Is losing deer an inevitable occurrence?

[zeus1gdsm]

Go easy on me. I'm already way down in the dumps.

 

Spent 2 hrs last night. And 4 hrs this morning looking for a deer.

 

I took a 150yard shot across an open field. Slightly quartering away with the cross on the vitals. Rifle is sighted 1inch high at 100.

 

Went to go look for blood after 15 minutes as it was getting dark. Deer had run off with tail down into the woods.

 

I start scanning the deer trails on the field edge. Nothing.

 

I look up and there's a doe 30 yards in the woods. Looks at me looks away and stands there.

 

This must be the deer. Load sight click.

 

Oh no dud round/delayed fire. Keep holding.

 

Nothing. Recock. Aim click.

 

Point at ground for safety. Deer is still there 2 steps further away.

 

Pull the round. And the rifle had never stripped off a new cartridge.

 

Load new cartridge. Deer is moving. I adjust to try and get an unobstructed shot. Deer is gone.

 

Go to last sighting.

 

Small bit of blood. 3in circle. Follow a random drop every 2 -3 feet to cut corn. Then back to wood line. About 50 yards. Cant find any blood. Looks for an hour on hands and knees. No blood. Light dies.

 

Go home sleepless night.

 

Get up at crack today and head out. It had done a hard rain according to land owner.

 

Go back to first big blood. It's gone. Try finding any other blood I had last night. All gone.

 

Back to last known drop from last night. Gone(and it was in very obvious place).

 

Agai. spend hour grid searching from last known . Nothing

Begin circling slowly looking for blood.

 

Pick up a ton of leaves with red splotches. Damn maples.

 

Begin visual search for body. Bust through three large bedding areas looking for blood and bed blood. Nothing.

 

I end up searching visually for a body in an area about 1000 yards from last blood in all directions looking for a body or bed. Still nothing.

 

Push search to property line and check all k own trails that cross it. As well as glass into next property nothing.

 

I ended up covering about 30 acres. No blood. No body.

 

I am such an jerk. I am so pissed off at myself right now. Having thoughts of hanging it up for the season.

 

I've had to let deer sit overnight before. And spent hours looking for them.

 

But never this much. I had to change my clothes and boots halfway through because I was soaked through from all the rain and I cant get sick.

 

Alright. Fire away.

 

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[zeus1gdsm]

I figure I should add my rational for taking a longer than normal shot for me. Not an excuse.

After passing a few deer this year the first couple trips. It's been 6 sits with no sightings at all.

So of course now that one presented I took it.

I rushed the shot.

No deer search near me

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[phade]

Losing deer sucks - you try your best. You either find deer, or you learn.

Everyone has it happen sooner or later. Don't beat yourself up more than normal.

[nodeerhere]

Stop beating urself up. You gave it 10x's the effort that 3/4 of the hunters out there would have! U either didn't make a good hit or fed the coyotes! It happens from time to time. We as decent hunters just try not to let it happen. U did all u could man! Go sight the gun in again and give it another shot! It's all u can do now! 

[BowmanMike]

It does suck when this happens,but there is always a chance something might go wrong. All you can do is try your hardest to find it,and if you can't then learn from it. No one wants to see a deer suffer,but there are no guarantees.

[Five Seasons]

"inevitable" is a tough word. I suppose if you only took shots within 15 yards or so and never pushed it even a little you may never lose one. But even then, there are so many variables. I've been hunting almost 20 years. I've missed a handful of times with both gun and bow and lost 3 or 4 with gun. It's a terrible deal and one we all work hard to prevent. But it does happen. I think most of us would say that if you did everything you could do to find the deer, then that's about as much as you can do. 

There's a story I posted last mz season where I tracked and put down a small doe that the neighbor wounded the night before. I retraced the whole scene in the snow and saw he gave up after about 30 yards and when the woods got thick. He never came back the next morning either. That's the kind of thing that makes me mad. You owe it to yourself and that animal to put in your best effort. And even then, it doesn't always work out.

[Dom]

No need in beating yourself up,you did the deer a good deed by looking for it.I have seen many times when a person shoots and thinks they have hit the deer but still unsure,they go to where they think the deer was standing and find no blood then say to themselves must have missed and go away without any effort of looking for blood or any signs of a wounded/dead animal.

[Dinsdale]

Learn from the experience and that makes you a better hunter.

I've shot a fair number of game animals; handful of wounded and lost, and handful of clean misses. I can still remember them, for me they don't go away; but tried to learn something from both those mess ups and from the good shots too.

Many don't see a deer with in 40yds of where it was standing don't do crap to find them and just look to shoot another one.

You did good in looking, sometimes best effort is all you can do.

[grampy]

It's happened to me.  As it likely will to most hunters if you hunt enough.

Even with taking a good shot within comfortable and practiced range, things happen. Sure it hurts. Especially to any ethical hunter. But you have done all you could do to fine that deer. That is all that you could ask of yourself. Put it behind you, learn something from it and move on. 

What bullet were you using that didn't fire? Or is it a malfunction of the rifle?

Would for sure get that straitened out before the next hunt though.

[rob-c]

You may not have hit her that hard, and one thing is for sure deer are very very tough critters. I bet she will survive . I get that your mad at yourself, I know I was when I lost a deer during archery several seasons back. It happens, learn from it and move on. Don’t give up on the rest of the season, get out and practice more with your rifle and get your confidence back. 

Edited October 22, 2018 by rob-c

[zeus1gdsm]

I appreciate the sympathy and kind words.

 

After several successfull seasons. Tracking deer. Helping others find deer. I've considered myself a good shot and tracker.

 

After putting in all the scouting. Not taking young not taking does with fawns. Passing small bucks. I didnt realise I would be hit this hard by the failure. To say that I am disapointed and ashamed of myself is an under statement.

