POACHERS!

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • jath08

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Jun 26, 2012
    227
    18
    Greencastle, IN
    Well today was one of those days. Started my vacation last Friday to try and catch a good part of the rut in my area. Was super excited to get back out this morning after having a run in with a huge resident 10 pointer Saturday morning. He snuck In behind me at the crack of dawn at 21 yards right when I was turning around with rattling horns in my hands getting ready to do a sequence. But that's a different story.
    Anyways got to my property this morning a lil late and had to walk in right at daylight. Crossing my creek on my normal trail in I just happened to glance to the left of me before I walked up the other side of the bank and saw a buck laying in a little wash out gully. First I though ok wtf! Why in the hell is there a dead buck lying there. Kinda had me dumbfounded for a sec. I thought ok maybe he got into a fight with one of the larger bucks on the property and it took its toll on him but after getting closer and exa mining him i found I nice perfect circular what i thought was an exit wound bout the size of a quarter just behind his front leg and below his sternum . It definitely wasn't made by a broad head. Either a large caliber rifle or a slug made it. I turned him over expecting to find another hole at a higher angle up on his side but nothing.
    Spent all day walking around the property checking cameras,stands and looking for signs of footprints, she'll casings and anything else outa the ordinary.
    Absolutely nothing turned up. I had already contacts DNR to file a poaching report and the officer was on his way from a different county because of being shorthanded today (go figure!).
    He finally got there and took a report and examined the buck and walked the property with me. His conclusion it was definitely a slug or high powered rifle Shot from a long distance more than likely he was poached out on the bean field in front of our woods from the road and ran back to where he died about 60 yards away from the field.
    Long story short there was really nothing that could be done other than there will be a CO sitting and watching the property for awhile.
    Here's what really puzzles me. After the CO left I drug him out onto the field far away from any blinds and did a kinda deer autopsy on him looking for a slug or bullet. Absolutely nothing turned up. His sternum and ribs were as to be expected from a gunshot wound but no internal organs like his heart or lungs were damaged at all. Unless it went up his neck into his brain! Weirdest thing I've ever seen!!
    He may have only been a little 4 pointer but it still pissed me off royal that someone would do something like this and let him lay to rott. Total waste of good meat and a potential huge buck in a few years.
    View attachment 60615 View attachment 60617 View attachment 60616
     

    Hoosier Carry

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Aug 20, 2012
    1,062
    113
    In the Woods
    That seems to be an odd place for an entry hole while the deer is standing. It looks like it's almost on the belly? Any chance it was an antler that caused the wound?
     

    bstewrat3

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    142   0   0
    Apr 26, 2009
    1,520
    84
    Beech Grove
    That seems to be an odd place for an entry hole while the deer is standing. It looks like it's almost on the belly? Any chance it was an antler that caused the wound?

    I agree, being that low seems likely to be an impailment or goring injury. We pulled a deer off a fence in downtown Indy with a very similar wound.
     

    BigMatt

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Sep 22, 2009
    1,852
    63
    I can't find the story now, but I saw a story yesterday where a few dicks shot a deer this week and tried to make it look like it was shot with a bow. They are facing charges.

    People just can't play by the rules sometimes.
     

    natdscott

    User Unknown
    Trainer Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Jul 20, 2015
    2,797
    113
    .
    He may have only been a little 4 pointer but it still pissed me off royal that someone would do something like this and let him lay to rott. Total waste of good meat and a potential huge buck in a few years.

    I want to give you some advice.

    Do what you can to prevent more of this behavior in the future, and save the deer you can; you've done this.

    But let loose of the rest of the angst. It's only in your human eyes that anything has been wasted. There might be a juvenile eagle that lives through the winter because you dragged that little buck into the field.

    If you hang onto this kinda thing too hard, it can ruin your sport for life.

    -Nate
     

    shibumiseeker

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    49   0   0
    Nov 11, 2009
    10,705
    113
    near Bedford on a whole lot of land.
    I want to give you some advice.

    Do what you can to prevent more of this behavior in the future, and save the deer you can; you've done this.

    But let loose of the rest of the angst. It's only in your human eyes that anything has been wasted. There might be a juvenile eagle that lives through the winter because you dragged that little buck into the field.

    If you hang onto this kinda thing too hard, it can ruin your sport for life.

    -Nate

    Every word of this is good advice.

    We all hate the wastes of oxygen in this world. But hanging on to anger only affects you.
     

    jath08

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Jun 26, 2012
    227
    18
    Greencastle, IN
    I want to give you some advice.

    Do what you can to prevent more of this behavior in the future, and save the deer you can; you've done this.

    But let loose of the rest of the angst. It's only in your human eyes that anything has been wasted. There might be a juvenile eagle that lives through the winter because you dragged that little buck into the field.

    If you hang onto this kinda thing too hard, it can ruin your sport for life.

