deer ran off?

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tcrocker

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I shot a deer today at about 250yd. It ran off but it's tail was down. This is the frist deer I shot that did not drop on the spot. Do you think I hit it or not.
 
Usually but not always.

Deer usually clench their tail in when hit and can go a LONG way when shot behind the diaphram or through the intestines. But it's hard to tell one way or another without a blood trail. Don't shoot too far back.

I try to impress on folks, (and remember it myself) to note the EXACT bush, trunk or limb a deer passed when going out of sight after a shot, as well as the LAST place I saw movement. It's amazing how confusing that can get. It's a big help to start searching for sign in the right place and not just up and down a woodline looking at a maze of old and new tracks.

With my nephew just month I spotted with binocs while he shot and pointed him at the last place I saw the deer crossing into the treeline. (I let him go get his own animal) Saturday he did his own spotting and tracking on a heart-shot deer that I had jumped but never saw. He picked up the blood trail and went right to her.

Even heart-shot deer can go 100 yards. Gut shot deer might even get well.

I've been in on seven deer kills this year so far. Only the buck I shot behind the jaw dropped in place. A Garanded Doe (LC69FMJ) walked 40 yards into the trees. One of my nephews does didn't make a sign and I thought he had missed...so he shot another a few minutes later-into the trees again but I saw her spin as she went out of sight so I knew she was done, then dropped one in her tracks...when we got down we had all three, though he had to go find the first one. My brother had one walk steadily into the woods. I thought that was a miss but there she was. Another hopped straight up and then trotted out of sight....dead 40 yards in. In fact when he shot TWO deer hopped straight up and the recoil brought him down on the one he DIDN'T shoot...and he really thought he had missed as the one he HAD shot walked into the trees. I had to hold him off taking another shot...the second hopper was her yearling fawn.

We have 30 doe tags to shoot. Going back up Wednesday night with a couple of military rifles. Hope to break some hogs with the Garand.
 
1) how did the deer react?

2) did you wait 30 minutes then go over there and check for blood etc?

Just a couple of the questions?

Steve
 
Deer can go an incredably long distance even when shot through the heart. Sometimes you shoot em dead and it just takes em awhile to realize it. Deer don't watch Dirty Harry movies they don't know that they're supposed to roll over on thier backs and stick all 4 legs in the air when shot.
 
What rifle and bullet?

250 yards is pushing it for most shooters. (though it shouldn't). Any wind? Did you have a good rest? Did you THINK the shot broke cleanly?

I tried using some 100 grain flat-bottomed Sierra 7mm Match bullets for a bit in a Ruger#1. Short barrel on that model. I have a good scope. I thought those light bullets would really spin up and fly well. I really thought I would do all headshots. The bullets SHOT very well but they didn't have enough punch over 60 yards to go THROUGH a whitetail. I lost a good buck I didn't find until the Spring on land I know like the back of my hand on a 335 yard (leica rangefinder) shot that broke perfectly. Deer didn't react at all. I had an X-ring 200 yard zero on that rifle that I had checked several times with a cold barrel. I had a perfect rest on a shooting mat tossed over the top of my 4-runner and a great hold and stance. I held barely over the top edge of his back. I knew the bullet would be about ten inches under that. It felt absolutely perfect. Just the shimmer of mirage from 9:00. In fact he turned and looked around several times before moving into cover. No reaction. It was like shooting a miss. He went about 150 yards into a field of tall grass and died. I walked within about 40 yards of him searching, though I had no idea where he was- in grass, up the creek, down the creek. No sign. I even looked for vultures for a couple of days. Nothing. I shot a doe with the same rifle and bullet the next week at 100 yards behind the shoulder and it didn't go through. She fell in place but kept her head up for 15 minutes. The bullet went through one side and got both lungs but didn't touch the far inside chest wall. Not good.

Not enough bullet. Sure was a fun load though, and good for doe headshooting inside 100 yards. The 100 grain Matchkings went out and the 120 grain Gamekings came in. No problems.

No deer gets wasted. Coyotes enjoy backstrap and ground venison as much as the rest of us.
 
This is the first deer I shot with my new 300 Weatherby using 180gr reminton.I have shot all my other deer with 45-70s and 405win. They droped on the spot or ran less than 30yds. I watched this deer run off for about 200yds. Idont remember if it's head was down but I think it was the last time I saw it. I could not track it tonight it was getting dark and you know what happed next my flash light was dead.
 
This is the scenario that wounded deer dog tracking handlers train their dogs for, year around.

You might find one available in your area, if it's legal in your state, at United Blood Trackers. This is a national organization, with roots in Deer Search, Inc. that is based in NY. If you can't find one at these sites, your local conservation/fish & wildlife officer would be able to tell you whether it's legal and where to find one if it is.

The tracking dog handlers know the importance of getting to the deer quickly, and many of them will work at night. Yes, tonight. Many will do it for free, whether your state allows someone to charge for this service or not.
 
Of 40 or so deer Ive shot or helped with the hunt for only 4 have dropped on the spot.One to a broken neck,one that was shot right betwixt the running lights,and two that had both front shoulders broke and did nose dives.Of the other 30 something one soaked up 5 rounds of 45/70 before giving up the ghost,another took 19 rounds of 243,and one ran a mile after taking 2 slugs from a 12 gauge through the rib cage.
 
You must have some armor plated deers. How heavy of a bullet do you use in the 45-70. I find that the lighter ones work best on deer.
 
I'd be out at first light looking for it. I've lost a couple of deer that I know I hit. It happened years ago and it still bugs me. Sometimes dogged persistence is what it takes and I've looked for several hours before finding a deer in the past.

