A few months ago in the fallow rut I flinched as I shot a fallow buck (too used to moderators now to use a decent rifle!) I thought I had hit it badly so when it ran somewhat erraticaly (wouldn't you if someone had come within a couple of inches of you with a bullet!) and stopped at a stupid distance I weighed the options, placed the cross hair and very carefuly shot.

At the shot the buck jumped, kicking out as if hit in the vitals then ran. I congratulated myself, waited then followed up. Despite having my dog I could find nothing. Doubly irritating as I found no evidence to suggest that I had hit it with the first shot.

I always wondered what happened with that buck. At the time I thought one of two things. Either I hit it in the lungs and the bullet failed to expand so it took a long time (and distance) to succumb or I hit it very low indeed. The state of the ground was such I couldn't find sign but I'm very bad at that anyhow.

This morning I took quite a hard shot on a roe doe that jumped as if well hit in the vitals. Not seeing it fall and wanting to wait for the fawn to return I waited 15minutes or so before following up. The doe was just alive I had hit and just just hit the sternum by the cartiledge on the diaphragm. That doe reacted as if hit textbook.

So don't always believe your eyes - it is possible for a deer to react as if shot well but not to be.

(BTW the poor shooting is a very small % honest!)

Sounds like a real hunter rather than those posts where every deer has dropped on the spot from a 200yd neckshot
I recently had a similar experience with a clean miss and a second rather protracted tracking exercise. It turned out a scope mount screw had come loose. Everything goes alright and then it doesnt - oh well.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MarkH:
Sounds like a real hunter rather than those posts where every deer has dropped on the spot from a 200yd neckshot

I was thinking the same thing - I have been in a prolonged 'lucky period' but know that the tables will turn at some point...

I messed up a shot on a Sika calf a few years ago. I was with Mr Fenton down in Wicklow.

Perfectly straight forward broad side shot at about 80m, I was prone over some rocks. I fired, heard the impact, all seemed well I thought. Gave it a few moments and got up and walked to where I expected the calf to be lying dead. The calf was down where I expected, but the calf's head was up, I hadn't the wit to get the rifle up and get another shot off before the calf got to it's feet and legged it into a plantation.

We went and got the Bloodhound. Came back about an hour later. There was absolutely no blood that I could see, just a few chunks of meat and hair where the bullet had cut a track through the underside of the chest. The dog took the trail. Long story short, the dog tracked the calf for 600-700 yards before catching up with it and pulling it down.

We examined the carcass. I had obviously misread the angle because the shot managed to pass between the deers front legs. It had taken out a piece of brisket / breast bone about 2" x 1", you could see into the chest cavity through the hole.

The Calf had initially gone down as if poleaxed with a typical chest shot, then managed, under pressure, to get back on it's feet and run half a mile.

I felt pretty sick I have to say.

I have messed up a few shots on deer, not too many I am glad to say, but I always knew what I had done wrong. I have no idea how I managed this cock up. Poor shooting is the only answer.

Heres a question for all you doctors!
Do the lungs work properly if the chest cavity is perforated,similar to the shots that have been described!

regards
griff

Not a doctor - however punctured chest cavity causes Pneumothorax and results in collaps of the lungs (from partial to whole (single) lung, if mediastinum is punctured then both lungs can collaps) - no, lungs don't work properly if chest cavity is perforated.

P.S. Remember this one - 3 y.o. stag that was shot (probably as a calf) through both shoulders and both lungs - bullet (7mm - 9g) was found under the hide on exit side - stag was halted on regular hunt 2 years later by a dog and then shot. Weight 58 kg.
- living (was) proof of survival of such a case (more an exception to the rule since obviously no major vein was hit that would cause fatal bleeding nore a fatal infection occured).

quote:

Originally posted by MarkH:
Sounds like a real hunter rather than those posts where every deer has dropped on the spot from a 200yd neckshot
I recently had a similar experience with a clean miss and a second rather protracted tracking exercise. It turned out a scope mount screw had come loose. Everything goes alright and then it doesnt - oh well.

Mark

Hello Mark

Had a similar experience with loose scope mount screws fortunately it was on a range.
I have been considering swapping over to rail mount once and for all
I think I will be really upset if this happens to me during a hunt.

Any similar experience anybody ...............

If the chest wall is breached then a pneumothorax will occur collapsing the lung. However is the hole gets blocked almost immediatly with tissue/fascia a deer can survive.
Here is a perfectly healthy roe I shot in Scotland only to find out it had been shot through the shoulder, the lung had collapsed but healed over.Most likely small calibre 22 from a poacher.

Notice the scar in the fur

Notice the healed hole through the chest cavity and the scar fron the adherent collapsed lung.

Who said shot placement was everything.

quote:

Had a similar experience with loose scope mount screws fortunately it was on a range.
I have been considering swapping over to rail mount once and for all

Any similar experience anybody ...............

LH,

All the time! Fortunately not on my rifles.

All 'permanent' screw fittings are given a drop of Loctite 'Threadlock'. Can still be removed with normal hand tools, but offer the reassurance of never moving otherwise.

a few pounds for a lifetime supply is pretty cheap when weighed against the hunt of a lifetime!

http://www.midwayuk.com/apps/e...ct?SaleItemID=613078

Rgds

Ian

The Locktite is great advice. My Rail mounted scope moved last year prior to the AR hunt. An off the cuff excuse to shoot the gun found it grouping at silly inches, until I found a screw had come loose.

As for the subject of the thread, I am sadly coming across more and more wounded fallow each year. The local poachers have been a real menace and many of the deer I'm getting in the larder are exhibiting either some primary previous damage or collateral damage from poachers.

It's a sad fact that the recession means a deer carcass can make easy pound notes for someone out of a car window.

FB

quote:

Originally posted by Fallow Buck:



It's a sad fact that the recession means a deer carcass can make easy pound notes for someone out of a car window.

FB

Poaching is now rife in Ireland and the authorities do SFA about it.
Recession deepens,crime increases,a sad fact of life.

quote:

Originally posted by SIKA98K:

quote:

Originally posted by Fallow Buck:



It's a sad fact that the recession means a deer carcass can make easy pound notes for someone out of a car window.

FB

Poaching is now rife in Ireland and the authorities do SFA about it.
Recession deepens,crime increases,a sad fact of life.

It is chronic in the North also. One landowner friend of mine was abused and threatened with violence by a group of long dog men. Two car loads in broad day light on his farm. Numbers of car were taken, police were called and absolutely no action was taken.