Deer lost

[GANGGREEN]

I'm truly not trying to stir the pot but I've been a lurker on this board for a few years and have been somewhat active on the board. My background is that of a hunter for roughly 36 years. I've taken a handful of deer with rifles, a whole bunch of deer with archery gear (compound bows and more recently a couple with a recurve) and quite a few, maybe 15-18 with flintlock rifles.

I find it amazing that many on this board claim to have never lost a deer. Now, admittedly, you need to know the perspective of the person making the claim. Have they never lost a deer but killed all of two? Have they taken plenty of deer with .45s, .40s or even .36s but never shot anything over 80 pounds (I'm not making a crack and it's not the hunters fault what the deer are like in their backyard, just trying to set perspective).

Personally, all of the flintlock deer that I've killed were at the hands of a .50 or .54, nothing smaller or bigger. A few of them went down on the spot, dying immediately or very shortly thereafter. Most of them went some considerable distance (say 40-200 yards). Some bled fairly well and some did not. I freely admit to having lost at least a couple of them over the years that I know I hit. For the record, all of the deer that I've killed were taken with patched round balls or a very few with Powerbelt bullets and a flintlock ignition. Almost all were taken well inside of 100 yards and most featured very good or excellent shot placement. I'm not the best hunter in the world, nor am I the best shot with a flintlock but I am a fairly ethical hunter who has been around enough deer that I can wait for a clean shot that's within my "safe range". It happens, even with .50, .54 and .58 calibers, not to mention the smaller calibers.

I'm not calling anyone out and I'm really not stirring the pot, I'd just like to say that those of you who have never lost deer are either somewhat inexperienced from a numbers/years perspective, very lucky or very, very particular and precise about shot placement, environmental factors and a slew of other things that can mess a guy up. :bow:

 

[daniel collums]

I've took a bunch of deer more than i can remember with my 45 and 50's never lost any of them. i used prb's almost on all of them but i had one renagade that shot so good with maxi balls thats all i used in it. i do remember having to track some but not far. i shot one when there was snow on the ground one time and had to track it that was the easiest. can't say how many i've lost or had to track after being shot with a centerfire more than i want to admit. i think most of the deer that get away are gut shot or leg shot, and lot of them are from shots taken at running deer. its hard for a person thats always shot centerfires that have a quick second shot to train their self to wait for that perfect kill shot. just like with a bow, you got to wait for just the right time to raise and draw then to aim for the kill spot. anything else will be a mess.

 

[silly goose]

Truth is, folks with centerfire should be exercising the same amount of care with shot placement.

 

[AWsaddles]

I've killed several deer over the years, maybe 35 or maybe more and the majority was with muzzleloader and prb . In that time I lost 3 deer one with bow, one with cf and one with muzzleloader. Most of the deer shot were with a 50 cal and a 54cal and the one that got away I shot in the leg which I found a week or so later dead. Bad shot due to shooting beyond my range limit. The CF was a very high powered mag and I knew I didn't have a good shot but felt that the gun was big enough to make up for my lack of patience for a better shot. Funny thing is that deer lived 3 more years and was killed with only 3 legs and a really unusual and fairly large rack. I felt terible .I learned in both instances that I needed to get closer and wait for a better shot. I don't advicate hunting deer with small calibers but if you do, shot placement is critical. In the last two years I've killed two deer with my 40. Both ran far less than 100 yards. Was I impressed with the results, not especially , but both were very close and both were shots that I was absolutely sure of , more like bow hunting range and conditions. I also passed many shots that were questionable. These days i mostly hunt for the enjoyment of being in the woods and if it takes me longer to get the shot I want that is fine. Next year I plan on using 62 cal smooth bore if i fave it finished and will be curious to see the results.

 

[S.Kenton]

I've killed more than my fair share of Deer with M'ler and even more with my Bow. I've lost a couple here and there when I was young and it aggravated me,it ticked me off to the point that I started focusing on my shot placement and practicing more with my hunting implements. I'm fairly good with my shotgun, bow and M'ler...BUT many deer kills down the road, I'm almost certain I will lose another...someday.

 

[Rat Trapper]

I've been hunting for over 50 years now. In that time I've taken over 300 big game animals with 100 of those taken with archery equipment. Yes I have lost a few critters over the years. Stuff just happens and that is the way it is. Doesn't mean you have to be proud of it, ya just have to accept it is going to happen once in a while. The last deer I shot went further than any of the other 20 odd deer I have taken with a ML. That one was shot with a PRB in my 45 TC Hawken and went over 200 yards?? Found hair where it stood, but no blood until after I found the deer. The shot was 52 yards, and may be the deer took a step at the shot? It was hit few inches back further than I planned. But it still hit one lung and the liver. Did I just hit where I aimed? Stuff just happens and we do not always know why. Why does one deer drop in a pile and the next hit in what appears to be the same place run off??? I sure don't know, but I have seen it happen more than once with all kinds of firearms.

