DeepSouth
Random Guy
I find myself second guessing myself here. I used to hunt a lot, now I take my kids a lot but rarely hunt by myself. My oldest (15) is starting to hunt on his own a good bit.
Anyway long story made short the other evening he ran in the house all excited because he had just shot at a rather "large buck," his words. So I go out to help him look for the deer and see no sign of a hit, none. There was no blood to be found, no deer, he also told me after he shot, the deer "turned around and ran the opposite direction into the woods" I can't ever recall seeing a properly hit deer turn around, also when I asked he said deer was running with his head up.
Sounding more and more like a plain miss to me I ask if he's SURE he was on it when the gun fired, and he was adamant that he was and that he hit it. Now the boy is a pretty good shot, and I trust his shooting because I've seen him do it. But just to add to my uncertainty he was shooting a 1942 Enfield, obviously in 303 British. Now if you not familiar with the gun it has a long hard 2 stage trigger with a serious catch in it. So I'm thinking that terrible trigger likely made him pull it and just plain miss. (He's used to good triggers)
But of corse I look for the deer anyway, for about a hour and half. Still nothing, no deer, no blood, no smells of gut shot and I finally give up and head home but it was under protest.
I just wonder how do you all know when to call it quits when looking for someone else's deer. I just keep second guessing myself because it's always possible you missed something, no matter how long and hard you've searched.
Anyway long story made short the other evening he ran in the house all excited because he had just shot at a rather "large buck," his words. So I go out to help him look for the deer and see no sign of a hit, none. There was no blood to be found, no deer, he also told me after he shot, the deer "turned around and ran the opposite direction into the woods" I can't ever recall seeing a properly hit deer turn around, also when I asked he said deer was running with his head up.
Sounding more and more like a plain miss to me I ask if he's SURE he was on it when the gun fired, and he was adamant that he was and that he hit it. Now the boy is a pretty good shot, and I trust his shooting because I've seen him do it. But just to add to my uncertainty he was shooting a 1942 Enfield, obviously in 303 British. Now if you not familiar with the gun it has a long hard 2 stage trigger with a serious catch in it. So I'm thinking that terrible trigger likely made him pull it and just plain miss. (He's used to good triggers)
But of corse I look for the deer anyway, for about a hour and half. Still nothing, no deer, no blood, no smells of gut shot and I finally give up and head home but it was under protest.
I just wonder how do you all know when to call it quits when looking for someone else's deer. I just keep second guessing myself because it's always possible you missed something, no matter how long and hard you've searched.