Author Topic: Do your deer normally run after the shot? (Read 6365 times)

charles p · « **on:** May 13, 2009, 03:40:00 PM »

I watch a lot of hunting TV programs. Nearly every rifle shot on a whitetail results in a tracking job. Now I am no expert but I've taken nearly 200 whitetails in NC in 40+ years (we no longer have a limit on doe deer), and the deer I shoot with a rifle do not usually take a step. Maybe one in twenty of my deer run out of sight. On the TV shows, about 19 of 20 deer run away.

Why do you think the TV deer run after the shot? Ramge is not normally a factor. Granted a lot of the deer I shoot are does, but I've taken my share of bucks in NC and in other states. I just don't see why the TV hunter's deer nearly always run out of camera sight.

Do the TV hunters normally shoot too far back on their deer?

What is your experiance?

okielectrician · « **Reply #1 on:** May 13, 2009, 03:52:58 PM »

I believe if the hunter does his part and puts the bullet where it needs to be,it usually ends in a bang-flop.

spruce · « **Reply #2 on:** May 13, 2009, 04:38:46 PM »

I think it's because they manipulate the camera to make it appear the deer runs farther than it actually does. If you notice a lot of times they show the deer start running (often with a wide angle setting on the camera lens which makes it appear farther away) and then sort of fade out and cut to the hero's face for the obligatory whoops and hollers and high fives.

It's mostly done for drama - to keep you in suspense while they do a few commercials and then come back so the hero can do a staged tracking job. Gives the host/guide a chance to show you what great hunters and trackers they are. Course they were sitting in a big comfy blind watching a baited site on a fenced in game farm!

Most of those shows are just pure "Hollywood" IMO.

pozoutdoors · « **Reply #3 on:** May 13, 2009, 05:29:51 PM »

It is because most of them are using controled expanding bullets, because that is what their sponsers give them!!! It is advertisement at it's best!!! People eat it up too!! Some think it takes an x-bullet or partition to hunt deer!!! It amazes me just how tough some think deer are!!! Just a plain old sierra or hornady sp or any other non-premium bullets drop deer faster than controled expanding bullets because they cause more shock to the animal and still has plenty of penitration. Deer are not that tough!! At least not here in Iowa or northern Missouri!!!

Graybeard · « **Reply #4 on:** May 13, 2009, 05:39:49 PM »

If your bullet doesn't disrupt the CNS and the deer fails to run consider yourself lucky. I do not generally shoot for the CNS tho at times I hit it anyway due to shot angle or other factors beyond my control. The vast majority of deer I've shoot and seen shot run from 25 to 100 yards and are found dead at the end of a good blood trail.

Mt_Sourdough · « **Reply #5 on:** May 13, 2009, 08:10:13 PM »

so far, every deer I hit with my 444 collapses instantly. Not another step. Before my 444, the deer I shot ran like Graybeard said.

stubshaft · « **Reply #6 on:** May 13, 2009, 08:35:27 PM »

Nope - bang flop, end of story.

Savage .250 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 14, 2009, 01:56:31 AM »

Have had a few run a tad. Had some go bang-flop. Had to trail a few. Never lost one though.

theoldarcher · « **Reply #8 on:** May 14, 2009, 03:02:55 AM »

I mostly bow hunt with very quiet recurves, longbows, or self bows. I have nothing against modern hi-tech bows--I just want all bowhunters to use their equipment in ethical, high-probability shots at reasonable distances that respect an animal's reflexes. That said, I too have watched a few TV shows with mostly high tech bows--they are fast and most are very noisy. They also show the deer jumping and running, requiring a wait until after dark in 99% of the cases--again, I suspect, for effect. I love it when an arrow quietly slides through a deer, which may jump some, but most of mine stop, look around to see what happened, and die within my view. My last ---??--- number of deer taken (my wife and I eat three deer a year), have not been shot over 15 yards, none have been lost, and most die almost where they were shot. Quiet bow?? Complete penetration through both lungs?? Waiting for THE right shot or passing altogether?? Whatever, I too have noticed the televised running thing. Lots about animals I still don't understand after 55+ years hunting them.

Arch

jmayton · « **Reply #9 on:** May 14, 2009, 03:50:51 AM »

I guess I'm about 50-50 on running or not running. All the neck or head shots I have made art DRT, but the heart/lung shots can go either way. The weirdest was this nice buck I shot at about 75yds. At the shot he reared up, the ran backwards on his hind legs for about 15yds and crashed down right in the middle of a pricklypear cactus. I've had some that didn't act like they were shot at all, walk a few steps, then crumple.

I'll agree with pozoutdoors about bullet construction and deer toughness. They aren't that tough and don't need that much bullet.

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #10 on:** May 14, 2009, 04:31:18 AM »

Quote from: Graybeard on May 13, 2009, 05:39:49 PM

If your bullet doesn't disrupt the CNS and the deer fails to run consider yourself lucky. I do not generally shoot for the CNS tho at times I hit it anyway due to shot angle or other factors beyond my control. The vast majority of deer I've shoot and seen shot run from 25 to 100 yards and are found dead at the end of a good blood trail.

