gut shot with a round ball

[Patocazador]

And some pretty pricey cheese is made inside the stomach of a goat (queso de cabra) or a sheep (Manchego).

Manchego is delicious. I wish I could find somewhere close that sells it. We had it in Mexico and loved it.

 

[Danny Ross]

If the deer dies from being gut shot with in a reasonable amount of time 12-18 hours the deer is not going to be septic. The abdomen and chest is a enclosed cavity, except for where you put the hole through it. The rear legs, front legs, and back straps do not come in contact with any of the innards at any time. Gut the deer the deer as you usually would (unless you use the gutless method which would be a plus in this situation) and try and clean out as much as you can with water or snow (don't split the chest open). When you get the deer home hose out the inside well (unless you are using the gutless method) with a garden hose, hosing from the rear to the chest cavity letting the water drain back out from the chest wipe the chest out with paper towels. Wiping it out won't let water drip back onto the hind legs if you skin from the head, if you skin from the rear legs it doesn't matter. Hang the deer and skin. With a clean knife cut the shoulders off, the back straps, and disjoint the rear legs from the pelvic bone. The only meat you will lose is the rib meat and the inside tender loins. Doing it this way, you would NEVER know the deer was gut shot. If you are use to hanging your deer for a couple of days, well you won't be able to do that. I have help do more than one gut shot deer and road kill where the guts were blown up and you couldn't tell the difference in taste of the meat from one that had been shot through the chest. DANNY

 

[hanshi]

I can tell you to avoid any chance of a gut shot. Field dressing one so shot will make a believer out of anyone.

 

[larry wv]

I wait 6 hours then trail them. Usually be pretty close. Always laying down. Second shot and a good water hose and they are in good shape. Probably no reason for a round ball or Broad head to be in the stomach if it doesn't go through something else first.

Larry

 

[Spikebuck]

Probably no reason for a round ball or Broad head to be in the stomach if it doesn't go through something else first.

Only cause is "things" happen. I know in my one case it was a perfectly broadside bow shot and I had lots of time. Height was perfect, shot was a couple feet off for a reason I cannot fathom. The only thing I could think of was that in my traditional shooting I put my eye very, very close to the string and perhaps without "knowing" it my right eye was being partially blocked by the string and my left eye picked up the aim. The shot felt great in every respect until I saw it punch through the intestines right in front of the hips! :shocked2:

Could also happen due to low-light and a small branch that went unnoticed and caused a deflection, etc.

No matter how careful we are, these things can sometimes happen.

 

[George]

Probably no reason for a round ball or Broad head to be in the stomach if it doesn't go through something else first.

No matter how careful we are, these things can sometimes happen.

Yes, things happen, but most of the time they don't. I will never aim at a spot on a deer with guts behind it. I am always aware of the track of the ball after it hits the spot I'm aiming at, because most of them are passthroughs, and I assume every one will be. Nothing will make me pass up a shot quicker than not having a shot with a gut-free track. That is the very least I owe the deer.

Spence

 

[Okie Hog]

i have seen deer that were gutshot with patched round ball: They were just like deer gutshot with .223 Remington and .338 Win Mag guns. The guts and stomach were tore up and the stench was awful.

For many years a tracking dog and i located wounded deer and elk for other hunters. Most of the animals we located had been gutshot.

In this area we have lots of coyotes. If you wait to go after a wounded deer there's a very good chance the coyotes will get it. Several times coyotes have beat me to deer that died within sight of my deer stand.

 

[Tony Turner]

My .02
A round ball would 99.9% be a pass through shot, especially on a gut shot deer.
The round ball would do what I would call "standard" damage as it will not expand like a center fire rifle bullet that is designed to expand and cause more damage on soft tissue.
Like most have said, stay away from that type of shot. If you do not have full view of the vitals, wait it out.
I am new to BP hunting but have been a traditional bow hunter for well over 20 years and have seen some pretty amazing things on how deer react to being shot at and shot.
Be ready for hunting season, have that rifle shooting where you look and take the time to place that ball in the vitals. You owe it to the deer.

 

[Roguedog]

In this area we have lots of coyotes. If you wait to go after a wounded deer there's a very good chance the coyotes will get it

Roger that. I hit one a little far back last year. I waited till the next morning to follow her up and the coyotes had already eaten 50% of the animal. Best thing is to try like heck and not hit the guts.

