Another deadhead...

Too many variables to blame anyone. Could have been raining and washed the trail away. Could have been a deflection or weird angle, causing the deer to go much farther. Could have been property lines involved where the hunter couldn't gain permission to track.
It's hunting season, it happens. Just like 12 months a year when deer get hit by cars, and end up dying from it. That's why there are predators and scavengers in the wild.

 

Nature wastes nothing.

 

Have you ever lost a deer?


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Just wait till it happens to you and it will. It will be humbling.


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And then you can work on learning to track deer and giving a crap.


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Anecdotal, but it seems I’ve seen more stories of lost and wounded deer in the last year or two. Maybe it’s just the prevalence on social media now.

I’ve lost 5 in 30 years. Less than 10%. It sucks every time, doe or buck. One the broad-head hit the shoulder blade and didn’t penetrate enough to be fatal. Tracked him over 500 yards. Bounces out and only had 2-3” of penetration on arrow. Still poor shot placement on my part.

Two were gut shot and poor shot placement. One was my scope ring was broken and didn’t know it and made a poor shot.


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It happens but IMHO, a lot of guys get 'buck fever' and take iffy shots, premature shots that would have improved had they just waited, or shots that they flat out shouldn't have taken. I know one guy that passed on a long shot on a spike this year and later told me "I would have taken the shot if he was a big one". Not sure why it's ok to him to shoot beyond his comfort zone "if it's a big one"...

Not even getting out of a stand to see if you connected and track is just irresponsible.

 

At least for me it’s an absolutely horrible feeling when I wound an animal and don’t find it. It makes me sick to my stomach. The main reason if I don’t have a very good clean ethical shot opportunity I do not take it and the deer lives to see another day. The main reason I hate deer drives and wish it was illegal. No way is anyone getting a clean ethical shot at a running deer. It’s pathetic and should be banned. Not to mention it’s dangerous for everyone involved. No way do you have time to see beyond your target when your throwing up your gun and unloading it hoping for a Hail Mary shooting at a running deer. I always shake my head in disbelief and laugh at the same time when I hear a gun being unloaded. You know there is no way ethical shots are being taken. Deer don’t stand still while you unload your gun.


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In my experience, People who have shot any number of deer and haven't lost one is fibbing about one of those....