Good Post and I will enter Velocity into the equation to further elaborate on this.
Case Point: I took a bunch of deer with a patched round ball out of the .50 with the MV being a little over 1850fps and had a large amount of bang-flops as compared to the slug gun hunters who were getting little to none.
I have used a hangun only over the last five years and had every single one of them (five deer) run. Some not too far but they did all run. I really do like Charmichaels view on this...dbl the bullet weight and you dble the energy, dbl the velocity and you quadruple the energy! hence CNS disruption and those bang-flops.

john keyes · « **Reply #11 on:** May 14, 2009, 05:12:28 AM »

every deer killed on TV by Joe Pro must be killed ONLY with a Thompson Encore/ProHunter

as for me, I have had em bang flop, I've had em run off and die to be tracked, nothing more pleasing than seeing one plow into the ground

I've made alot of mistakes, but learned a lot too. I like a nice broadside shot and have let a lot of deer walk because I don't like to be in a hurry. On my lease I figure, they'll be back...it also means less work at the end of the day when its cold and dark...

454Puma · « **Reply #12 on:** May 14, 2009, 12:04:38 PM »

Bang flop when I do my part. Had one run but he was already running at the first shot. That was not pretty!

But I did get that deer!

kevthebassman · « **Reply #13 on:** May 14, 2009, 12:44:29 PM »

Guess it depends on the deer. I've had some drop in their tracks like hit by the Hammer of Thor, and some run a little ways.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #14 on:** May 14, 2009, 02:11:26 PM »

ONLY when I miss

No most white tails go strait down to the 180 grain round nose I use.
the one mule deer I hit with a 165 grain @ 275+ yards trotted around a little bit 25 yards to me and when down.
Have had one white tail walk off for 40 yards in the woods after taking a load of buck shot at 60 yards. the two pellets hit him and one did the job through the lungs.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #15 on:** May 14, 2009, 02:54:43 PM »

I've seen a big buck hit with a 300 win mag and run 35 yards with a hole you could see Texas thru, right behind the front shoulder joint.

I have seen a larger buck shot with a 243 in the same spot and bang flopped!

Go figger!

Angle of shot, energy at impact,Central nervous system, and animal all play a part I suppose!

1sourdough · « **Reply #16 on:** May 15, 2009, 01:02:53 AM »

I like to keep things simple. That means I go for the broadside double lung shot. I shot at 5 deer last Fall & all fell within sight. The average run distance may be 10-60 yards. I have shot deer that went right down & take that into account if right on some property line.

243dave · « **Reply #17 on:** May 15, 2009, 02:36:15 AM »

When growing up I was taught to only shoot behind the shoulder, while it is a killing shot often a deer would run 50 yards before piling-up. Many times those WV whitetail would run off the steepest hill and into a thicket that you had to crawl through to find them. After a few years of this I finally learned a neck and shoulder shot. These always insured the deer would not run off that steep hill. If I want to make sure the deer is drt I shoot for the neck or shoulder, if I'm in a place where I don't care if it runs a bit I shoot behind the shoulder. Dave

Land_Owner · « **Reply #18 on:** May 15, 2009, 02:08:49 PM »

...50 BMG from under 900 yards, innards all over the territory, and not another step.

...send a brick downrange at a-hunred miles a second, whack 'em with a Texas Heart shot, and not another step.

Just kidding.
Just kidding.

If a Good Buck steps out that I want to mount on the wall, I shoot for the heart/lungs and track it. If a doe, then through the neck and forget the tracking. They don't take it well in the neck.

slim rem 7 · « **Reply #19 on:** May 15, 2009, 02:36:02 PM »

my soninlaw brad does not like to huntum.. he says the best way to avoid it is one or both shoulders.. other people get the meat.

slim

Swampman · « **Reply #20 on:** May 15, 2009, 02:39:06 PM »

I try to break them down by shooting throught both front shoulders. Heart lung shots are for archery equipment.

rickt300 · « **Reply #21 on:** May 16, 2009, 06:42:51 AM »

I like to shoot for high lung at the lower edge of the shoulder blade just behind the shoulder or in the neck just in front of the shoulder blade but also at the lower edge of it. They never run with the neck shot and with the just under the shoulder blade hit maybe one in 5 go a very short distance. I like fast expanding bullets like the Ballistic tip, Remington corelokts, Sierra Gamekings as it seems they cause enough damage to the spine on the high behind the shoulder shot that it generally drops the deer. I process all the deer I kill and I like the shoulders intact as it makes processing easier.

Dave in WV · « **Reply #22 on:** May 17, 2009, 12:39:30 PM »

Deer that don't know you're in same county seem to drop quicker than when ready to bolt. Deer that had their head down grazing when I shot seemed to drop more readily than when moving along.

charles p · « **Reply #23 on:** May 17, 2009, 02:50:54 PM »

I like to shoot them exactly where Rick300 prefers. Junction of the neck and high on the shoulder. My results are rarely disappointing. Regarding neck shots, I can't recall large exit holes in deer necks. The rib cage is where the big hole normally happens for me.

