Reaction of deer being hit

[ronrryan]

I have seen three deer shot exactly thru the heart (destroying same) and all three kicked up their heels and ran for 30-fifty yards, then collapsed. Not enough of a sample to be sure about the kicks, but....? However, have seen others that did not kick. Good smoke, ron in FL

 

[Bountyhunter]

I just watched a show on one of the hunting channels this afternoon. It was one of the game management shows. They had some deer in pens that they closely monitored and collected the antler sheds. They had them mounted. They also had records of the feed rations and feed supplements that had been used.

The board that had the antler collection from the spike buck never did ever get to a decent rack. Also the buck never really matured or gained any preferrable conformation.

The other buck was a 4x4 as a yearling. His 5th year sheds were HUGE. They turned him out and sold him for big $$ to some rich easterners in his 6th year.

The spike buck would never have ever gotten to any size or desirable conformation, no matter how much feed or supplements that he was given because he did not have the genetics to perform. The preferrable genetics buck was over 300# live weight when they turned him out. Thing is, he would have passed that trait on to his progeny. Allowing spike bucks to live and breed, only breeds undesirable traits into the fawns that they father.

It is the management of our herd over the years and the high death rate of the early spikes that promoted the desirable genetics. We seldom see spikes anymore, but if we do, they die soon after.

Your management of your herd has everything to do with the size of your mature bucks. We try to not shoot any bucks less than 5 years old. Then is when you can worry about proper bullet placement.

B

 

I shot a doe this year a little high in the lungs.She bucked ran forward about 15 yards then turned back and ran about 50 yards and dropped.I thought I was goin to have to follow a long blood trail but glad I didnt have to.I saw one get shot in the heart that just flinched and walked 30 yards and died.

 

[kansashunter]

I know it is hard for you guys to believe, but ol Bounty ain't yankin yer chains. One of Kansas' biggest huntin secrets is our BIG ol deer. All that corn, milo, alfalfa, soybeans, wheat and oats keep em mighty healthy. My first deer (taken with a traditional BP gun, by the way) was 205 lbs field dressed (gutted). He was just a little un. It is real common for a good mature whitetail to tip the scales around 300#. I saw 3 deer killed within 100 yards of each other last year. The smallest after field dressing was 230-240#. Racks were all just average, but I couldn't believe the big ol full bodies. Good tender, sweet meat, too.

Steve

 

[PreglerD]

Hello hunting colleges,

as I can see hunting is similar to Germany, same experiences, same reaction of the game. all in al very interesting. give me more.

Kirrmeister

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Shot a mule deer doe at about fifty yards with my wife's little .50 carbine, .490 ball over 60 grains 3f, probably not over 1400fps at the muzzle, maybe 1000fps at impact. That deer never moved, just sort of stiffened and slowly fell over. That was a straight on frontal shot to the upper chest and I found the ball (Hornady) under the hide on a hind quarter. It was not expanded at all, just a bit battered on the front. Rifling marks still showed the weave of the fabric all around the circumference.
Except for head shots, that is the first deer I've ever seen drop in its' tracks. However, my friend GreenMountainBoy, who guides hunters and has seen alot more kills than I, says that is common with straight frontal shots.

 

[crgabel]

Here in South Eastern Pa I think we have more 300 lbs hunters than 300 lbs deer :rotf:
Craig

 

[CWC]

Saw a deer get a good heart shot today. He jumped straight up with his back hunched, ran about 30 yards and dropped dead.

 

[CrackStock]

One thing that I do not see mentioned is which way a deer travels after the shot. I have seen them continue forward and I have seen them reverse course and head the other way. Anyone else see a pattern to this behavior?

CS

 

[CrackStock]

Kirr,

One thing about ML hits on a deer that is different than a cartridge gun is that the blood trail is harder to follow. The external damage is less, so there is less evidence. You have to be a better tracker. Pay closer attention to where the deer was when shot and where it went. Sign will be more subtle.

CS

 

[roundball]

One thing that I do not see mentioned is which way a deer travels after the shot. I have seen them continue forward and I have seen them reverse course and head the other way. Anyone else see a pattern to this behavior?

CS

Of those I've shot that ran some, they've always gone back towards the way they came...a few have lunged forward at the impact but immediately begin curving back around to the track they came in on...

 

[PreglerD]

Why is this so? ML bullets are much bigger an will make a bigger hole in the deer's body, so more blood would come out.

 

[bramble]

A high powered rifle round will mushroom and deliver a lot of energy exiting. The entrance wound is usally the size of the round, while the exit would can be one to two inches in size, larger if the round hits a bone.
Oh, for me, a new reaction to a hit deer. I shot a small buck (.50 30 yards, 65 g pyrodex). The deer dropped in its tracks and bleated once. As I was reloading the deer went from laying down to running full speed in an instant. It died about 50 yds away. The shot hit a rib going in that downed the deer and then it ran after recovering from the initial shock, the damage to the lungs brought it down for good.
bramble

 

[rebel727]

When I use a high powered rifle it's a 30-06 with handloads pushing 3000 fps and 165 gr BTBT. The entrance hole is larger than the exit hole but with a heart/lung shot everything is destroyed and they drop in their tracks. I've only killed three deer with a ml. Hawken .50 with 90 grs FF or Pyrodex behind a Lee R.E.A.L. Exit hole is larger than entrance and a heart/lung hit usually drops them in their tracks. I had one doe walk off a few yards and lie down. She was dead when I got there.

 

[Legionair]

Well, since starting with ML's, I have yet to drop a deer with my flintlock.

However, I have taken them in regular(shotgun) season.

The last 2 years bucks have been a spike and a button (thought they were does), that were both shot broadside through both lungs with a 12 guage slug at around 50' (I like to be close).

Both bucks lurched upright. One leaped about 12' into a hedgerow and tumbled downhill maybe 20'.

The other snorted and dropped.

Double lung is a great shot. It's very humane compared to the semi-auto, spray and pray approach. The heart shot is better in my opinion as the destroyed heart immediately stops bloodflow and it's only loss of blood presseure to wait for.

As Stumpkiller said, they can really cruise for a few moments on adrenaline.

Good luck to you this season.... :hatsoff:

Legion

 

[CrackStock]

The ML bullets generally do not transfer to energy to the game that cartridge guns do. They kill through internal damage rather than by temporary cavitation and immediate bleed out. Do not misunderstand, the ML will work effectively, but it works differently.

It is best to make careful note of the place where the shot hit and any movement after the shot. Reload and relax for a time and then begin tracking. The deer here will hide in the nearest thicket and you can track them there.

Read up on how archery works for a better description of this process.

CS

 

[jethro224]

One thing that I do not see mentioned is which way a deer travels after the shot. I have seen them continue forward and I have seen them reverse course and head the other way. Anyone else see a pattern to this behavior?

CS

Of those I've shot that ran some, they've always gone back towards the way they came...a few have lunged forward at the impact but immediately begin curving back around to the track they came in on...

I've had 'em run back, forward and around in circles. A few dropped like rocks. One doe ran forward, then back, then forward, then just stopped and stood there before she fell over.

The few heart shot deer I've seen hit all kicked their hind feet up before running forward, fast.

Seen a couple gut shot hunched up and trotting off slow. That's bad. Wait a long time before trailing.

Hit a leg and they'll stumble, recover and run away almost as fast as on 4 good legs. Bad news! You'll probably lose that one.

 

[Elkinde]

Goodbye I've seen too many 300 lb. heads around here.

 

[tamara]

I'm moving to Kansas! :shocked2: