Ranger RA556B / fatal shooting (graphic pics)

[scooter22]

Thanks! As pictured, the bullet punched the opposing rib/hide, left about a .45 caliber hole, and kept on for parts unknown.
I feel certain that mitral valve prolapse and rupture of said structure occurred, although I did not dissect the heart to confirm or deny that.

Out of curiosity, why do you suspect MVP? Potential chordae rupture due to path of bullet?

[T2C]

The sling appears to have come in handy.

[Gunnar da Wolf]

Thanks! As pictured, the bullet punched the opposing rib/hide, left about a .45 caliber hole, and kept on for parts unknown.
I feel certain that mitral valve prolapse and rupture of said structure occurred, although I did not dissect the heart to confirm or deny that.

LOL! Guess I reverted to Playboy magazine mode and read your story without looking at the photographs. That is a decent exit wound for a .224" projectile.

[WS6]

Out of curiosity, why do you suspect MVP? Potential chordae rupture due to path of bullet?

I have no reason to suspect that other than that the chordae are likely not as durable as the ventricle wall, which showed striations like a cracked car tire from dry-rot. I did not do much looking at the heart to be honest, but I just can't see the ligaments of the MV being stronger than the ventricle wall. The event violent enough to do that would have forced blood into the great vessels, if anything would, IMO.

However, I did not dissect the heart, and it had a huge hole in it, so nothing the deer did would likely have been different, had it done so.

[WS6]

LOL! Guess I reverted to Playboy magazine mode and read your story without looking at the photographs. That is a decent exit wound for a .224" projectile.

Yeah? Everyone was curious why it wasn't larger. I mean, it DID dead-center a rib on the way in, and out, and punch the hide. I suppose that's pretty good. Also, based on the bloodshot meat around the entrance and exit, it did pretty good in the "violent expansion" department.

(some of the bloodshot meat has been cut away already)

Entrance:


Exit:

[WS6]

The sling appears to have come in handy.

Yes. I did typically QD it off when in the stand, though, so as to avoid it getting caught or the buckle hitting the stand when I moved, if I saw a deer.

[FlyingHunter]

Congratulations! Well done.

Point of note as someone who's taken many, many deer as well as other large game including Alaska. After the shot, if you cannot actually see them expired on the ground, sit tight where you are for 20, even better - 30 minutes. Many animals will run a short distance and if they do not feel pursued, will bed down. Your tracking distance and recovery success will markedly improve allowing them adequate time to expire. Bowhunters do this routinely, gun hunters not as much but its equally important. Wounded animals, feeling pursued, can run extraordinary distances even with rock solid placement into the vitals.

Again, welcome to the tribe and congratulations on your deer.

[gsh341]

Nice job!

Typically, with many medium to large sized animals there is enough oxygen in the blood to keep things going for several seconds. Even with the heart and both lungs destroyed, the deer had enough oxygen to get that 70 yards and then it likely collapsed and expired a second or two later.

I shot a doe with a 30-06 at 200 yards that managed to run 50 yards and jump a fence before collapsing. Like your's, both the lungs and heart were destroyed.

The only guaranteed way to stop a deer right where they are is a CNS shot. No impulses from the brain to the muscles = no movement. However, given the small size of the brain and spine relative to the chest, it's not a wise shot to make.

[WS6]

Congratulations! Well done.

Point of note as someone who's taken many, many deer as well as other large game including Alaska. After the shot, if you cannot actually see them expired on the ground, sit tight where you are for 20, even better - 30 minutes. Many animals will run a short distance and if they do not feel pursued, will bed down. Your tracking distance and recovery success will markedly improve allowing them adequate time to expire. Bowhunters do this routinely, gun hunters not as much but its equally important. Wounded animals, feeling pursued, can run extraordinary distances even with rock solid placement into the vitals.

Again, welcome to the tribe and congratulations on your deer.

Thanks! Even knowing that both lungs were punched and the heart or great vessels were compromised, was it still a bad decision to walk after it, directly? I figured it was down for the count, and was right. Did I just get lucky and was it a bad call?

[gsh341]

Thanks! Even knowing that both lungs were punched and the heart or great vessels were compromised, was it still a bad decision to walk after it, directly? I figured it was down for the count, and was right. Did I just get lucky and was it a bad call?

I would have watched it to make sure where it went. Climbing out of your stand would mean taking your eyes off of it and possibly not seeing where it went.

However, once it's out of sight, I would go after it.