 

I am going to go out and practice more freehand shooting and get a shooting stick.

 

One thing is for sure I am on the lookout for a new rifle.

 

I sighted this in a week ago it wasnt off from last year. And the scope has proven itself over a couple years.

 

However it's not the first time ive had feeding issues.

 

I've also been unsatisfied with the damage the .308 has done prior. Even with heavy soft point rounds.

 

Im ready to graduate to a nicer higher quality rifle.

 

Any recomendations on a heavier larger caliber?

 

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[philoshop]

I think I went my first 15+ years without ever losing a deer. Granted I was hunting in swamps with a shotgun and most of my kills had powder burns on them. My first non-recovery crushed me, though. I almost gave up hunting all together, and it haunts me to this day. I don't know what happened. What went wrong. Maybe the animal's will to live was just a bit stronger than my attempt to kill it on  that day. Who knows.

You do your best at recovery out of respect for the animal, and then you put it behind you.

[Dinsdale]

I got a 458 win mag in classifieds thats still for sale. 

But honest I don't think you need anymore then 308; and I have a love affair with 300 magnums and have owned several and shot many deer sized game with them; its not required.

Need to fix feed issue. I rack a box full through my gun that I'm going to hunt with to make sure everyone feeds correct for the ammo. Most would think that overkill but I like to remove any variables. Just a habit now when getting ready for a trip and now do for all hunting centerfire guns.

Gun feeding issue may need some more thought but most models have trends in what needs tweaking.

 

 

 

[rob-c]

Dinsdsle is right  a 308 should get the job done no doubts.But all bullets are not created equal, some  bullets just outperform others . The gun not feeding rounds reliably is it the gun or is it the type / brand of ammo ? 

[moog5050]

It seems like the conscientious hunter will take those lost deer harder than most and they tend to stick in our memories.  You gave it everything in terms of trying to recover.  That's all you can do.  Shoot at enough deer with either bow or gun, you will lose one or more.  I still vividly remember 2 doe hit with my bow that I never recovered.  One first year hunting that was gut shot (and I did everything possible including calling deer search) and another than was high and back with little penetration.  I knew the first was dead but bumped it after leaving it overnight and the other I am 90% sure is still running today.  Its a tough thing to forget but that's good - keeps you focused on high odds shots.  Move on and put one down.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Get downwind from a downed deer after it's left overnight . If it's anywhere in the area, you'll smell it. By the way, the last 6 deer  we harvested had no blood trail; except under the body.

Edited October 22, 2018 by landtracdeerhunter

[Hunter007]

You hunt long enough it's going to happen .

 

[OtiscoPaul]

1 hour ago, phade said:

Losing deer sucks - you try your best. You either find deer, or you learn.

Everyone has it happen sooner or later. Don't beat yourself up more than normal.

Not only do you learn about shot selection and what not...

a long blood trail gives you a ton of information about travel and escape routes.

If you shoot at a lot of deer you're prolly gonna lose a couple down the line.

Edited October 22, 2018 by OtiscoPaul

[JRod 8G8H]

I have lost 2 deer and both times I felt like giving up on hunting too... just give it a few days is all i can say.. One time I hit a doe low, had white hair everywhere from her belly, and followed a light blood trail for a 1/2 mile.  Another time I hit a real nice 8 hard in the front shoulder.  He ran and bedded about 150 yds away.. lots of blood in the bed...  Didn't give him enough time as he jumped the bed and ran onto my friend's neighbor's property who doesn't let anybody track... hard lessons learned.. it's inevitable...

[Robhuntandfish]

yeah that sucks and most all of us have been down that road.  You def put some effort in there! I have had this happen and haunt me all season.  Lost one last season to coyotes that i shouldve went after at night but thought my shot wasnt as good as it really was.  Tough day for sure for you .  But it isnt an exact science for sure thats why its not grocery shopping and is a challenge.  Sometimes you can still go thru all the right motions and not have a good ending.  

I have lost a deer or two along the way both gun and bow.  Have made some bad choices along the way and have made choices I thought were right and the outcome wasnt.  All i hope is it makes me become a better hunter.  Good luck rest of the season. 

Edited October 22, 2018 by Robhuntandfish

[b3h]

Maybe go back and look for hair at the hit site. Might define the hit better. Spend some time still huntin thru the area at a crawl glassing ahead, might get her up for a shot. Watch and listen for critters that may be on a dead deer. Go ahead and beat yourself up but get over it quick and get back at it.


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[UpStateRedNeck]

Biggest buck I've seen in the flesh, drop tine, real slob.  Shoulder shot with bow.  Arrow never came out, tracked til 11 pm, then brought in a dog the next day.  3 miles, no deer.  Saw beds all season that had rusty blood in them on that shoulder.  Still feels shitty.

[Buckmaster7600]

Can’t beat yourself up too bad, it will happen to everyone. All you can do is learn from it and do everything you can to not have it happen again. It’s happened to me and the worst part is when you know you could have done something to helps prevent it whether it’s more shooting practice or not take the shot.

I’ll never talk anyone out of buying a new gun but I’ll tell you this I don’t think you can get a much better deer cartridge than a 308. Heavy soft points aren’t the best expanding bullets.


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[GreeneHunter]

It's happened to me before and more than likely will happen again ... hopefully not !  As long as you put in the effort to try and find it with the best of your abilities than you certainly do not have anything to be ashamed of ! Now get back out there where a good hunter belongs !

[Hock3y24]

If it hasn’t happens to you yet, you don’t hunt enough. Deer also survive all sorts of bullet wounds and Broadhead wounds. I’ve lose more deer with a shotgun than with a bow because I was a newer hunter and took some stupid shots,( also had sabots slugs failing on shoulders).