burnie202

Thanks for all the help guys.

The only reason I shot back that far is because it was pushed to me and was on a fast move.
I was in the process of pulling the trigger in a small opening.
I couldn't move the gun with the deer.
That being said, it was following six doe so I had tracks going everywhere and we didn't really know which ones were the bucks.
We made circles around that area for hours and then gave up.
The Buck broke off from the rest of the does when I shot.
The does stayed together and went out across the hill.
We believe the buck got back on there trial, because we could find tracks going anywhere else.
We followed the tracks for about 75-85 yards with no blood.
And gave up.
I wish he had went further.
We are in the middle of a 10-12 inch snow storm in PA right now so I have to wait for it to clear, then go out and look for it.
It was the biggest buck I ever shot at in the 13 years that I hunted.

Two of you said that a heart shot will make it kick both legs back like it did.
How far can a buck go on a heart shot?
I thought they couldn't go far and that a heart shot would bleed a lot.

Oh yea, I shot 4 more times at it but they weren't good shots.
It hung in my area long enough to fire some more rounds.
Everything happened so fast, and I had a little buck fever.
As it ran away I heard it crash once and then louder a couple of seconds later, making me think I hit it.
But for the life of me we couldn't find blood.

The crashing and the kicking make is sound like a vital shot but why couldn't we find blood?
I killed a lot of deer and everytime I had a blood trail.

tabby

With 10 inches of snow, you will never find it's tracks. And you will have a hard time finding the deer laying on the ground dead.

Looks like the deer is lost to me.

Sounds like you took a bad shot, or one that you wern't capable of taking.


Out of curiosity. What kind of bullet were you using?
I gut shot a deer (bad shot) with Nosler Balistic tips, 25cal, 85 grain, and the guts looked like they had gone through a blender. Deer dropped and died instantly.

burnie202

30-6
150 grain bullet.

It has worked well for me in the past.
I needed it to mushroom this time and it didn't.

stubblejumper

If you didn't find the deer you don't know if the bullet mushroomed or not.In any case don't blame the bullet because you took a shot that you shouldn't have.

burnie202

I don't know if I took a shot I shouldn't have because I don't know where I hit it, I am trying to figure that part out.
I am guessing it didn't mushroom because I couldn't find any blood.

Charlie P

Let me ask two question. When you practiced with your gun before the season started. How many shots did you take at running targets? If the answer is none, you proably shouldn't have taken the shot right?

Phil J.

The only thing I've learned over time after the shot, is to always assume that it was a hit and track it until you can positively rule out the possibility of a hit, if that means following tracks for 200 yards then so be it, but I have learned that if an arrow or bullet is shot at a deer then I will be tracking none-the-less.

Sorry to hear about not finding the buck, the snow didn't help matters either. After it melts I would go back in there and look for the remains.

skeeter 7MM

Gut shots don't leave a lot of blood(like I said before specks and green bile coloured sign). Even if the bullet performed perfectly a gut shot is going to leave a poor result, trail and tougher follow up. I have seen deer hit vitally with good shots that left poor blood trails and are work to find, but that is part of the sport-tracking. If you have snow coming down a large grid search or look for scavangers is your best bet at finding this animal. All you can do is try and hopefully learn from the experience for the future.

good luck

Huntinlikeaveteran

Burnie, first off i shot a buck this year with a .30-06 in the heart from 20 yards & he ran 100 yards. So a buck could run a little ways before he stops. Second where in PA do you live? I know some people in a couple parts of PA that would help you find him if you needed. That snow storm is bering down on us fast! Already 3in. where I hunt & still more coming. Good luck

Tim

webejonesin2

Like skeeter said a gut shot will not always leave blood, this i know -was a bad shot on my behalf only found three little drops and no more. found him 75yrds later. Good luck on finding yours.