Ranger RA556B / fatal shooting (graphic pics)

[WS6]

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.

It ran down the side of a ridge. I tracked it visually until then.

[LDM]

.

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.

Good advice, but will add an anecdote as a proviso... I shot a young buck week before last. (sidebar- rifle was a 300BLK) Animal ran to point about 50-60 yards from me and collapsed, Saw it go down but view obscured. Shot placement was at or about heart, so had to consider lung shot. Was waiting to give it time to bleed out. Saw another deer in distance and ended up waiting an hour before moving.
Cutting to chase... Coyote(s) got to my deer first, opened up gut and had started eating. Saw a coyote as I walked to deer, snapped a shot off but missed.
So if coyotes around, don't wait too long.

[gsh341]

It ran down the side of a ridge. I tracked it visually until then.

Then you did exactly as I would have done.

A solid hit to the vitals should result in a fairly quick death and following once it's out of sight shouldn't be a problem.

[FlyingHunter]

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 believe sportsman desire the most humane outcome when hunting. Pursuing game too early can lead to lost game. Well placed shots are lethal and quick, however not every shot is as rock solid as the hunter envisions. Experienced hunters can tell tales of unbelievable distances traversed by game feeling pursued even with a lethal placement. The risk reward isn't there. The reward of immediate tracking could be along and evaporating blood trail. The reward of allowing game to bed closely and expire quickly is meat in the freezer and on the property you have access permission to hunt. Good hunting my friend.

[Burdy]

I HIGHLY recommend this reading. I've been hunting for 30 years and I become so much more effective after reading Nathan's analysis, regardless of caliber:
http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Know...damentals.html

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

[MegademiC]

I'd wait 20mins unless it's a spine shot, in which case you can take a blade to them to end it sooner. If it's a possible bad shot, I'd wait longer. As said they usually bed down close and die unless pushed. Losing a deer is awful, and disappointing way to learn. I've done it.