06-16-2004, 06:33 AM
[font "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][#cc0000][size 4]by[#000000][size 2]Russ Chastain[/size][/#000000][/size][/#cc0000][/font]
[font "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]You can often get a good idea where you've hit a deer by the way it acts at the time of the shot.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Yesterday I read an article in a hunting magazine I subscribe to, about making sure your deer is hit where you think it is, before you trot off through the woods tracking it. A couple of examples from the author's bowhunting experience had demonstrated that the ol' eyeball can fool you into thinking the hit was somewhere other than where it was. At any rate, several times he suggested noting the deer's "body language" at the time of the hit, to help determine where you hit the deer... but he didn't give any examples or try to educate his readers on what to look for! Thinking about it, I've rarely (if ever) seen tips in print to help hunters determine where they hit their deer via its actions. So, here goes![/size][/font]
[font "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]The ultimate hit puts a deer down immediately, leaving no guesswork on whether or not to start tracking now or later. Most of the deer I've shot have dropped where they stood, or fallen and died within eyesight of my stand. This isn't always the case, so it's nice to be able to have an idea where you hit your critter. This is sometimes crucial, as a poorly hit deer can run for miles if pushed by trackers bent on its recovery, and may be lost in the process.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Gutshot deer will usually "hump up;" they'll arch their back, and do a sort of a stiff-legged trot. I heard this from someone years ago, and found it to be true early in my hunting career when I failed to "pick a spot" to aim at, and instead shot at the entire deer... never a good idea, and a mistake I have not repeated. In my case, the deer went only about 75 yards or so and stopped, at which time I shot him again and he fell dead. Had it come to tracking him, I would have known to wait before tracking, since the arched back and stiff run told me where I'd hit him.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Deer hit through the lungs will often kick their heels like a mule. I've seen it, and I'll swear to it. The first time I saw it was on a muzzleloader hunt several years ago. When I shot the six-point buck, he kicked his heels straight back and started running. The thick woods prevented me from seeing much of the deer as he fled, but he appeared to be slowing as he disappeared. I later found out he had run about sixty-five yards before stopping in front of my Dad, who was about to shoot him again when the buck fell, my .45 caliber maxi-ball having done its job. The second instance of this was in 1994, here in the Ocala National Forest. When I shot this buck, he kicked his heels up so high, I thought he was going to do a somersault. He crashed through the brush for 50 yards or so, then died. Lung-shot deer will not usually travel far before dying, and can usually be recovered within the hour without much risk of scaring them off.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]I have never aimed specifically for a deer's heart; in my opinion, it's a bit too small and too low a target to count on. I have been told that a deer will sometimes rear up on his hind legs when shot through the heart, but I know that they'll often just drop. I also know that most deer shot through the heart won't run far enough to make tracking them necessary.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Whatever the case, be sure of the shot before you take it. Don't take a shot you don't think you can make. When you shoot a deer, follow through and find it, and take it home! Give it a couple of hours if you're not sure of the hit, or if you know it was a poor hit, and then track it down. Take a buddy or two with you to help out... having more eyeballs out there can often make a lot of difference. Don't give up, and pray often for guidance. It's always worked for me![/size][/font]
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[font "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]You can often get a good idea where you've hit a deer by the way it acts at the time of the shot.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Yesterday I read an article in a hunting magazine I subscribe to, about making sure your deer is hit where you think it is, before you trot off through the woods tracking it. A couple of examples from the author's bowhunting experience had demonstrated that the ol' eyeball can fool you into thinking the hit was somewhere other than where it was. At any rate, several times he suggested noting the deer's "body language" at the time of the hit, to help determine where you hit the deer... but he didn't give any examples or try to educate his readers on what to look for! Thinking about it, I've rarely (if ever) seen tips in print to help hunters determine where they hit their deer via its actions. So, here goes![/size][/font]
[font "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]The ultimate hit puts a deer down immediately, leaving no guesswork on whether or not to start tracking now or later. Most of the deer I've shot have dropped where they stood, or fallen and died within eyesight of my stand. This isn't always the case, so it's nice to be able to have an idea where you hit your critter. This is sometimes crucial, as a poorly hit deer can run for miles if pushed by trackers bent on its recovery, and may be lost in the process.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Gutshot deer will usually "hump up;" they'll arch their back, and do a sort of a stiff-legged trot. I heard this from someone years ago, and found it to be true early in my hunting career when I failed to "pick a spot" to aim at, and instead shot at the entire deer... never a good idea, and a mistake I have not repeated. In my case, the deer went only about 75 yards or so and stopped, at which time I shot him again and he fell dead. Had it come to tracking him, I would have known to wait before tracking, since the arched back and stiff run told me where I'd hit him.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Deer hit through the lungs will often kick their heels like a mule. I've seen it, and I'll swear to it. The first time I saw it was on a muzzleloader hunt several years ago. When I shot the six-point buck, he kicked his heels straight back and started running. The thick woods prevented me from seeing much of the deer as he fled, but he appeared to be slowing as he disappeared. I later found out he had run about sixty-five yards before stopping in front of my Dad, who was about to shoot him again when the buck fell, my .45 caliber maxi-ball having done its job. The second instance of this was in 1994, here in the Ocala National Forest. When I shot this buck, he kicked his heels up so high, I thought he was going to do a somersault. He crashed through the brush for 50 yards or so, then died. Lung-shot deer will not usually travel far before dying, and can usually be recovered within the hour without much risk of scaring them off.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]I have never aimed specifically for a deer's heart; in my opinion, it's a bit too small and too low a target to count on. I have been told that a deer will sometimes rear up on his hind legs when shot through the heart, but I know that they'll often just drop. I also know that most deer shot through the heart won't run far enough to make tracking them necessary.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Whatever the case, be sure of the shot before you take it. Don't take a shot you don't think you can make. When you shoot a deer, follow through and find it, and take it home! Give it a couple of hours if you're not sure of the hit, or if you know it was a poor hit, and then track it down. Take a buddy or two with you to help out... having more eyeballs out there can often make a lot of difference. Don't give up, and pray often for guidance. It's always worked for me![/size][/font]
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