Lost deer
- Thread starter bijssg
- Start date
weeman
Well-Known Member
It's been a good thread to certainly to novices. As one can see where experience has come into action. Well done to the OP for posting and to the others show in experience. But also keeping things amicable without having the arse ripped out of you which can happen on here. It's OK to make mistakes as long as you can learn from them. I've made mistakes when I was starting out but learnt from them giving me valuable experience. One is never too old to learn.
mchughcb
Well-Known Member
Here is a CT scan of a sambar deer, with many thanks to J.Bishop. The first in the world. You can see aiming for the centre of the neck will not necessarily cause a immobilisation due to spinal injury. For me its a low percentage shot an a body party that is moving so I avoid it.
Highlandsjohn
Well-Known Member
I like both the scan and you tag sig.
Too many go for head and neck shots to satisfy their meat processors when it's not really appropriate. Not at all directing this at the OP. who I sympathized with early on, just generally.
Join the gang..How many criticise the Blazer with derogatory comments when they would not recognise one from a CZ. lol
JAYB
Super Moderator
This is the sort of thread that I like to see on here. It had the potential to kick off into one of the usual slanging matches and nearly did, but all saw sense and a crisis was averted.
I like to think that it has given the opportunity for some to have gained some valuable knowledge and a lesson well learnt. It is a reminder that when stalking deer that if you feel a surge of compassion and wish to pass up on the opportunity of taking the beast the time to do it is before you pull the trigger. A beast that is knocked down by the shot is wounded, hopefully fatally but this is not always the case, and if it regains it's feet and makes off it is still wounded, mobile but wounded. The onus is then on you, if humanly possible to find and despatch that beast as soon as possible.
A good thread well done all.
John
I like to think that it has given the opportunity for some to have gained some valuable knowledge and a lesson well learnt. It is a reminder that when stalking deer that if you feel a surge of compassion and wish to pass up on the opportunity of taking the beast the time to do it is before you pull the trigger. A beast that is knocked down by the shot is wounded, hopefully fatally but this is not always the case, and if it regains it's feet and makes off it is still wounded, mobile but wounded. The onus is then on you, if humanly possible to find and despatch that beast as soon as possible.
A good thread well done all.
John
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
We do need to bear in mind there is wounded and wounded. A glancing blow on the back of the neck will knock a deer of its feet and drop it straight down. But it will recover with possibly just a cut / graze across the back of its neck. Wild animals have an amazing ability to recover from wounds, so whilst there may be a temporary welfare issue, long term it may not be an issue. If the OP had a chance to study the two possible does at length and they showed no visible signs of a wound / discomfort etc then chances are they are either not the ones that were hit, or if it was then it was just a glancing blow that has n't caused major damage and has n't affected the animal to any great degree.
Head and neck shots certainly have debatable (or dubious depending on your viewpoint) arguments for and against.
As has been said shoot enough and cases such as these will pop up.
I once shot a roe buck with a 308 in the neck and the animal went straight down in a crop field. Once down it was hidden from sight so I gave it a few minutes and with markers noted set off across the field. Initially it was slightly difficult to locate but then noticed it. On arrival the animal moved it's head as if to get up but then slumped back down. It was totally paralysed yet seemed completely aware of what was happening. There was clearly a hole in the back of the neck with the significant exit hole just below the throat.
Naturally this one couldn't run away but it could easily have been different.
As has been said shoot enough and cases such as these will pop up.
I once shot a roe buck with a 308 in the neck and the animal went straight down in a crop field. Once down it was hidden from sight so I gave it a few minutes and with markers noted set off across the field. Initially it was slightly difficult to locate but then noticed it. On arrival the animal moved it's head as if to get up but then slumped back down. It was totally paralysed yet seemed completely aware of what was happening. There was clearly a hole in the back of the neck with the significant exit hole just below the throat.
Naturally this one couldn't run away but it could easily have been different.
A few years ago I went for a neck shot on a young roe buck ,it went down like all other neck shots then proceeded to get up and run like mad in to the cover !
I searched for hours and never found it so put it down to experience etc , a couple of months later in the same high seat I shot a young buck and guess what it had a scar across the back of its neck !!!
It happens if you shoot enough deer,
I searched for hours and never found it so put it down to experience etc , a couple of months later in the same high seat I shot a young buck and guess what it had a scar across the back of its neck !!!