Jeff

 

[satx78247]

At the risk of "starting a fight", may I suggest that a deer gut-shot with a RB would likely have a similar response as a human would, who received a similar abdominal wound?
(According to the data gathered by The National Civil War Medical Museum in Frederick, MD, soldiers gut-shot with Minie balls suffered MUCH more internal damage to the internal organs AND were much more likely to die from their belly wound than soldiers that were gut-shot with a RB. = RB tended to "push the intestines out of the way", while Minie balls cut through the intestines.)

That said, any "penetrating wound" through the liver, kidney and/or which penetrates any major blood vessel is LIKELY to be fatal & sooner rather than later.

yours, satx

 

[smokymountainmike]

More than likely you would have to trail him to the next county before you found him. Gut shot deer don't leave much of a blood trail and are hard to trail.

 

[54ball]

All I can say about this topic is, if you are man enough to pull the trigger, you need to be man enough to finish the job, that includes tracking, killing and dressing.

 

[Richard J.]

This isn't a gut shot story but close. Many years ago I took my father out for the first day of deer in Pa. He was recovering from back surgery and I was going to sit with him. Young 4 point came right up to him. Put his flinter up then changed his mind. Deer dropped over the hill and someone shot. A few minutes later we could hear someone moaning. Figured guy shot himself. Walked over to edge and guy is on ground doubled over. Ran down and up to him. He made a neck shot and killed the deer. His first. Then he took a bowie knife and sliced across the deer from side to side thru guts and stomach. What we heard was him throwing up. He asked me if it was always this bad gutting them. When he was finished I had him take it over to a small creek and wash it out. After he was done I explained how easy it was to do it the right way. He said he never expected to see one. I seen him for many years after that and taught his two sons to hunt with flintlocks. Always busted on him about his bowie knife and gutting deer. He took it in stride. He ended up a very good hunter and fisher. Said he would never forget that god awful smell.

 

[USMA65]

This technique will make a gut shot deer less nauseous to the hunter: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/354799276865573468/

 

[nhmoose]

Same as a 300 win mag IMHO

 

[Stumpkiller]

Be careful if you do the "gutless" method as he shows in NY as you are obligated to label all the seperate parts/meat/rack.

ӢAll portions of deer or bear meat being transported by the taker shall be individually tagged and the tags shall include the name, address, hunting license number, the date that the portions were cut, and the signature of the taker. Packaged or boxed portions of venison need only one tag and must be labeled "venison" on the outside of the box. If someone other than the taker is transporting the portions, an additional tag signed by the taker with the names and addresses of the consignee and taker is required for each portion.

 

[S.Kenton]

Gut shot deer don't leave much of a blood trail and are hard to trail.

THAT'S THE TRUTH! I've lost a deer or two in my life due to a badly placed, forced or deflected shot...I don't mind field dressing a gut shot deer and never had any issues with meat spoilage. The biggest challenge I've had with a gut shot deer is just finding them... normally if I know it's a bad shot, I'll back off and give it a few extra hours or come back the next morning if it's an evening kill.

 

[MikeK]

I've been hunting all my life with lots of different folks, different states, black tail, white tail, mule deer, center fires, bows & muzzleloaders. Needless to say there have been quite a few tracking jobs. About 20 years ago I began what I call the "2 hour" rule. If anyone hits a deer and isn't sure where they hit it, we back off for 2 hours before tracking. Then even if gut shot the deer is usually sick enough you can get a finishing shot. I had one last year I thought I might have hit a little far back. It disappeared into a small thicket. I backed off and waited 2 lonnnnng hours. He was laying dead not 10 feet from where I saw him last. Actually was in the vitals, but it was worth the wait to make sure. The trouble with a gut shot is if you push a deer it will go forever with no blood trail to follow. If you back off he usually won't go far and will lay down.

 

[MikeK]

If you ever gut a gut shot pig you will grow to love the smell of deer guts :rotf:

 

[Okie Hog]

Yep, a gutshot hog is pretty rank. Several years ago a guy i was hunting with gutshot a big hog twice with a .300 Win Mag. The hog had been eating green wheat and the body cavity was full of stinky, slimy green goo.

The guy gagged a lot while field dressing that hog. :rotf: