# Shot taken...hit or not ?



## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Hi Guys...took my son out for the deer youth hunt this last weekend. Saturday we spotted two nice bucks, a very tall 8 or 10 that had 3 doe with him and a nice 6 or 8, and some other does but nothing close enough. The next morning we were stalking in and jumped a couple doe. One ran out about 75 yards and turn broadside. I told Hunter ( my son ) move to where you have a clear shot. " Dad I have a clear shot here " So he shot and dropped his first doe. ( which as soon as I finsh writing I will skin and package )

So we tagged her and kept on our spot and stalk. We were working a ridge top hay field surrounded by big hardwoods and timbered thickets. We made it into the main 30 acer field without sighting any more deer. So I had him crawl out into the uncut area of the hay close to where we had seen the big boy the day before. I sat up higher glassing over most of the area. ( he did it perfect even from my advantage I had a hard time picking up his orange.)

After watching a doe here and there I spotted a nice 8 walk out of the hardwood. He was heading down a mowed path. So I texted.

Dad: There is nice 8 heading your way.
Son: I do not see him ?
Dad: keeps eyes open
Son: I am Dad

The buck walked up to about 75 yards and stood broadside to Hunter. With the sun to his back and wind in his face. Hunter shooting a 365 grain sabot traveling 1900 fps out of my scoped 1100. Took aim and let er rip...I watching from about 200 yards with my binocs saw that buck jump. He looked like he had been branded by a RED HOT IRON to his belly. He hunched up and bolted into the wood where he stoped and walk over the edge of the hill tail flipping up and down. I thought...wow...great shot. Hunter was there first...lookin for blood. Not finding blood or hair I asked him about the shot...he said nice broad side shot dad. I took my time and squeezed off using my knee as a rest. We looked for 2.5 hours for blood, hair, and a deer. Never found him. 

Would a buck jump like that with a bullet wizzin under his belly ?

I have shoot deer without finding blood or hair, knowing I hit it...looked untill I found it.

Anythoughts ?


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## poe (Feb 10, 2010)

Well it sounds like a hit to me. Could have been to far back in the guts and you might not get much blood. The bullet may not have opened up and just poked a small hole right through that a chunk of gut plugged the hole so no bleeding. You also could have not got an exit wound which can also mean no blood. A friend of mine lost a white tail to that this year with a .243. He knocked him right over with his first shot the deer got up and kept running. He was sure he hit him again a second time but deer kept on running with no blod trail. We allways try to never lose a wounded animal but it happens its just the way it goes.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

He would absolutely jumped if he had a bullet whizzin under him. I'm not positive that they always hunch up when missed though. In my experience they usually hunch when hit or drop right there. I'd go back and do a little more looking from a fresh perspective. Do you think it would have helped to let him bleed out a little?

Congrats on the doe though!! Way to go Hunter!


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## poe (Feb 10, 2010)

This is also the reason why I started using a larger gun than my old .243. I love that gun but the no exit with no blood trail is a major downfall.


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## El Gato Loco (Jan 15, 2010)

Bummer! I lost a coyote this year that I know I had a good shot on. We jumped right up, ran 100 yards to check him out and he jumped up and darted past us (basically at a low crawl, but full speed) into a huge pile of cactus. I'm guessing his den was under there but there was no way to get to him.

Now if I am unsure, i'll get on the trail after 30 minutes or so. No rush here. lol.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I'm with you poe, on the never losing an animal, I spend thirty minutes looking for a quail alot of times.


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## RoughNeck (Mar 16, 2010)

Ive had them hunch up after skinning the hair off there belly, but nice going on the doe. I use a 243 when deer hunting have always nalied it or missed by this much [ ] still makes you think you hit'em after watching them hunch up. like young said go back and double check just to see.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

I would love to go back and look...in fact we took liberty on looking as long as we did. Unfortunatly it is a 4.5 hour drive to the area we were hunting. I was invited by the group hunting there because of my son doing the youth hunt. Two of Hunters cousins were part of the group and I had told my brother it would be nice if they could hunt together. It was a nice ranch in Ohio's south eastern corner. A area noted for nice deer.

After meeting the owner of the property he himself invited me back. So I may head down later in the opener week or durring muzzel loader for a day or two. If I do I will look again but, it would only be to see if I could find it by birds. We did a good search though.

Thank guys for the input.


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## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

I can only relate this to black bear which in the spring are so thick with there winter coat that they will not bleed much. I have hit a black bear in the back above the backbone and had the bullet hit a rock which had hair and a little blood, I was using a 45-70 in a contender. He was dragging its hind legs and was able to get into the trees, I went back to the boat and got my brother in law and when we got back to shore and into the brush we found a clearing where there was some blood and no bear. We did find that the we a trail where it had climbed up a place that we could hardly get up and we followed a blood trail until it ran out. That is how I figured out it had been hit high in the back. I have been on many black bear hunts and look for a long time and lost the trail or it got confused with the stuff on the snow when trailing in the snow. It happens then there is not much you can do about it. I have been unhappy with a shot that did not hit the place I had intended for it to on the dead animal because I knew I could do better than that.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

A 365gr bullet? I lean towards the front area, grazing the front chest area, as is normal to pull and the reaction of the deer, only 1 animal I've shot at and never retrieved and it's reaction was the same. It was a bull elk and I had switched rifles taking the 300, not using it for a few years, mistake # 1, anyways it took off and after looking for 3 1/2hrs. found where it had crossed the river, the next day my friend who was hunting with me came out the next and last day of the season and sat about 12ft. from where I had, I would have bet a weeks wages that the bull would not come back; well Ed shot that bull no more than two ft from where I had the day before and it had a front grazing wound from me, the ribbing was the worst part but things do happen. You mean a 65gr bullet?


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

He was shooting a shotgun saboted slug.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Yes 365 grain saboted bullet. It is copper jacketed with designed controled expansion. I would shoot just about anything using this round. I was supprised there was nothing though. I always look for hair and not seeing any tells me either a complete miss or there was no pass through. With the reaction of the deer I felt there was a connection made ?

Anoher thing...I never heard a hit which I often hear, but not on every shot.

Hey Hassell, read a post you made making referance to Akron, Ohio. I was south of there by about an hour.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

On a call said:


> Yes 365 grain saboted bullet. It is copper jacketed with designed controled expansion. I would shoot just about anything using this round. I was supprised there was nothing though. I always look for hair and not seeing any tells me either a complete miss or there was no pass through. With the reaction of the deer I felt there was a connection made ?
> 
> Anoher thing...I never heard a hit which I often hear, but not on every shot.
> 
> Hey Hassell, read a post you made making referance to Akron, Ohio. I was south of there by about an hour.


Right on, forgot about the use of shotguns(1100) duh!! never have used them for big game never mind slugs so haven't been or seen the damage slugs do, would think any contact with a 365 slug would knock them head over tea kettle but then again!!

My buddies Mom lives in Lisbon, forget how far that was from Akron!!


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Heard of Lisbon...might look it up. The area we were hunting is south and east near Wheeling, WV.

Yes there is plenty of knock down power. It may not have long range balistics but I had it grouping out to about 150 yards. Not bad for a shot gun. Too bad the cost is so high...12.95 for a box of 5. Not a plinker toy.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

So what does a deer permit cost in Ohio now OAC? And how many can a hunter get? How about Michigan.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Michigan I am not certain about, I just trap and hunt fur animals there.

As for Ohio a deer permit cost is 24.00. You however have to purchase a hunting license also, resident 19.00 non 125.00. As for the number of deer you are allowed only one buck. Depending on where you hunt you are allowed 3, 6, or 9 deer, again only one a buck. The south east has the largest bag limit with the northwest the least. Urban ( around cities ) areas however offer permits to take addition deer also. All in all you can fill a freezer, 2 or 3 suits me, deer that is.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Sweet!!! I wish just once i could have a chance at that many here.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

The deer herd in my oppionion is being affected by that high of a limit, I used to see alot more deer. In the woods behind the house I could just walk out about any evening and see deer. Maybe not several but a couple...now I have yet to see one out of my blind all day long. I know there are a couple I have seen tracks...but that is about it.

From what I have heard the insurance companies lobbied to have in place higher limits to help control deer accidents. The hunters liked it because they thought they could fill their freezers and some did. However the herd cannot with stand continued pounding.


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## indianadog hunter (Mar 1, 2010)

I shot a buck early in the archery season and got a compleate pass through very minimal blood trail 
it stopped in about 30 yards. when I finally found it a piece of fat got pulled through the exit and shut it off totaly


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Yes I have seen that happen too...to me ! and...more than once.

I shot a buck once that gave me a great blood trail...I followed it for about 50 yards it quit...it was good till then. I had to start looking for other sign kicked leaves is what got me to him. My daughters first buck ran off 30 yards and stopped bleeding I saw it drop about another 20 or so yards. It gave me a chance to teach my son and her how to track without blood.

Thank you I H....Welcome to the site !


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