It happens if you shoot enough deer,
Hungry hunter
Well-Known Member
Here's a red hind I shot last year. I noticed her walking with a limp so picked her out.
She had an open wound at the top of her shoulder. It was well dried up so could have been 6 months to a year old wound.
It looks like a neck shot face on that was a bit low and a bit right.
Although she had been suffering with it, she still was in good condition with plenty of fat. She was also carrying.
View attachment 64023
She had an open wound at the top of her shoulder. It was well dried up so could have been 6 months to a year old wound.
It looks like a neck shot face on that was a bit low and a bit right.
Although she had been suffering with it, she still was in good condition with plenty of fat. She was also carrying.
View attachment 64023
View attachment 64024
Neck shots don,t always bleed a lot so can make difficult tracking, this one was amongs a group of about 40 at last light in a standing hay field, it dropped like a stone, but in the confusion, we thought it had run to the small copse, no sign of blood in the field or where the group had jumped out, got the dogs which ran back into the field, and there he was.
Neck shots don,t always bleed a lot so can make difficult tracking, this one was amongs a group of about 40 at last light in a standing hay field, it dropped like a stone, but in the confusion, we thought it had run to the small copse, no sign of blood in the field or where the group had jumped out, got the dogs which ran back into the field, and there he was.
baguio
Well-Known Member
But Taff, that one wouldn't have bled a lot as I quite sure it was dead before it hit the floor? The perfect high neck shot I would have said. No heart beat and therefore not blood. Not quite the same as the miss placed shots that the other posts have described surely?
baguio
Well-Known Member
Definitely a bit low . Good blood trail to follow though! It does show how little margin of error there is on the big deer when neck shooting. Very important to know where the spine is located.
It is not easy when the deer is side on neck shot. I had a guest shot a 13 pointer through the windpipe. It was about 60 metres a way broadside on with nothing in front of it, we was sitting with a good rest to shoot from. I dont know if he went for a neck shot and it went a little bit wrong or a chest shot and went a lot wrong. I grabbed the rifle from him and just before I shot he shouted "it does not need a second shot". Needless to say I ignored him and shot. I not only saved the beast some suffering but I also saved a lot of work. I would not hesitate to shoot again if save to do so.
baguio
Well-Known Member
If in doubt then shoot again. Absolutely correct decision. What possible justifiable reason would there be not too?
jamross65
Well-Known Member
I do take a lot of neck and head shots, IF I am confident in whats presented. It has never been because of meat damage concerns, it's to stop Sika running off into thick forestry making recovery difficult, especially on last light,
Above are photos that show what can just was easily go wrong with a chest shot. I get fed up to be honest when I hear folk decrying neck/head shots as they OFTEN go wrong.....apparently. Well I've had to track and find a lot more chest shot deer than those who have been attempted with neck shots. This was a shot taken at a buck this year that was struck low in the left shoulder. So much for 'pinning'. The bullet , 120grn from a .260, went straight through the lower shoulder, entered the lower chest as seen in the second image, then exited on the right side above brisket. There was very little blood. I saw the deer fall into a ditch in clearfell. The guest and I stood waiting for a good 10mins before going in. I needed the dog to find it. When she did it got up and ran off with her chasing and barking. The buck turned and charged her, very much alive. She continued to bay it before it got in to thick trees near to a road. I called her off to allow the buck to settle otherwise I think a long chase may have ensued on a still very mobile deer. We went back 4hrs later and I put the dog into the wood. After less than a minute she was barking and clearly with the buck. I walked in and she was baying a very much alive buck that was couched up under the tree canopy. It got up and ran off with her chasing and baying it, before it halted again and was shot. Before then I only knew from what we found it was hit in the lower chest area. That buck would have died, but no doubt suffered until it did.
Point is, I thought it was dead from reaction to the strike, I was wrong. I didn't know for certain what damage had been caused, hence we pursued it until it was dispatched. And lastly, another chest shot that went wrong. I had quite a few this year with guests, all I hasten to add can shoot! It was just one of those seasons I guess.
Cut+Squirt
Well-Known Member
It's amazing just how tenacious a wounded buck can be, I had the same thing a couple of years ago.
After a short chase, the buck upon realising it was being caught by the dog, turned on it and charged with antlers down. A strong beast a fully grown buck in it's prime.
Similar threads