I had a nice deer in Northern Idaho in my sights one evening. He was walking right to me on a logging road. No chance for a broadside shot. I took him in the brisket with a 7mm-08. He ran as if not even touched. I knew the hold was perfect but there was no blood anywhere. Found the deer about 30 yds away with its antlers hung in a shrub. It was inches from going over the cliff of a large ravine.

I remember another buck that was shot front-on that ran much farther. The heart shot will not anchor a deer and often the blood leaks inside the cavity rather than on the ground.

Dee · « **Reply #24 on:** May 17, 2009, 03:02:01 PM »

Probably 5050 here, but a lot to do with where I hit them. Most were either with a 308, or 2506. If I did the heart-lung shot, they all ran or staggered between 10, and 35 yards, with LOTS of blood. The others were either head shots in close, or facing shots. These were down right now shots.

bubba · « **Reply #25 on:** May 17, 2009, 03:44:32 PM »

I am a heart lung shot guy with the 50 caliber encore. (it is not a prohunter though so I wont make the tv shows) I primarily use the muzzleloader with a 44 caliber lead home molded bullet in a sabot. Some flop on the spot, some run a little. I try hard for the heart, but lungs will do. There is lots of blood and short trails to follow usually 25 to 50 yards. With the 7-08 or the 300 savage, the results are the same. If you listen to the pros on tv, they will do a lot for effect. When they "find" the downed deer they will say it went 50 to 60 yards. Lots of times they wait until the next day to find a deer that traveled 60 yards. I find that peculiar. It is all part of the "show." However they already know where the deer is before the filmed tracking, so I guess what I am saying is dont put much credence in what the hunting shows put on film for you to see.

Mohawk · « **Reply #26 on:** May 17, 2009, 07:43:18 PM »

I too am amazed at what some folks think it takes to put a deer in the freezer. Like a .357 Mag is "marginal" for deer? I can't even get a .357 mag bullet to stay in a deer much less under penetrate. Even the ones taken with a .38 the only one that didn't exit was the Rem 110gr SJHP. And it got to the far side brisket. Deer only went 40 or so yards. Does anyone need a blood trail for 40yds? I don't think so. Do I care if the deer runs after the shot? No, because any bullet through the lungs, any caliber, is a dead deer. The .32-20 rifle is still used commonly by the older generation in central Texas for deer. And their ammo is factory Rem or Win 100gr "lead" bullets. It is common for deer to run after the shot as others have said. If you want to drop a deer in its tracks without a spine hit then wait for a broadside shot and put in through the shoulder. Even then they may just kick along with their hind legs doing circles until they expire. You don't need a 400gr hard cast bullet going 8,000fps to punch through a deer's leg(shoulder). The center of a deer's shoulder, if you want to call it that, is just meat. There is no bone in the center. So why would I need a heavy caliber. And that muscle is not like the muscle on hogs, bears, large dogs. Maybe a absolutely large whitetail but not on 90%of the deer all of us harvest. And its like others have also said, a lot of it is marketing. Fancy handgun hollowpoints wouldn't sell well if round nose and swc's still were effective at killing things. But now, you have to buy the fancy hollowpoints to kill things and the round nose and swc's are only good for practice, which you have to buy those too, and if a bad guy was hit with one then the wounds just close up, don't bleed, and they treat it like a mosquito bite. Same has been promoted with hunting ammunition. If all I had was a .30-06 with any commercial 150gr soft point designed in the last centrury I would be no worse off in the deer field and would still maintain a full freezer every winter.

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #27 on:** May 18, 2009, 04:09:24 AM »

I hunt for meat so I don't like to blow out the shoulders or the neck.

I'll go for a vitals shot and that usually means following a blood trail. Sometimes a very short one and occassionally I am amazed at how far they can go with no blood left in them.

I've seen them run, I've seen them drop like a rock and I've seen them drop like a rock and suddenly stand up and ask to be shot again.

BBF · « **Reply #28 on:** May 18, 2009, 04:41:09 AM »

more often then not, they run, I don't mind, this gives my hound a chance to prove her nose.

teddy12b · « **Reply #29 on:** May 18, 2009, 05:04:16 AM »

I've probably taken less deer than anyone on here so take my experience for what it is.

I've taken three deer:

1st: A doe using a 30-06 with 150gr remington corelokt - Broadside shot at about 60 yards - Dropped in its tracks and laid it's head over.

2nd: A buck using a 30-06 with 150gr remington corelokt - Quartering away at about 80-90yards - Ran up a hill about 50 yards and flopped over (he was just being stuburn).

3rd: A buck with a 44mag rifle using 240gr hornady xtp - Broadside at 60 yards - knocked on his side with first shot and looked like he was tring to get up so followed up with a second shot got it over with.

Only one of my deer have run off, but in fairness most people here have teenage kids who have shot twice as many deer as I have.