    -Nate
    Thanks fornthe advice. When i wrote this i was still caught up in the moment. I'm back on stand today and it's behind me. It was an icident that was unstoppable and unforseen so time to move on and hunt.
    Besides alot of critters ate well last night judging by hw much was gone this morning.
     

    mom45

    Momerator
    Staff member
    Moderator
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 10, 2013
    47,141
    149
    NW of Sunshine
    We found a buck on our property a few years ago that had one round hole like that on the bottom of his chest. No other injuries and no slug. As the others have said, he may have been gored. I suppose it is possible that he was show while "rearing up" since they do stand on their hind legs during a confrontation with another deer (I have these shots on my cameras frequently), but I think the goring type injury is more likely.

    If a lot of the meat is gone, I would guess you have coyotes eating and that carcass will be gone very soon. Good opportunity to do a little night hunting and shoot some coyotes though. While you cannot bait deer, you can bait coyotes.
     

    jath08

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Jun 26, 2012
    227
    18
    Greencastle, IN
    That seems to be an odd place for an entry hole while the deer is standing. It looks like it's almost on the belly? Any chance it was an antler that caused the wound?
    After cutting him open and peeling back the hide the thought of him being gored did cross my mind, especially aft we finding no slug or shrapnel. Once the hide was peeled around the hole it was an odd shaped wound that was about 4 inches long and ran up n down. The bruising and tissue damage all around was typical of a gunshot but the fact there was no damage or jellificaRion of the lungs or heart has kinda got me thinking now it was an antler and he was gored and i just missed a puncture wound to his vitals somewhere.
    He was defiantly in a fight recently cause his tips were broken off, he had a fresh laceration to his ear about 2 inches long and a gouge under his left eye.
    If he was gored it musta been one heck of a fight and I'll give the little fella credit he had some brass ones to pick a fight with one of the bucks on the property that could do this.
     

    jath08

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Jun 26, 2012
    227
    18
    Greencastle, IN
    We found a buck on our property a few years ago that had one round hole like that on the bottom of his chest. No other injuries and no slug. As the others have said, he may have been gored. I suppose it is possible that he was show while "rearing up" since they do stand on their hind legs during a confrontation with another deer (I have these shots on my cameras frequently), but I think the goring type injury is more likely.

    If a lot of the meat is gone, I would guess you have coyotes eating and that carcass will be gone very soon. Good opportunity to do a little night hunting and shoot some coyotes though. While you cannot bait deer, you can bait coyotes.
    I'm coming back tonight with my rifle and yote lights to.take advantage of the situation. We do have a bit of a yote problem here. We took 13 last year in two evenings
     

    two70

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    19   0   0
    Feb 5, 2016
    3,724
    113
    Johnson
    I'm coming back tonight with my rifle and yote lights to.take advantage of the situation. We do have a bit of a yote problem here. We took 13 last year in two evenings

    Good luck thinning out the coyotes and watch out for bobcats.
     

    Winamac

    Expert
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Sep 11, 2011
    1,344
    83
    Logansport
    I'm coming back tonight with my rifle and yote lights to.take advantage of the situation. We do have a bit of a yote problem here. We took 13 last year in two evenings

    Holy :poop:... 13 in two evenings? I guess you do have " a bit of a yote problem here"
     

    mom45

    Momerator
    Staff member
    Moderator
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 10, 2013
    47,141
    149
    NW of Sunshine
    I have a little spike buck that is picking fights with a 10 pointer on my cameras. The little guy is the one approaching the bigger buck..."young and dumb" comes to mind when watching this.

    My husband was out last night hunting over the bait pile. He said he saw no coyotes in spite of them being on the cameras nightly. In checking my other cameras this morning, I had one walking up the driveway at 1:30 this morning....wrong place, wrong time. LOL
     

    jath08

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Jun 26, 2012
    227
    18
    Greencastle, IN
    UPDATE....
    I went back down to the property yesterday to check trail cams and decided to check the carcass again after the critters did there thing. I don't know how I missed it but neatly lodged in the opposite side rib where it's attached to the sternum I found this. Can't tell what caliber or any thing but it's about the size of a dime.
    View attachment 60917
    So this rules out a goring incident. It must have been at a distance since it didn't go all the way through. Still just amazes me how it didn't hit any internals.
     

    mom45

    Momerator
    Staff member
    Moderator
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 10, 2013
    47,141
    149
    NW of Sunshine
    UPDATE....
    I went back down to the property yesterday to check trail cams and decided to check the carcass again after the critters did there thing. I don't know how I missed it but neatly lodged in the opposite side rib where it's attached to the sternum I found this. Can't tell what caliber or any thing but it's about the size of a dime.
    View attachment 60917
    So this rules out a goring incident. It must have been at a distance since it didn't go all the way through. Still just amazes me how it didn't hit any internals.


    Could it have ricocheted off of a rock or something to hit at the odd angle? Very interesting....thanks for the update!
     
    Top Bottom