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A friend shot a mule deer buck with a 50 cal ML round ball at 100 yards. The deer started bleeding after 20 yards. Good blood for 100 yards. A couple drops over the next 100 yards. Then no more blood. The blood was bright and red. No stomach matter. Not watery. No broken legs on the deer. The deer was left alone for 3 hours, but it never bedded. So what do you guys think? I thought it was a muscle hit. | ||
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Sounds like it was maybe a hit too far forward, like to the brisket or shoulder area. Did you find the animal? Did you find any bone? Also, did you find any thick slimy, jelly-like blood that may indicate that the ball shattered a lot of bone? I'm guessing that you were probably finding good blood every 15 feet or so for that first 100yds. This was probably due to blood streaming down the legs of the animal. Every time he landed - there was blood. When the blood began to clot, the trail faded. That's a real bitch. The fact that this deer did not bed down is not too surprising for a mule deer - and an indication that he was not so grievously wounded that he still counldn't run to the next county. This deer probably has some remote chance of survival if the hit was too far forward and not too far back. | |||
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one of us |
MGC: Times like this you need the services of a good dog that has been trained to follow wounded deer... Such dogs are common in Europe and the UK where there is a lot of ethical pressure on us hunters to account for every deer we shoot. I can recommend a good book if you want to get a dog and train it for blood trailing. ------------------ Richard | |||
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Deerdogs, I agree, but in many cases it's actually illegal to use a dog to track deer here in the States. Though most state codes include something to the effect that "every reasonable effort must be made to recover game." A tracking dog is reasonable to me. | |||
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Moderator |
I have to admit it is an amazing thing to see a dog track a wounded deer. And what is even more amazing is when it is done by a dog not trained to do it, most can do it pretty good just instinctively. If you ever want to try it with a dog the guys I watch use about a 20-30 foot lead, and then just follow the dog. | |||
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recommend the book, i am interested, will a jack russell terrier do any good? | |||
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Explain "bright red"....bright red can spell a lung hit, although that is usually foamy, but not necessairly, particularly if only one lung is damaged, in which case an animal can go miles and this happens with muzzle loaders ( round balls )on ocassions when penitration is stopped by a shoulder bone....Dark red is normally a muscle shot, and is seldom seen in large amounts. I would also want to know if the deer left any drag marks, indicating a broken leg or shoulder... Keep in mind it is harder to track a wounded deer on cyberspace than in the veld!! ------------------ | |||
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| one of us |
What would liver blood look like? When it was shot the buck ran about 50 yards then stopped looked back. Then walked another 50 yards looked back. Then he headed over the ridge. He did go uphill. We watched him for 3-5 min. and he did not limp. No blood was apparent on him through the Spotting scope. No bone hit. At 100 yards uphill, the ball would penetrate. It was an old Buck. Not in Great condition, but an old mulie can live on Adreniline alone. We put in 22 man hours (2 days) looking for the buck. We spent 2-3 hours on hands and knees looking. We also combed every inch of the area (150 acres of Mtn scrub pine). The blood looked like if you had cut your finger or had a bloody nose. Defineatley not lungs. I think it was grazed on the brisket. Thanks for the thoughts. I am taking the Lab up there to hunt grouse this week, but we'll spend some more time looking. (It is illegal to use dogs) Hate the feeling of wounded animals. PS- What is the book?? | |||
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Liver blood means a dead animal real quick. | |||
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one of us |
Did you go on the track emediatly after the shot, or did you wait a while, an hour or so? If they are wounded, they will most often bed after some minuits. A silent and careful tracker can then they them before they flee. It�s astonishing that you�re not allowed to use hounds for tracking wounded game. Here in Sweden it�s forbidden to hunt big game without an tracking hound available. A dachshound will do a good job. Fritz | |||
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The book is called The Versatile Gundog by Guy Wallace. Here is an Amazon.com link: The link says it is out of print but I have seen loads of copies in bookshops recently. The book is a delight even if you are only thinking about a gundog. The book is aimed at the HPR owner but as GW says the principles are the same for all breeds including Jack Russells which do very well as deer dogs. ------------------ Richard | |||
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He has also written a pamphlet called 'Training Dogs for Woodland Deer' which is about �5.00 and has all that the deer chapter in the book Deerdogs mentions has but also a little about other breeds. You guys also have some good info on Deersearch.com which I think is actualy better re training for bloodtrailing. A dog for deer is an aid but not magic, it does need blood to follow and it must be able to do bring the buck to bay. The situation you outline is a tall order for all but the most accomplished dogs, not a lot of blood and a very mobile big deer. I also imagine in such a situation there would be a real danger (from what I have heard) of another hunter shooting the dog for chasing a deer. | |||
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Based on your second post I suspect your friend hit the deer in the neck as that produces a good deal of blood and will clot quickly if the juglar is missed...The brisket shot produces little blood at all forward of the shoulder...The other options is a very low chest shot that does little permanent damage, normally...Unfortunately round balls kill by penitration with some expansion. the more expansion the less penitration and visa versa. ------------------ | |||
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Thanks for all the replies. Losing a wounded animal has never sat well with me, but sometimes it does happen. Good Luck All | |||
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Like it or not, the more one hunts the more animals he will lose, and the more carefull he will become, with each and every one...but one should not lose more than say 4 or 5 in a life time of heavy hunting, and 1 or 2 for most hunting careers is average, least he should take a long look at himself and modify his hunting techniques.. I qualify the above by stating that I have no basis for the above other than experience and a educated guess... ------------------ | |||
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Something I've noticed is that brisket hits usually will leave blood smeared on tips of brush as the deer walks over them, while neck or other hits usually just drip onto brush or the ground. | |||
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| <Juneau> |
"fats" Funny you should mention the Jack Russell terrier. On a recent plains game hunt to Namibia, their was a Jack Russell in the Land Cruiser with us at all times. Only had to use him once to help find an Eland. Did an outstanding job! | ||
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