The Curse

[I Luv Herfrds]

I must be cursed.
Every time I have taken a first time hunter out they get a shot at a nice buck and wound the darn thing. We spend til dark hunting the thing, but we never find it.
Happened again last night. The boy hit that buck hard. I could see him holding up his hind leg and not wanting to move. I was laying beside him and a little bit back watching with my binoculers. Told him to aim higher and to the right. Shot under him. Told him higher. Shot under him again. Then the buck moved into the draw behind him.
We looked for him til it was almost too dark to see.
No I did not have my own gun as a back up, it is getting new stock at a gunsmith's. Son's gun is not 100% sighted in and I didn't want to use it.

Wind is blowing like crazy today so nothing will be up and moving. I will be going back to the same area and look around and see if I can find him.

The boy's grandfather was with us. He said he saw the buck running up the hill. I saw the buck he saw, but it didn't look like the one he shot. He was moving too good and didn't act hurt either.

 

[Northern Rancher]

Sounds gutshot to me-the magpies should find him in a day or so. Big whitetail bucks can be shot all to hell and run like they aren't even scratched.

 

[Mike]

That's got to be discouraging. Back when I used to guide a good bit we would almost always ask the hunter to shoot 3-4 rounds at a 200 yard target we had set up and check to see his grouping.

It was amazing that the number of hunters who said their gun was "Dead-On" but couldn't hit a 6" circle at 200 yards. :lol:

That, plus the fact that they are nervous and get in a hurry has boogered up a many a good deer.

Always enjoyed taking folks who have shot prairie dogs or some type of competition rifle shooting. They usually know their guns pretty well.

I'm like NR. Sounds like a gut shot to me. Seen them go miles after being gutshot. But usually hunt for water to lay in.

 

[I Luv Herfrds]

No sign of him yet. It was a mule deer.
I was thinking he would move downhill and not up.
Been hunting for over 20 years and all the deer I have ever seen hit have gone downhill, not uphill. I think grandpa led us the wrong way.
I'll keep looking.
Coyotes normally get the wounded deer.

I got a nice buck about 8 years ago. Shot him at around 275 yards. Thought I hit him bad. He took off and jumped a fence, running downhill, we found him about 20 feet past the fence.

 

[Northern Rancher]

I've seen whities go 200 yards with their heart shot in two-they are the toughest pound for pound of any animal we hunt up here. Moose are pretty darn faint hearted compared to them.

 

[jigs]

I've seen whities go 200 yards with their heart shot in two-they are the toughest pound for pound of any animal we hunt up here. Moose are pretty darn faint hearted compared to them.

the deer are tough??? you hunt bear, in tall oats, with a bow. and you are calling the deer tough.....you have the brass balls in my bookNR !

 

[gcreekrch]

I've seen whities go 200 yards with their heart shot in two-they are the toughest pound for pound of any animal we hunt up here. Moose are pretty darn faint hearted compared to them.

the deer are tough??? you hunt bear, in tall oats, with a bow. and you are calling the deer tough.....you have the brass balls in my bookNR !

I don't think NR was refering to risks taken when hunting bear, either blacks or grizzlies. Most of them are pretty wussy unless you really screw up and the adrenalin gets pumping. Moose and cariboo lay up fairly if wounded and you don't push them.
I had a mulie buck go nearly 1/2 a mile with a double lung shot, don't think I've followed anything else that far with a fatal wound.

Cripes NR, I'm agreeing with you again!

 

[leanin' H]

I've seen whities go 200 yards with their heart shot in two-they are the toughest pound for pound of any animal we hunt up here. Moose are pretty darn faint hearted compared to them.

the deer are tough??? you hunt bear, in tall oats, with a bow. and you are calling the deer tough.....you have the brass balls in my bookNR !

I don't think NR was refering to risks taken when hunting bear, either blacks or grizzlies. Most of them are pretty wussy unless you really screw up and the adrenalin gets pumping. Moose and cariboo lay up fairly if wounded and you don't push them.
I had a mulie buck go nearly 1/2 a mile with a double lung shot, don't think I've followed anything else that far with a fatal wound.

Cripes NR, I'm agreeing with you again!

Did ya follow the wounded buck on a swather or did ya stick with the basic tractor and attached implement? :wink:
Shot placement is so important regardless of weapon. Too many folks shoot at the deer instead of picking out "THE" spot. As a bowhunter i try to pick out a tuft of hair on the opposite side and hit it! And if ya get one in the vitals, ya need to know how to track cause they can still cover ground mortally wounded. Unless ya shoot em' in the hayfield! :wink:

 

[gcreekrch]

the deer are tough??? you hunt bear, in tall oats, with a bow. and you are calling the deer tough.....you have the brass balls in my bookNR !

I don't think NR was refering to risks taken when hunting bear, either blacks or grizzlies. Most of them are pretty wussy unless you really screw up and the adrenalin gets pumping. Moose and cariboo lay up fairly if wounded and you don't push them.
I had a mulie buck go nearly 1/2 a mile with a double lung shot, don't think I've followed anything else that far with a fatal wound.

Cripes NR, I'm agreeing with you again!

Did ya follow the wounded buck on a swather or did ya stick with the basic tractor and attached implement? :wink:
Shot placement is so important regardless of weapon. Too many folks shoot at the deer instead of picking out "THE" spot. As a bowhunter i try to pick out a tuft of hair on the opposite side and hit it! And if ya get one in the vitals, ya need to know how to track cause they can still cover ground mortally wounded. Unless ya shoot em' in the hayfield! :wink:

I used a square baler to track with, he came out cut and wrapped.
Hats off to you bow hunters, I've never had the patience.
I like to reach out and touch something with a rifle. :wink:

 

[Northern Rancher]

That big buck Ty shot was hit through the shoulder and the liver-Ty said he never even broke stride-was a pretty tough track job to find him.