I too wonder about the experience of those who claim to have never lost an animal. As we get older and have more experience, we get more careful. Or at least we should be, but stuff still happens to the best of us. I think a lot of people are worried about being PC these days and afraid to admit when the screw up.

 

[nchawkeye]

Who are the "many" you refer to??? I don't recall a post were these fellows discussed this...

If you drive a car long enough chances are you are going to be in an accident, same with losing game...Stuff happens...The ethical hunter learns from these experiences, makes changes and moves on...

That being said, I'm not getting on a public forum and announcing that to the world...This gives those that don't like our sport something to talk about...

Hunting with muzzleloaders has it's limitations, we all know that and realize that is part of what makes it so rewarding... :thumbsup:

 

[Carl Fowler III]

A deer shot, wounded and then escapes never to be found....how can one claim with any certainty where the deer was shot and what vital organs were hit? Only after the deer is down and a laymen's autopsy performed can such things be determined...most deer that run off for any distance have been marginally hit in my experience....one lung-far-both lungs- near 75yds or less, liver-near unless pushed then it's far, heart-near 100yds or less...my experience's have shown that a deer double lung shot will run off the least distance! Have seen many 3 legged deer in my days afield, and am always amazed at the toughness of these deer being severely maimed and still surviving and living normally! Unless a vital organ is disrupted a deer will survive most of these marginal wounds, so those wounded deer that I haven't found over the years I am sure lived...at least after the intense tracking I've performed on their trails leads me to believe! :v

 

I'm truly not trying to stir the pot but ....

No post that starts out this way really means it. :haha:

I find it amazing that many on this board claim to have never lost a deer.

I'm not calling anyone out and I'm really not stirring the pot, I'd just like to say that those of you who have never lost deer are either ...

Admit it. The purpose of this post is to call these people out.

 

[Swede50]

The last deer I killed was with my Jeep It committed harry carry and jumped into the right front corner of my Jeep at about 40mph a couple of miles from where I hunt.

I have lost a couple of deer over the years and am not a bit proud of it. But in my defense they were shot in public hunting land and ran into private land where I did not and could not get permission to pursue them.
It makes me sick when I think of any animal suffering.

When I got to 30 harvested deer over the years I quit counting.

 

[Bill Hall]

I was going to agree with you 100%, until I thought it over and realized I have never lost a deer. Every deer and elk that I've hit, I've eventually tagged. I have missed some though.

Now, if I were to say "I WILL never lose a deer", I would fit right into that naive inexperienced category you mentioned. No one is so good that he or she can safely say they will never lose a wounded animal. Saying that is just advertising your ignorance.

The fact that I've never lost an animal has a little to do with personal trigger discipline, tracking ability, and tenacity, but probably more to do with just plain dumb luck. I may lose one sometime on a future hunt, but like any good hunter wishes, I sure hope not. But I do know for sure it won't be because I didn't try my hardest. Bill

 

[Blackbruin]

It's not a given thing, lots of things could happen, you never know.

 

[mccarthy.tf]

I haven't taken a whole lot of deer (20+). But I haven't lost one yet. (Knock on wood) I consider myself in the very very lucky group. I figure my day is coming though.

I've had buddies who have lost them and it does suck it's a terrible feeling even for me trying to help them find them. Lots of factors involved.

 

[crockett]

Well GG, I didn't know anyone here has said they never lost a deer but things happen for sure. I guess no one wants to talk about their disasters. Last year I had a deer walk right under my stand, put an arrow through it, and off it crashed into the swamps and jungles and I never found it. I took the compass bearing.Got another guy and went back up on the stand and had him walk off in the right direction. Zip. Got down from the stand and we both looked for a couple of hours and just couldn't find it. If the deer got out into water over knee deep,it could have been underwater. Do I hate it? You bet I do. One of my most notable deer is an 8 point that wasn't any trophy but I saved the antlers and put them on the wall because it calls to my mind a really difficult tracking job. (Try tracking a deer in Florida sometime). A couple of times I just about thought I had lost it. In my experience game usually runs straight but then might make one turn. Multiple turns don't seem that common.
I mark every spot with a tie of toilet tissue around a twig. When I lose the trail it's back to the last positive spot.
After heading off in a couple of directions and feeling the undersides of leaves for blood (Sometimes the only place you'll find blood).
BLOOD!!! Happy days. It was about a 200 yard trail to the deer and IMHO 200 yards on snowless ground in Florida jungles is a LONG way.
Since game is a valuable commodity I think there ought to be a more liberal view on a hound to trail a wounded animal. It could be some little dog not suitable to running deer but a dog sure would come in handy.
Black bear- Almost lost one up in Canada. Took the next day and a bunch of guys to find it.
I lost one turkey- made me sick to my stomach. I REALLY hate to lose game.
Here's a trick. If you have gone as far as you can and have just lost the trail, the animal might still be alive and if you put a shot into the ground and LISTEN, you might hear a shrub rustling as the animal tries to move. That trick has actually worked for me a couple of times.
Head shots. I always catch h#!! on this one but if it is a meat hog, etc- no trophy, and the tracking is difficult, and the distance short and the animal still, in other words an excellent situation for a head shot- it sure saves a tracking job. I never took head shots until I was with a guy hog hunting. A hog (meat hog- no trophy) walked out of the palmettos and he shot it in the head and it just dropped. No blood lost meat in the ribs, no tracking, no nothing, it was as easy as a farm yard hog. Changed my mind on head shots IF the conditions are okay for it.

