Devastated

[Curly Bill]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Yes it was. When Bergers first came out they were advertised as a great and fully competent hunting bullet with great accuracy. Every moose I ever shot has been shot ON the shoulder, the vast majority with simple cup and core Hornady of one sort or another, a few with Barnes and Partitions. The Berger is the only bullet that ever splashed. Berger changed its advertising after a few years and a LOT of complaints about splash and failure to break through bone. They also changed their bullet construction on their hunting line. Still won't ever use another one. You guys do what you want.

If that's the case I stand corrected. I have lots of experience with the current product (last 7-8 years) and I've had great success when avoiding shoulder placement.

[Lefty-Canuck]

I tracked a buck over 4kms one time after hitting him. I unfortunately bumped him and got him moving....

Looked the next day and lost blood, Some other hunters in the area found him not 300 yards from where I couldn’t find any more blood. They called me and I recovered what little was left.

Keep going back and looking, you never know you might catch up to him.

LC

[IronNoggin]

Were it me, I'd put a decent blood trailing dog into the play.
If he is there, the pup WILL find him.

Best of luck!
Nog

[Positrac]

Originally Posted by IronNoggin

Were it me, I'd put a decent blood trailing dog into the play.
If he is there, the pup WILL find him.

Best of luck!
Nog

We’re not in BC here Nog. A guy could get in trouble in Alberta using a dog from what I understand.

From the regs:

BIG GAME

It is unlawful to

5.) be accompanied by a dog while hunting big game;
except, in WMUs 400 – 446 where a pack dog may accompany a hunter if leashed, or within 50 m of the hunter and if under direct command and control. The dog is prohibited from tracking, scenting, pursuing or chasing big game, or
when hunting cougar under the authority of a cougar licence, from December 1 to the last day of March (the winter season).

[WeaselBeard]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

I tracked a buck over 4kms one time after hitting him. I unfortunately bumped him and got him moving....

Looked the next day and lost blood, Some other hunters in the area found him not 300 yards from where I couldn’t find any more blood. They called me and I recovered what little was left.

Keep going back and looking, you never know you might catch up to him.

LC

"What little was left". Scavenged? how much was left?

[coxy95]

Coyotes got to it is my guess

[IronNoggin]

Originally Posted by Positrac

We’re not in BC here Nog. A guy could get in trouble in Alberta using a dog from what I understand.

KeRist! Now there's a backwards way of thinking!
UnReal!

Nog

[Skoaltender]

Originally Posted by 3blade

Two things stand out - approx 150 yards... so you did or didn’t range him? What are you zeroed at? Also the instant drop and long stretch before blood, that dried up...this has all the signs of a back strap hit. Often caused by using PBR instead of dialing or using precise holdover...human error +/- 3” can put the bullet above or below the vitals. Not criticizing, we’ve all been there and it sucks.

Blood straight down in the tracks or sprayed out to the side? Spray = lungs

Don’t give up. I had perfectly hit double lunged mulie doe somehow go 2km in 3 hours...sometimes they just keep going.

There is no hollow between the lungs and spine when the animal is alive. The top of the lung can collapse and seal a wound however, and has the least blood flow. Hitting both lungs, even high, is usually lethal but can leave the least amount of blood on the ground as it tends to drain into the chest instead of out

I ranged him a minute before the shot when he was behind a tree and he was at 135 yards, he walked slightly away and turned broadside when I got him to freeze in the opening. I checked today on the exact yardage and it was 155.

I’m zeroed at 200 yards so I aimed slightly low ( probably 3/4”)

There was no blood at all where he dropped from the shot, just a couple handfuls of hair, the first blood didn’t show until roughly 75 into his sprint. The blood was bright, but very very small (occasionally pea sized droplets).
The blood on the longer grass he ran through was 35-40” in height.


Got out there first light, Seeing no signs of ravens or coyotes I started my track from the last sign of blood and worked my way along his tracks. About 30 minutes in I started to see the same style blood droplets in the snow. Approx 2km from the shot in some dense willow brush I found where he had bed down. Couple blood smears in the snow with maybe a palm sized puddle.

I followed his tracks from the bed site and there was ZERO red blood, just one or two cream colored/orange smears within the first 20 yards. After another 500yards of no blood tracking his tracks intermixed with multiple other tracks and thats where I came to the conclusion he was gone and I’m feeling better that he clotted up and will hopefully live to see another bullet.

All in all a lesson learnt, going to spend more range time next season and work on some things to try and prevent this from happening again.

[Skoaltender]

All in all my phone says 22000 steps over the entire track, my body is crippled from the deep snow so a days rest an I’ll be back out.

[Savage Bacon]

That is a tough deal for sure. Sounds like you're definitely putting in the leg work to make it right.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by IronNoggin

KeRist! Now there's a backwards way of thinking!
UnReal!

Nog

Yep, it sure is.

[Skoaltender]

Originally Posted by Savage Bacon

That is a tough deal for sure. Sounds like you're definitely putting in the leg work to make it right.

Only good out of this was the 3 neighbors I talked to about searching for my buck all have me permission to hunt their properties in the future, during the search I bumped dozens upon dozens of deer so that’s a positive I suppose.

[Sooner]

Good job on searching. You have done your due diligence in looking for him. If he survived a night bedded and is walking around now, you are probably right that he will live. They are tough buggers.

[Skoaltender]

Here is a question I have, I know it doesn’t have a definitive answer but it’s just out of curiosity.