It sounds to me like you gut shot it. From your post it also sounds like you didn't run over there and spook it up. It probably didn't go far once it hit the woods. I'd at least go out in the morning and look for blood where you shot it at. It could possibly be very close, right inside the woods. You'll never know unless you go look.

Good Luck
 
Argentine 1909 Carbine in 7.65

Shot a doe last evening with that rifle at about 100 yards. She went down in place with a broken back. It shoots high, which I allowed for, but must have let sight alignment slip. She went in the cooler. Glad to get a kill with one of my military surplus arms.

Today I spotted for a father/son combination who shot one of fifteen pigs in the open pasture beyond their tower, (175 yard shot) then they took a shot at a HUGE boar in the same place 30 minutes later. We tracked the blood trail of the first pig about 400 yards or more through thick brush and then came upon the herd. I killed one more with the Arg. Carbine at about 15 yards with just a front sight/center mass shot. She went down screaming and I waved the son off from finishing her...I thought we might get one more coming back to help her. I did get another shot, but couldn't find any sign of a hit. This was in VERY deep cover. Same age trees about 20 feet high with thigh-deep grass under them. Old pasture in river bottom growing up.

We sorted out the blood trail and followed the original pig another 200 yards to a swamp. Lost it there. Started out with lots of blood flow but dwindled down to just a spot now and then. Watery looking blood as well.

I had watched the shot at the first 15 but didn't know which one he was shooting at. I did see a dirt splash in the binos and watched to see EXACTLY where they exited the pasture- but there were lots of rapid pig tracks going through that gap. The second pig I was out of position and didn't watch with binos. (was packing up to get down, looked up and they had both guns out the window of the tower they were in.) We never really settled on the exit place of the big boar.

Never found anything on the big pig. I should have been shooting along with the dad.

Both of these guys good hunters and trackers. The son is very patient and observant. He's home from basic training and I was taking him and his dad doe-shooting. Kid is going to the AMU after basic and AIT. Good shooter.

Later in the afternoon I took a Garand and drifted slowly back through the same deep brushy flats. Lots of pig sign but no pigs. I never smelled them and I smelled them a lot in the morning in the same area.

Lots of fun looking though.
 
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If you felt the shot was good, and you know you can hit at that distance,look, look and look some more.

Shot two deer last year with my .44 Mag, knock one right down. The other ran, could have swore I had a good hold. Checked and found no blood, hair...
Knew the direction she ran and started a slow check of the ground, didn't find blood for about 40-50 yards. Found her about 50 yards farther under a fallen tree. Bullet hit right behind the shoulder where I aimed.

They can be dead on their feet and not know it!

Don't give up, and good luck!!!

Best .......... Mike
 
I went and looked for a while and fount deer tracks running but no blood. I may have just grazed her. Or just plan missed.Dont think I'm a bad hunter this is the first time I missed in 20 years. I was in the army I was an expert shot, and trained other troops in woodsmanship. They called me the senior redneck.
 
I cant remember what bullets we had. They were either 300 gr hollow points or 350 gr round nose soft points.
 
No deer goes to waste.

Coyotes gotta eat too. And nothing is ever dead solid perfect.

The last deer I missed was a doe I was trying to shoot between the eyes from 125 yards. I had my Ruger #1 with a Leupold cranked up to 9 power. I was in a box blind, sitting, using the window ledge as a rest. Had a good zero. but I was having a hard time getting a knee high enough to rest an elbow on. I dry fired a few times and then loaded the rifle. Every time I was 1/4 lb of trigger pressure off breaking the shot she would move her head, swap ends, eat on different tuft of grass, et. I was going through a shot program so every time she moved I had to start over with breathing, focus, trigger pressure. Finally she lifted her head and was looking right at me and I broke the shot. I swear she must have seen the bullet trace from the wrong end. When I came out of recoil she was GONE. No deer on the ground, no deer in the sky, no deer left or right, no doe anywhere. I sat tight.
5 minutes later she came back out and I quit screwing around and shot her in the flat side of the head.
 
I'd go back out there and search for that deer. Take plastic flagging with you and mark the trail as best you can. Go to the area you last saw it and begin making circles. Look for blood and hair. "The rule is - If you shoot you track !!" What state you in? The 300 Weatherby is a lot of gun for white tails.
 
I dont think you could have hit it very well if at all with a 300 mag it may run but not that far, but stranger things have happened, keep hope up and keep searching!
Oh yea 19 shots with a 243 wow I havent used that much ammunition in 3 seasons and I have taken 11 deer in those three seasons 3 with a total of 4 shots from my 243, the other 8 with my 35 and a gand total shots of 11.
But I do alot of practise shooting.
 
Deer ran off

The deer running off with it's tail down tells me that it was hit. How well is anybody's guess but you MUST go back and look and look and look. I shot a doe several years ago at dusk with my 30.06 Howa Lightning. The shot was placed directly under the flag as the deer ran straight away. In just a matter of minutes all daylight was gone. A search of the area revealed blood and intestines on some briars but little else. My wife and another hunter helped search for over an hour until the rain began. We returned at first light to find the blood from the day before wash away. We searched for hours and were ready to give up when out of desperation I decided to check an area where my wife had said she heard noises the evening before(I had dismissed it because the deer had not run in that direction). I had her point me in the direction that she had heard the "sounds". I walked in about 20yards and there lay my deer. I learned two things that day, No.1, don't stop looking for lost game and No.2, I listen to my wife
 
The 19 shots of 243 was all bullet failure. The bullets were only going in about a inch. When we pulled the hide off it looked like the critter had taken a close up shot from a shotgun. You could cover all the holes with one hand.
 
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