 

[hanshi]

Fill your hand, mister :rotf: .

All seriousness aside, I can honestly say that so far the black powder Gods have been good to me and I have yet to lose a deer shot with a muzzleloader, period. They've all been hit with .50, .45 and .54 prbs and either went down DRT or simply ran a few yards; none did this 200yd thing. And I've shot lots of deer with muzzleloaders, too. Part of this is that a front loader requires one to be very sure of his target and his shot. I know I've passed up dozens and dozens of shots that would have been a "gimme" with a cf and scope.

I've also been hunting for over half a century and have learned a few things. I hope I continue learning. Back when I use to hunt with cf rifles, I did, IIRC, "lose" a total of six (6) deer over the decades. Two of them were never recovered. Of the other four (4), three (3) were were found within a day or two. Two (2) of these were found where they were first hit. The terrain was just so thick and weedy I'd walked right by them more than once in my initial searches. With the third one I came back the next morning and followed the trail to the down deer. Darkness had caught me the afternoon I shot it before I could find him. Number (4) did run a "ways"; I'd pushed him by following rather than letting him stiffen up. Much later I found that I'd walked right past this one as I had the others. In fact, I was probably within a few feet of him several times. Oddly enough, my turkey hunting partner found him around four years later one spring. I recognized the weird rack. One that I lost was actually hit well; he managed to turn back into a swamp and simply disappeared within a few steps. Two were poor hits.

Back when I hunted with handguns I killed one deer at the maximum distance I've ever killed them with muzzleloaders. I truly hope I never lose another.

 

[Loxahatchee]

No blood lost meat in the ribs, no tracking, no nothing, it was as easy as a farm yard hog. Changed my mind on head shots IF the conditions are okay for it.

Thats all we go for on our hogs. We hunt with modern CF, but those are the only guns we have (I hope to change that one day :wink but it can still be done with a ML. I aim for the base of the ear, its an instant kill, plus is a consistent point to aim at (like "behind the shoulder" for broadside deer shots) And if its a big boar you're aiming at, their shields get pretty freakin thick. Best to just take a head shot IF you can. If you mess it up, like I have before :shake: , you will not find that pig.

 

[Supercracker]

No blood lost meat in the ribs, no tracking, no nothing, it was as easy as a farm yard hog. Changed my mind on head shots IF the conditions are okay for it.

Thats all we go for on our hogs. We hunt with modern CF, but those are the only guns we have (I hope to change that one day :wink but it can still be done with a ML. I aim for the base of the ear, its an instant kill,

Clearly you haven't researched this forum enough. Don't worry about lining up a good shot, just add caliber. And anything less than a 12bore express rifle is just asking for trouble. :shake:


lol


I'm with you guy's. If the head stationary enough, and you're comfortable with the shot then that's the way to go. On pigs anyway.

 

[flyfisher76544]

Clearly you haven't researched this forum enough. Don't worry about lining up a good shot, just add caliber. And anything less than a 12bore express rifle is just asking for trouble. :shake:

:rotf: :rotf: :rotf:
Yep, some folks think you need it.

 

[Little Wattsy]

Clearly you haven't researched this forum enough. Don't worry about lining up a good shot, just add caliber. And anything less than a 12bore express rifle is just asking for trouble. :shake:

:rotf: :rotf: :rotf:
Yep, some folks think you need it.

No no no, you got it all wrong. It don't matter what you shoot "long as you do your part". Heck a bean flick is as good as any .54 (probably better) with proper shot placement. And THOSE are the guys killing running deer at 400 yards with open sights and "never lose any game"....

GangGreen: I think the litmus test is the usage of BIG, all encompassing words like never, always, etc; THOSE words smell ALOT like :bull:

 

[flyfisher76544]

Clearly you haven't researched this forum enough. Don't worry about lining up a good shot, just add caliber. And anything less than a 12bore express rifle is just asking for trouble. :shake:

:rotf: :rotf: :rotf:
Yep, some folks think you need it.

No no no, you got it all wrong. It don't matter what you shoot "long as you do your part". Heck a bean flick is as good as any .54 (probably better) with proper shot placement. And THOSE are the guys killing running deer at 400 yards with open sights and "never lose any game"....

GangGreen: I think the litmus test is the usage of BIG, all encompassing words like never, always, etc; THOSE words smell ALOT like :bull:

oh yea, forgot about those 400 yard running shots, plus the animal was DRT too. :rotf: :rotf: