the deer ran off!

[daniel collums]

my buddy shot right after it got light enough to see good. i was over the next ridge or so and heard the thump of a good meat hit. i waited a short time to make sure he didn't push one my way. when i got over to where he was sitting he waved to me, i walked over to him and asked him about his shot. he said it was about a 60 yard shot at a big doe standing still. he said she ran off after the shot and had her tail down but couldn't tell if he hit her or not. i walked up on top of the ridge where she stood and looked back to him, he motioned me to the left about 30 yards where i found hair, meat and just a little blood. i waited on him to walk to me before we started tracking. we went over about 3 ridge tops and through a dry swamp bottom mostly just following tracks and just a few drops of blood every now and then. we found where she went into the water and i started getting that sick feeling we waded across the worst part and found where she came out and got on a beaver dam, she made it about 20 yards where she bedded down on the dam and died. when i saw where the .50 ball went through i couldn't believe how far she went, a double lung shot just a little far back and high that made a pass through. she made it at least 600 yards or more. it was his first deer with black powder. he's had his gun a renegade since the early 80's and has shot it a good bit but just never hunted with it. he wasn't even going to take it but i talked him into it. now he wants to hunt with it and try for a wall hanger buck. his wife is going to send me a picture so i can post it. by time we got her drug to the atv trail he was about to drop. he said he's been smoking since he was 12 and he's 76. next shot i will take better aim he said.

 

[mooman76]

One thing I learned archery hunting is high lung shots take longer for them to die and they can go farther before they drop. Glad you didn't give up looking and found it though.

 

[Rat Trapper]

What caliber? Patched round ball or conical? What was the powder charge?

 

[necchi]

Good story,, they can go far even if they don't know their dead.
Long story short we had one run 400yrds even though the bottom half of his heart was shredded. There were no lower heart chambers left to pump.

 

[BrownBear]

...just a little far back and high....

Did you happen to take a good look at the lungs when you dressed her out? Might have just clipped the top of one or both lungs. Takes a long time for them to bleed out and they can make a pretty good go of it. Never did that with a muzzleloader, but once with a modern revolver. Kinda added to my resolve to take my lung shots lower.

 

[daniel collums]

yes it ripped right through the top of both sides. i saw that most of the blood on the leaves was pink so we never really gave up hope it was just the thought of water she went into that had us worried.

 

[daniel collums]

a .490 ball over the top of 60 grs ffg goex. it made a complete pass through.

 

[satx78247]

My first cousin is the best shot that I've ever seen & about 5 years ago he had a 6-point buck solidly hit in the heart & lungs that took off; we had to go get a dog to finally find the buck over 500M away & GYD in thick brush.
How he ran that far with that very severe wound is a mystery to me.

yours, satx

 

[stombaug]

Unbelievable critters, those whitetails. Good job sticking with it. I know of hunters that don't even bother if they don't drop the deer right in its tracks....makes me sick.