Help me diagnose this shot

[JNG]

I shot a decent buck this morning--still working on the recovery. Weird situation--deer reacted in a way I've never seen, and I'm trying to figure out where I hit him.

All shots are with a .44 mag carbine, 240 grain Hornady XTP. First shot was at 30 yards, pretty steep downward angle since I was in a tall stand on a ridge and he was down in the ravine. I thought I missed the first shot because he just walked off like nothing happened. Took a second shot at about 70 yards, which I had to place high to avoid a thick branch. After the second shot he ambled over to a deadfall a few yards away and bedded down. Half an hour later, I figured he was either dead or gone, so I got down to look (kicking, kicking, kicking myself for that).

He got up when I was about 5 yards away, and trotted slowly off into the woods. Cover was thick enough I couldn't get a third shot. I backtracked and found a lot of red blood where he bedded, more at the site of the second shot, and still more at the site of the first shot. Also some white hair at the site of the first shot.

I backed out and shot at a paper target to check the scope alignment. Dead on. I had a good crosshair picture on both shots.

His complete lack of reaction to the first shot, and calm reaction to the second shot, is just weird to me. I can't figure out what all this evidence adds up to. In any event, I'm going back in in a couple hours with some friends to see if I can track him down. That will be 6 hours from the time I bumped him.

 

[Woobie]

What color was the blood? Yeah, red, I know. But was it bright, almost pink, or dark burgundy?

 

[Fargo]

Sounds to me like two lung shots which slipped between the ribs. If it was heart he isn't getting back up. Liver should have bled out within 30. There was no gut matter in the blood was there?

 

[JNG]

I'm colorblind, so all those shades of red look more or less the same to me. It's a real disability when trying to track, believe me--half the time I can't see blood on brown or reddish leaves.

To my eye, it looked bright red.

Added: my sister, who helped me look a little this morning, says some of the blood was red, and some was dark.

 

[JNG]

Fargo, I hope you're right. But he was still alive after 30 minutes.

 

[Fargo]

Fargo, I hope you're right. But he was still alive after 30 minutes.

If you single lunged him both times, which sounds possible based on the angle you describe, I wouldn't be surprised if he was still alive after 30.

 

[OutdoorDad]

Did you use a laser range finder to determine distances?

Im thinking you shot high both times due to your elevation.

 

[JNG]

That might explain things. The second shot was at a flatter angle since he was further away, but I did have to put it in on the top half of his body b/c of that branch.

 

[JNG]

No laser, but I know that patch of woods and that stand well enough to know the ranges to the landmarks he was near off the top of my head.

 

[JNG]

Added: my sister, who helped me look a little this morning, says some of the blood was bright, and some was dark

 

[Woobie]

Well if you found white hair, you either missed low, or your high angle shot blew some out on the exit wound. In the second case, as long as you shot him in the chest cavity, you almost had to have hit a lung. Was there a lot of blood at each location?

 

[JNG]

Yes, a good bit at each shot location, and a nice puddle where he bedded.

 

[bulletsmith]

Was the blood foamy at all? Lots of small bubbles? That can be another indication of a lung shot. You likely shot low because of the physics. I have had what started as a bright red foamy blood trail diminish down to a few drips here and there then to no blood at all. They can live a lot longer that we like with that kind of injury.

Good luck. I hope you find your deer. Twice in my hunting history I have been unsuccessful in locating a deer that I shot. Each time I got down and went looking too fast. I replay that mistake over in my head every time it comes up.

 

[JNG]

Didn't see the telltale bubbles--just good amounts of blood.

 

[Woobie]

Added: my sister, who helped me look a little this morning, says some of the blood was bright, and some was dark

The bright blood is a good sign. That is freshly oxygenated, and probably from a lung or aorta if there is a lot. Either way, it is under more pressure than the returning blood and helps speed up exsanguination.

 

[JNG]

Thanks for all the help. Keeping my fingers crossed we can find him this afternoon and I can report back on where, exactly, those shots landed.

 

[natdscott]

What county are you in, JNG? If I'm close enough, I might be able to help.

-Nate

 

[JNG]

After a long search of sparse blood, we found the buck dead. He walked about 200 yards, J-hooked, and walked back about 100 yards, then expired.

Turns out the single-lung theory was dead on the money. The only notable exit wound was in the center of his chest, just inside his leg, so much of the exiting blood was being absorbed in the hair on the inside of his leg.

And the craziest part? As I was dragging him out of the woods, two does wandered into the field about 75 yards away. I managed to get both (both double lunged), and drove home with my entire license bundle filled. Crazy day of deer hunting.

Thanks again to all those who offered help and input.

 

[bulletsmith]

After a long search of sparse blood, we found the buck dead. He walked about 200 yards, J-hooked, and walked back about 100 yards, then expired.

Turns out the single-lung theory was dead on the money. The only notable exit wound was in the center of his chest, just inside his leg, so much of the exiting blood was being absorbed in the hair on the inside of his leg.

And the craziest part? As I was dragging him out of the woods, two does wandered into the field about 75 yards away. I managed to get both (both double lunged), and drove home with my entire license bundle filled. Crazy day of deer hunting.

Thanks again to all those who offered help and input.

What a great ending to what seemed to be a frustrating day. Nice work in tracking your prey too!

Oh and -

 

[Woobie]

Cool! That's a lot of processing for one day, but definitely worth it. Very cool story, and I'm glad everything worked out.