shooting running deer

[Loyalist Dave]

But no, one can never "know" the difference with absolute certainty anymore than one can know the difference with a standing deer missed for any number of reasons. Speaking of such reasons, the only deer I've ever lost with a rifle was standing stock still, but a small, unseen twig intervened in the trajectory to send my bullet slightly off course. I found the twig after some searching as I couldn't understand the lack of DRT on a square shoulder shot with a good call on the break at relatively close range inside 100 yards.

Thanks for the explanation and the lesson. Where I hunt the cover is thick even after the leaves fall, and my shots are normally well under 100 yards. The deer creep in or slowly walk in, and may stop and stand, so that when I fire, the deer normally react by dashing off, or sometimes some will stand and stare while others dash off, but you don't see them long enough after they are hit, to tell if they have changed their movement behavior. (Unless of course as you mentioned it was a shoulder shot, and they dropped like they were pole-axed on the spot.) So I may hear a crashing in the woods that indicates the deer has likely "piled up", but I never see them stumbling about. The one I shot in October of this year took off like I'd poked her in the arse with a burning twig for the brief moment I saw her before she went deep into the brush

Also like you I fired at a standing deer, and she scampered off. No blood at all, and I couldn't believe I'd missed her at under 50 yards. Though try as I might, I found foot prints but absolutely no blood trail. I was very concerned that somehow I'd made a bad shot..., and the deer was barely wounded...but still I thought there should've been some blood. After an hour of slowly criss-crossing her path, I went back to where I was when I fired, to begin "from the top" and of course as the day had progressed by an hour, the sun had moved, and things were revealed that I had not seen before. The base of a small maple, that was just behind the deer when I had fired, was quite torn up, and my bullet was lodged in that tree. A clean miss (I was relieved) but then the question was why..., and then I found the small twig that I'd not seen when firing nor when I first tried to track the deer...which had deflected my shot. Well...at least I hadn't wounded a deer that got away.

LD

 

[buck460XVR]

....every first morning, as I listen to the hundreds of rounds going off in the distance, I realize that a good portion of those must be misses, otherwise there wouldn't be any deer left in the area. When I hear multiple shots from one spot, I assume the deer is still not standing while being shot at. I have missed deer cleanly, even while standing, that I did not think I could miss. I missed a really nice buck this year with my bow. Thought he was dead. Thought I heard the arrow hit ribs and everything. Wasn't till the buck took two hops and looked back, that I saw the branch between him and me moving, even tho there was no wind. Two many variables, too many scenarios out there, when it comes to hunting, to blame every miss and every bad shot on the hunter. While we should always strive to only take high percentage shots and our quest should always be for a quick and humane kill, every hunters skill set is different. I see folks posting all the time about making 150 yards shots with their .44 mag revolver. Folks give them praise and virtual pats on the back for making such a great shot, even tho the shooter has never once practiced with that firearm over 40-50 yards.....IOWs it was just luck. Yet those same folks want to criticize an experienced hunter for taking a shot at a running deer.

 

[Johnm1]

I don't have confidence in my skills to plan a running shot. I don't have anything against others that have the skill though. But this year and 2 years ago I had follow up shots on running deer. 2 years ago I knew I had hit it hard in the lungs as it arched up like what you see on the hunting shows. But it began to run and when it got to high gear I tried to lead what I though was the right amount but was too far ahead. Plus it was stotting. I ended up hitting the front leg and it went down. I could have just as easily been too far behind and gut shot a deer that was gong to expire shortly. I just got lucky. This year the shot was only 36 yards and a real good shot that I was pretty certain hit the heart (it did). But it too turned and began to run. I put a follow up shot in the left shoulder that exited the right shoulder just as it started to run. Again, I got lucky. Even with 2 broken shoulders it ran 25 yards. Both times I felt it was a selfish move on my part. I had confidence both first shots were good shots that would have done their job in time. But I wanted to limit the amount of tracking and distance dragging. I'm not as young as I once was and I hunt alone.

I hunted the Big Thicket in East Texas for years and never got a good shot. But they almost certainly would have been a running shot. I'm kinda glad the situation didn't present itself back then. I'm not sure I would have made the right decision for me and my skill level.

 

[troy fairweather]

Well call me a lyre I shot a doe on the move today, it was more of a pop shot. No time to think I just pulled up and shot. Big doe folded over dead from the shoulder shot. Good old 7x57.

 

[Random 8]

Well call me a lyre I shot a doe on the move today, it was more of a pop shot. No time to think I just pulled up and shot. Big doe folded over dead from the shoulder shot. Good old 7x57.

Welcome to the buffalo plaid mafia. Have a PBR!

 

[stillquietvoice]

Well call me a lyre I shot a doe on the move today, it was more of a pop shot. No time to think I just pulled up and shot. Big doe folded over dead from the shoulder shot. Good old 7x57.

I wouldn't do that. It's not a lie, circumstances changed.

 

[ridgerunner1965]

I don't shoot at deer running flat out. just cant do it. I don't practice for that so I don't do it. my son when he was about 14 shot at a running deer, he was about 6 steps ahead going to our stand. of course he missed and I explained we would never see that buck again and we did not.

he only took good ethical shots after that

 

[ACES&8S]

I can do running shots, I just know when I can, like instinct. Open woods, running in a straight line, that kind of stuff.
Most of the time these days I don't even consider it an option, to much in the way, like age & health.
I can't even shoot a deer if my Son at work, everyone else in the woods hunting, so a bad hit would be disaster.

 

[LoonWulf]

Well call me a lyre I shot a doe on the move today, it was more of a pop shot. No time to think I just pulled up and shot. Big doe folded over dead from the shoulder shot. Good old 7x57.

If i think about it, ill almost always miss in front. Target, shoulder, fire....repeat if necessary. I suck at shooting birds and clays unless its pretty random also.