"The Lost Shot"

[versa-06]

I was set up on a hill above a narrow ravine one afternoon & a 4-point buck came down on the hill across from me probably 120 yds out. I was using a 243 87 gr Hornady sp (too soft) which I have used before with success. I placed the shot high shoulder as he was coming down & dropped on the spot. I watched him about 10 min. & came on down & went to get a line to drag him with & upon my return He's gone. Blood where he fell, then it started raining. My wife & I looked for about 30 min. in the pouring rain & all sighn was lost. After the rain we went back & looked again with no luck & no blood trail. A very big let down. I've killed many many deer with a 243, but learned since that experience 100 grainers only (Hornady Interlock) to get the penetration needed. The shot was probably lower Than I wanted & the shoulder probably stopped it. What a Bad Day! Have you ever experienced "The Lost Shot"?

[Winger Ed.]

Not me, but a buddy dropped a deer one time.
Then walked back to get his truck to carry it out.
When he got back---- it was gone.

He looked around, scratched his head some, looked some more, and finally saw two very determined coyotes dragging it off.

[MrWolf]

Has one with a crossbow. Knew it was a heart shot. Looked and looked for hours and was stumped. Happen to be driving past the area that afternoon and the sun was just perfect as it shined on a very small patch of white in total black/brown. Buck had wiggled between some fallen trees. It still took me 10 minutes to find that spot again when I went back for him. Meat was spoiled by then but I did move it further up the mountain for other animals to eat.

[hc18flyer]

Yes, a 10 yard neck shot with a .50 muzzleloader. Dropped like a 'rock'! I had shot several similarly, so wasn't in a hurry. Got up and ran away, shot much have been low, or just, 'grazed' the spine? I wouldn't let that happen again! I will only take a neck shot under 'perfect' conditions! Otherwise, it is thru the shoulder, yucky! hc18flyer

[HWooldridge]

I shot a doe about 50 yds away - she leaped then disappeared; I thought I had missed.

We looked for 20 minutes before my grandfather noticed there was a sinkhole next to a bush that was overgrown with tall grass. The doe had slid into the depression and the grass closed over her. We were lucky that he saw a few blood drops which had clung to the grass, otherwise we would have completely missed her.

[M-Tecs]

I was set up on a hill above a narrow ravine one afternoon & a 4-point buck came down on the hill across from me probably 120 yds out. I was using a 243 87 gr Hornady sp (too soft) which I have used before with success. I placed the shot high shoulder as he was coming down & dropped on the spot. I watched him about 10 min. & came on down & went to get a line to drag him with & upon my return He's gone. Blood where he fell, then it started raining. My wife & I looked for about 30 min. in the pouring rain & all sighn was lost. After the rain we went back & looked again with no luck & no blood trail. A very big let down. I've killed many many deer with a 243, but learned since that experience 100 grainers only (Hornady Interlock) to get the penetration needed. The shot was probably lower Than I wanted & the shoulder probably stopped it. What a Bad Day! Have you ever experienced "The Lost Shot"?

Sounds like the shot went above the spine. A 243 87 gr Hornady sp has no problem penetrating a shoulder.


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[M-Tecs]

Not me, but a buddy dropped a deer one time.
Then walked back to get his truck to carry it out.
When he got back---- it was gone.

He looked around, scratched his head some, looked some more, and finally saw two very determined coyotes dragging it off.

I know Texas deer bodies are small but not many coyotes get over 35 pounds. Most are 25 to 30 pounds as adults.

[Winger Ed.]

I know Texas deer bodies are small but not many coyotes get over 35 pounds. Most are 25 to 30 pounds as adults.

Some counties in and around the Hill Country are just about over run with deer, and you can shoot pretty much anything.
The last time I drove down through there, I counted 26 deer as road kill in a little over 200 miles.
Down through there, a average adult size deer runs about 80-90 pounds and maybe less in the dryer years.
I've shot several that weren't any big deal to pick up and carry out about a 1/2 mile or so to dress 'em in camp.

What you guys get off of one deer up there takes us about three of ours to dress out the same amount of meat.

He never bragged about some record setting rack,
so I figured it was a real young, small-ish deer, and a pair of adult coyotes.
But he did get it back.

[JimB..]

Some counties in and around the Hill Country are just about over run with deer, and you can shoot pretty much anything.
The last time I drove down through there, I counted 26 deer as road kill in a little over 200 miles.
Down through there, a average adult size deer runs about 80-90 pounds and maybe less in the dryer years.
I've shot several that weren't any big deal to pick up and carry out about a 1/2 mile or so to dress 'em in camp.

What you guys get off of one deer up there takes us about three of ours to dress out the same amount of meat.

He never bragged about some record setting rack,
so I figured it was a real young, small-ish deer, and a pair of adult coyotes.
But he did get it back.

I think I was in May, TX driving around during the day, deer bedded down in yards and flower beds all over the place.

[quilbilly]

I am not happy remembering those lost shots but then there are the other kinds. A couple years back during the late muzzleloader season I harvested a spike blacktail and the mystery was why he was down. I slipped on frozen ground just as I pulled the trigger so assumed the shot went wild. When the smoke cleared, there he was on the ground 50 yards away. There were no bullet holes in the body from the PRB but one antler was gone.

[versa-06]

Sounds like shock & trauma to the skull.

[todd9.3x57]

dummkopf put it in the wrong spot!!!!!!!


i think i was 14?yo when i shot the biggest buck of my life and i could not find him. it was a great big old 12 pt that i've seen since early summer and i was determined to get him. i spent that summer and fall learning about him. where he goes and most importantly, when. the first day comes and i'm sitting the since 5:30am. 7:15am comes around and there are the doe(14 or 15 doe) and right behind them comes the 12 pt. i like to how i shot the 12pt, but buck fever came in and i forgot about everything else. after i shot, the 12 pt and the doe runs away. talk about being sick to your stomach!!! oh, i was using my dad's friend(Charlie) win m94 in 32 Special with 170gr (federal or winchester) fn and open sights.

five minutes go by and my dad(RIP) is walking over to me, smiling. "did you get him?" he says. "no" i said, almost crying. "we'll check just to make sure" my dad. we go about 35-40 yards to where he came in and we found some blood and small bone chips. we wait there for about an hour and we picked up the trial. it only goes about 50 more yards and then nada. we spent the entire day trying to find him but it was no use. i was sick to stomach all nite and the day. late Wednesday afternoon, my other dad's friend found him, alive but barely. my dad's friend then shot him and dragged him out. the 12 pt i shot was in the leg and one lung. he crossed the main highway, went about 100 yards and crawled into brushpile and laid there till my dad's friend shot him in the neck. the leg bone was busted and it was barely hanging on. my dad's friend(which i can't remember) found the piece of the bullet in the lung. the 12 pt had leg and shoulder infected. (the 12 pt was about 3/4 mile from where i shot him)

i have since calmed down the buck fever, well.......till after i shoot and the deer is on ground!!!!

[Good Cheer]

Sometimes they go poof and disappear with great bafflement to the hunter. I'm happy to have never lost one but yeah, it happens. Even the close range whomp of a .54 round ball from an experienced hunter isn't a guarantee.