This buck was shot on a quarter that I know he made home for the last year or more.

During the tracking process he ran back to where I know he frequently bedded. The area around his bed was full of scrapes and i believe that was his turf.

What are the chances of him returning to the area I figure was his territory?
I’d love to have another crack at this guy.

[beansgunsghandi]

Originally Posted by Skoaltender

All in all my phone says 22000 steps over the entire track, my body is crippled from the deep snow so a days rest an I’ll be back out.

Solid. I hope you work it out one way or the other, it does suck to lose an animal but you have done all the right things I think.

[kujoseto]

Originally Posted by Skoaltender

Here is a question I have, I know it doesn’t have a definitive answer but it’s just out of curiosity.

This buck was shot on a quarter that I know he made home for the last year or more.

During the tracking process he ran back to where I know he frequently bedded. The area around his bed was full of scrapes and i believe that was his turf.

What are the chances of him returning to the area I figure was his territory?
I’d love to have another crack at this guy.

I’m no expert, but he will have one thing on his mind over the next couple weeks and he will be back to get it.

Would be a really cool story if you get him after another shot at him.

Congrats on getting more permission too

[3blade]

Originally Posted by Skoaltender

Here is a question I have, I know it doesn’t have a definitive answer but it’s just out of curiosity.

This buck was shot on a quarter that I know he made home for the last year or more.

During the tracking process he ran back to where I know he frequently bedded. The area around his bed was full of scrapes and i believe that was his turf.

What are the chances of him returning to the area I figure was his territory?
I’d love to have another crack at this guy.

Good effort. I think if he is still going the next day, he will survive

Yep he will be back. Any other time of year, I’d say he would likely move into the thick stuff for a while. But they only think of one thing in November. Watch downwind of does in the area and you just might get another shot.

[buckman]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Bullet strike close to spine that stunned him momentarily.

This has happened to me the buck dropped then got up and ran. I missed the running shot. This was in open foothill country,followed the track in the snow, found a drop of blood only, the deer never lay down and just kept on running.

[JD848]

Keep on searching and wish you the best, all you can do is do your best so don't ride yourself to hard.

All the best
JD

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by Skoaltender

Here is a question I have, I know it doesn’t have a definitive answer but it’s just out of curiosity.

This buck was shot on a quarter that I know he made home for the last year or more.

During the tracking process he ran back to where I know he frequently bedded. The area around his bed was full of scrapes and i believe that was his turf.

What are the chances of him returning to the area I figure was his territory?
I’d love to have another crack at this guy.

Unless a doe brings him out I doubt you will see him in the daylight for the rest of the season.

[bezzola]

Same thing happened to my son we see the buck after season and he had a perfect line across his shoulders hot him high. Dropped him then he ran little blood and lots of hair.

[Skoaltender]

Update:

After not seeing the buck or many other deer I decided to give the area a week and a bit to cool down as I hunted there 10 outa 15 days.

Fast forward to today. Woke up, looked at the weather forecast and the wind wasn’t ideal for my setup so I figured I would wait until tomorrow to try and last second fill my general tag.
Come 1pm and bored at home I decided to go for a quick little evening sit to see if anything is moving in the area.
After arriving to my spot I was pleased to see lots of deer tracks around my blind so I sat down and fired off a rattle sequence.
Not even 15 minutes after sitting I had a buck pop out 240 yards from my position. Lined the buck up, calmed myself down and made my shot. The buck dropped on the spot and after a minute of trashing I knew the buck was down.



Not quite the buck i first started this post about but I’m happy with it.

(Sorry for the bad photo, had to take it myself).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dean2]

Nice deer and a great way to wrap up the season. Any update on the other deer just out of curiosity?

[Bergerboy]

Good deer! Well done and deserved!

[Skoaltender]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Nice deer and a great way to wrap up the season. Any update on the other deer just out of curiosity?

I honestly have no idea if he’s even alive, I put in 12+ hours and probably 4kms searching the properties with no signs.

I’m going to put out a few mineral licks in the area and some cameras out of curiosity, I’d love to get another opportunity at him that’s for sure.
The folks in the area I talked to said they’d keep an eye out and give me a shout if they see him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pikeman06]

nice one 'tender....nothin wrong with that buck for how late it is in the season. Like the other guys say it happens to almost all hunters sooner or later. I had one get away once too...still bugs me. Pushed him too hard because I thought I had a lethal shot on him and was losing daylight. He left the area altogether and ended up chasing does again after laying down three or four times to freeze up the wound. Couldnt of been that lethal if he got after the does again. Tough buggers.

[58thecat]

Congrats a nice whitey.
The highs and lows of hunting eh!

[OL_JR]

Nice buck congrats, glad you could make a positive out of a tough break.

It's been said but losing an animal happens to everyone. Have gone through the same thing on what would have been my biggest whitie and a bull elk in the past. No idea what happened to the whitetail but the elk made it. One that sticks with me the most is the whitetail as I still don't understand what happened. I felt 100% after I took the shot. The elk I know I pulled wrong.

In the end as much as it might make you sick you just gotta pick yourself up again and get after it and that's what you did.

[wildwoods]

Congrats OP. that’s a great deer. Sweet redemption

[john-brennan]

I had a big mule deer buck do the same thing when I shot him he went down and got back up and took off, I followed him all day finding spots where he lied down with blood in every spot, at the spot where he was when I shot him there was a lot of hair with a little meat in it I figured I grazed him with a high shot as I followed him for a couple miles all the next day and never caught up with him.