Deer Reaction to shot. Input Please

[TimeOnTarget]

Tonight i decided i would shoot a doe if the shot presented itself. Long story short, I had a nice doe come out, ranged her @ 494yds. Dialed in the range/wind and squeezed. She gave a big mule kick and ran up to the top of the hill where 2 more deer joined her. They all just stood there for a moment then trotted off. I watched them go over 1/2 mile all still seeming to be fine. (she was the last one in line as they ran though)

Looked for roughly 1hr till dark for blood to no avail.

Anyone ever had a deer mule kick like this and equal a miss? If it hadnt been for the mule kick i would have certainly thought a miss by the way she trotted off. My experiences have been that a kick like this equals the boiler room.



Thanks for the input!

FYI: 500yds has been my self imposed live target limit but am fairly confident at that range. Took 2 Doe one right after the other with this rifle a week ago @ 420yd and both shots were right on the money.

 

[AJ Peacock]

Interestingly, I was watching a hunting show on the TV today. There was a Buck and a Doe, with the buck standing about 10yds past the doe. The doe was in a bit of a low spot as well.

At the shot (which was right on target), the buck ducked and bolted (dead on his feet). The Doe jumped straight up and bucked once, kicked and ran off. I think she was startled by the concussion over her back.

If she didn't hump up (curve her back upward), you probably didn't hit her, just scared her. In my experience, If they jump, kick and 'hump up', then they've been hit.

Hope this helps,
AJ

 

[EastHunter]

From my experience you might have zip her low and back. On a good hit they go strait foward, that the one have shot have act like. Only one have jump somethimg like 4 feet high before bolting.(the deer was only 50 feet..)

In case of a mist at long range(even at closer range) they lift their head up to see where the "weird" sond came from.. Often leving you time to go for a second round.

That what happen in my case. Some might have other experience.

 

[dodgefreak8]

Just had this happen to a friend this year. 230 yards with a 7mm I was watching with binoculars. I saw the deers hide ripple from the hit but couldn't see exactly where the shot hit. the deer mule kicked with both back legs and the darted down the hill stumbling the entire way. Well we decided to let it lay for a while and then herd another shot. We tracked the deer by footprints only because there was absolutely no blood. When we got to the end of the trail we found another hunter gutting our buck. When we asked him if there was another bullet hole in it he said no but when I looked I found an entry wound right in the gut. No exit. Deer mule kick when gut shot.

 

[bamadawg2009]

Different deer react different ways I've shot deer through both lungs and blew up the heart that ran like they where never hit, then Ive had deer stumble all over themselves trying to get away and never cut a hair on them. The best way to tell is did she have her tail tucked up under her or was she waving the whiter flag? I shot a 10 pt this past Saturday that was trying to touch his chin up under him when he ran off with a busted heart, and both lungs and a broken left leg. If she was flying her tail up she probably was never hit.

 

[Rimfire]

Did you hear it hit ? Yes they will jump / kick at times when not hit. I just shot one and the pass through dirted next to a doe and sent her straight up in the air. What are you shooting?

All the shots I can think of that dont bleed much dont cause this reaction, gut , high no mans land between spine and lungs etc.

Good example of the need for a good spotter to call shots as they get longer

 

[Buffalobob]

If the sonic crack of the bullet passing over them is close they react to it differently depending on how close.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

thanks guys,

No i didnt here the typical thwap a hit produces.

I went back out yesterday to where the deer was standing when i shot and ranged back to my firing point. My original range had been 55yds to much. I must have been ranging beyond the deer to the slight incline beyond it.

This error in range should have only changed my point of impact roughly 2 inches though.

I think the theory of that it went just high is probably right on.

 

[Broz]

I went back out yesterday to where the deer was standing when i shot and ranged back to my firing point. My original range had been 55yds to much. I must have been ranging beyond the deer to the slight incline beyond it.

What RF were you using? Must have a huge beam divergence. Or were you ranging off hand?

Jeff

 

[TimeOnTarget]

It was a leica 1600 crf. And yes, offhand.

Thanks again for the reply and help.

 

[Nimrod1203]

A few years back me and my father were hunting. He took my sister along to shoot a deer. A decent little 8 point came out at the edge of a field and she shot it. It ran off. I was 300 or so yards away from that spot. I gave it about 3 minutes after the shot and i hit the grunt call a couple times. A pretty little 8 point came out and i shot him. Dad and my sister came running up to see what i'd shot. We had been seeing a big one and he thought I'd shot him. Anyway, I shot the deer in what i thought would be the neck and he fell down. I went up and he was still flopping around, so I shot him again. We started looking and the only bullet wound was at the bottom of the rib cage. I knew there was no way that that would drop him, or that I missed that bad. Anyways, long story short, dad said he jumped and kicked just like yours did. That buck was the same buck my sister had shot, and it got into the brisket but did not get into the chest cavity. The deer kicked and ran off, but then i grunted him in 3 minutes later and shot. It wasn't until we dressed the deer that we found my bullet hole just at the top of the neck. If i hadn't have killed it, my dad would never have figured that out. He spotted the hit and everything.
Nimrod

 

[Rimfire]

If this comes out it's a video of a doe that has a pass through impact behind her and she gives a good reaction. That worked click on photo


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[rash powder]

The deer I shot this deer season fell flat on its face in a small creek on the first shot. It was a total miss. The second shot, it was facing away from me. The bullet entered behind its ribs on the right and lodged in its front right shoulder. It didn't flinch and trotted off. That was about 150 yards.

Many years ago now I shot a deer at about 40 yards. It was facing me and I sent the round through its chest front to back. It went in, turned its heart to jello, then turned and broke its right leg. That deer didn't flinch, twitch, jump, kick, anything. I thought I missed.

Another I shot with my muzzleloader at an absolutely dumb distance. At least 200 yards, probably closer to 300. I had to Kentucky windage it. No reaction but to run off from the deer. I went to check to be sure I missed and there was blood sprayed all over the snow. After tracking it out and locating it, I found that I got it in the pocket just in front of the left rear leg. No jumping or anything. IIRC, that was a 150grn hollow point sabot (.45 cal bullet + sabot = .50 cal) on top of three 50grn pyrodex pellets out of my TC 209x50.

The only deer I have ever seen kick was one I shot at about 600 yards in the guts.

I have rump shot deer at a dead run and they didn't even break stride.

I guess from my experience, deer don't really kick unless you near miss them or sometimes if you gut shot them.

Matt N

 

[DZelenka]

I shot a 215 lb buck yesterday at 326 yards with a 140 Accubond from a .280. At the shot, the deer jumped straight up about 5 feet and ran into some brush. We found him about 130 yards away. The deer was slightly quartered toward me. The bullet entered a touch back, blew up the on side lung, pulverized the liver and blew through the paunch. We didn't find any blood until we found the deer (thanks to a young yellow lab). We were doing a grid pattern search when the puppy wandered off and found it. Since it was night, she became my hero.

The way the deer reacted, I was pretty certain he had been hit hard. However, the lack of sign had me baffled. It just goes to show you that you really need to search after the shot.

Dan