Never Assume A Miss

[VSS]

Absolute lottery VSS. The 'dead' deer doesn't know where it's going whilst the rest of the herd do. Therefore, every so often the 'dead one will go in the correct direction with the herd at least to start with. Most of the time though, it will go somewhere else as they're running blind!

I assumed that was why the shot deer tended to carry on in the same direction - because that's the last signal its muscles had received before being shot. I have noticed it most when a group of fallow emerge from a woodland to feed and I take one from the group. The remainder dash back into the wood, whereas the death rush of the shot deer takes it further out into the field.

 

[baguio]

I assumed that was why the shot deer tended to carry on in the same direction - because that's the last signal its muscles had received before being shot. I have noticed it most when a group of fallow emerge from a woodland to feed and I take one from the group. The remainder dash back into the wood, whereas the death rush of the shot deer takes it further out into the field.

That's pretty much it. If you do any moving days (we do them quite a bit down this way) the fallow will tend to bunch up in the middle of a field and mill around after being pushed out of their beds. You're therefore forced to take which ever one presents itself on the edge of the group. It's likely that if it doesn't go straight down it will run in the direction it was facing when shot. The rest of the herd will go where they think is safe and will not follow the dead one if it's not going in a roughly that direction. Running with the herd doesn't come into it as it's brain is no longer functioning as it should, it may not even be able to see and is I suspect, unaware of anything around it. It's simply running until it's oxygen levels drop to such a level that it stops and falls over dead.

 

[stalkerboydy]

I assumed that was why the shot deer tended to carry on in the same direction - because that's the last signal its muscles had received before being shot. I have noticed it most when a group of fallow emerge from a woodland to feed and I take one from the group. The remainder dash back into the wood, whereas the death rush of the shot deer takes it further out into the field.

In my experience of years culling large numbers of Fallow several factors come into the situation. How big a group Did the lead doe get shot placement of shot where in the group was the deer shot from. On average I'd expect ( safe shooting area ) to get at least three from a group having said that one morning i let 200+ Fallow go by 30yrd into a slight valley game on spare magazine laid ready let them settle to feed took the back doe at 50 yrs all hell broke loose as the whole herd turned and run full pelt through gaps in the hedge either side of where i lay. Shell shocked i returned to pick my quad up saw four does along a hedge shot all four. Long story nothing is cast in stone