nothing .
A friend has a teckel and decided to drive the 60 miles round trip and collect the dog and see if he could help but nothing . So six hours after the shot, beaten I decided to head home .
I had seen this happened to a friend but it had never happened to me before .
What I can't understand is how there was no blood for such a hit. It would be good to hear from anyone who could explain what may have occured So that something positive can come from this.

Thanks
 
Could you have creased the spine (The bullet "skimming" the top of the spine without causing serious damage)? I've never seen this happen but do know a guy who had a very similar experience. He shot, the deer went down, but got up, ran off and could not be located with a dog.
 
Sounds likeMJ75 Might be on the ball with this one i have had this happen on a couple of occasions over the years. I have been lucky enough to get a second shot in the beast not placed well but hey . neck shots have this problem with them and even if you have an idea that the spine was shocked.It still leaves that sick feeling in your gut.
 
Sounds like you hit it ok but didn't damage anything vital which is unusual especially with a .308! It is not uncommon to NOT get an exit wound though when hitting animals in the front end, especially with ballistic tips. I know a couple of people that shoot sika and fallow front on in the centre of the chest with BT's and the bullet doesn't make it past the diaphragm. Blood loss through the entry hole is often slight if any. If it dropped into the brisket you would have probably had more pins/paint? It does seem a mystery though that you didn't drop it on the spot? :confused:
I reckon if it is as you described it would have died shortly after from internal blood loss. It is also easy to convince yourself where it went roughly, only to find it then turned in the complete opposite direction!
I bet it is there somewhere dead under some thick cover.
It's a **** feeling but it does happen. It also sounds like you did all you could in the circumstances. This thread should run nicely alongside the 'Which calibre for Sika?' thread.
Good luck if you go back for another look.
 
Losing a deer is the worst feeling ever. It leaves you sick to the pit of your stomach. Sika carry a lot of fat at this time of the year (pre-rut) and it is just possible that your bullet went through the neck missing the spine. Fat could have possibly sealed over the entry hole, thus stopping most of the blood loss.
The spinal shock theory is a good one, as I have had supposedly well hit animals, get back on their feet after a while and try to run off. The only answer is to try and get another bullet onto the animal somewhere. It sounds brutal, but that is about the only choice you have in the heat of the moment.
It is one of the reasons I dont like shooting Sika late in the evening, as you cant see what actually goes on during the bullet hit, and then the animal runs off christ knows where.
I think maybe the mistake you made was assuming the sika would die quickly. I have also made that mistake before now, and they dont die half as quick as you would think. Sika are the most tenacious deer we have in the UK and because they knew you were there, the adrenalin was flowing, and they just dont go down easily. You have to make doubly sure of your exact bullet placement with Sika or you have a long search on your hands.

Lakey
 
I remember it well TJ. It turned out to be a positive thread.
What is it Sikamalc says?
"If it`s never happened to you then you ain`t stalked enough" or something like that.
basil.
 
basil said:
What is it Sikamalc says?
"If it`s never happened to you then you ain`t stalked enough" or something like that.
basil.

LMAO! Brilliant. Wise words indeed. Anybody else feel they need to get out and more stalking after reading that?
 
Speaking as a frequent user of a .308 (150gr Fusion - soon to change to RWS 123gr) l can tell you if it missed the spine and hit fat then there would be an exit wound with BT's of about 1 3/4" in dia. Just shot a brace of Munties with it week or so ago (was out for Roe) and although the first was hit slightly high of the engine room on grollaching and preparing for the chiller there was obviously a 1-2" clear 'blast hole' (was shot at 140yards - 150gr Fusion). No blood came out of the closed entry wound, but as you can imagine there was a lot of p&p's over the floor behind.

I think you also have to remember the sort of shock that can come from a .30 cal shot. I once put a piece of sheet steel 1/2" thick at the end of my range (200yards) and the .308 knocked a 3" hole through it (was using 150gr Rem Lock-core). I guess what I’m saying is that if you clipped its skin, the shock could drop it and really stun the spine in that area affecting the legs- for it to possibly/or possibly not recover from???

We've all had it happen mate - me with my .223 on Muntys (reason l don’t like using on them anymore)

T




T
 
from what you said .your shot went high just under the spine ,knocked the animal down for a few moments .
the bullet did not expand as there is little resistance there.also no major blood vessels.
they has to be pins from the strike.

a impossible job to find it ,thats why i stalk with my dog at heal.

sika dont bark they whistle a alarm call. BTW
 
Thanks all for replies. Good to hear of your experiences , I suppose I won't ever know how or where it hit .
All I know is it didn't recover and get up and run off . It had no use of either of its front legs and when it attempted to use them it fell forward on its head . I've seen enough to know this was no tempory paralysis.

Irishgun - sorry, I stand corrected - "bark/whistle "

do you use the dog to bring down a wounded deer or hold it at bay?
 
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