For the first time in a long while, I lost a deer that I knew to be dead. Extremely frustrating.
Head shot on a calm beast, facing away. Couched up in deep heather on more or less featureless moorland. One roe from a group of 3. Saw the top the skull disintegrate and it dropped to shot. Thrashed around on the ground and kicked itself over a little heathery bank so disappeared from view. Kept crosshairs on for 5 minutes, no further movement. Then made a series of stupid mistakes.
First mistake: Took my eye off the spot and turned to follow 2 other deer that had remained in the area. Decided not to shoot them - it was going to get dark soon, and I didn’t want to be extracting all 3 in the dark. Thought I knew where the first had gone down.
Second mistake: sublimely confident I knew where it was, I didn’t immediately go it it. Instead, went back to the truck (only 500m away) to offload rifle and get roe sack. Did mark where I’d shot from, with a direction indicator.
I then spent hours, first in failing light and then in the dark, walking all over the area trying to find it. The two other deer were still there, and hung around until I was almost on top of them. I had a clear view of the area in thermal, and could see the 2 on and off for the next hour - so I’m certain the ‘dead’ one was definitely still dead. I had a both dog and thermal. Several times the dog indicated a strong scent, but seemed to lose it again each time and then get distracted by the foot trace from the live ones.
I am absolutely certain it was stone dead, and that I must have walked within a yard or two of it multiple times. All I can think is that it kicked itself into a hidden gully, under some heather or into a hidden puddle.
This on top of a miss earlier in the day and a miss the day before. Just not a very good weekend
Head shot on a calm beast, facing away. Couched up in deep heather on more or less featureless moorland. One roe from a group of 3. Saw the top the skull disintegrate and it dropped to shot. Thrashed around on the ground and kicked itself over a little heathery bank so disappeared from view. Kept crosshairs on for 5 minutes, no further movement. Then made a series of stupid mistakes.
First mistake: Took my eye off the spot and turned to follow 2 other deer that had remained in the area. Decided not to shoot them - it was going to get dark soon, and I didn’t want to be extracting all 3 in the dark. Thought I knew where the first had gone down.
Second mistake: sublimely confident I knew where it was, I didn’t immediately go it it. Instead, went back to the truck (only 500m away) to offload rifle and get roe sack. Did mark where I’d shot from, with a direction indicator.
I then spent hours, first in failing light and then in the dark, walking all over the area trying to find it. The two other deer were still there, and hung around until I was almost on top of them. I had a clear view of the area in thermal, and could see the 2 on and off for the next hour - so I’m certain the ‘dead’ one was definitely still dead. I had a both dog and thermal. Several times the dog indicated a strong scent, but seemed to lose it again each time and then get distracted by the foot trace from the live ones.
I am absolutely certain it was stone dead, and that I must have walked within a yard or two of it multiple times. All I can think is that it kicked itself into a hidden gully, under some heather or into a hidden puddle.
This on top of a miss earlier in the day and a miss the day before. Just not a very good weekend
