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How many big game animals have you shot that were never recovered.

Posted on 1/2/15 at 12:18 pm
Posted by Bleeding purple
Athens, Texas
Member since Sep 2007
25315 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 12:18 pm
Due to recent threads, some may have mistakenly take away the impression that the OB is a bunch of elitists who view other "lesser" hunters with disdain and contempt.

I believe we collectively are far from that. IMO this board is made up of guys from all walks of life. Some have had the benefit of learning first hand from family and friends while others had a less guided path. All here have learned in the field and hopefully continue to do so.

In and effort to show we are from elitists, that we make mistakes, and that we understand the heartbreak of losing an animal, I suggest we lament our loses in the field here.




I shot 1 hog with a .308 that I intended to recover that I could not find. I still don't know how that bastard ran off with 4 shots from a .308. He died somewhere but I never found the carcass.

I shot one 10 pt with my bow that was way low and forward hitting the back of the front leg that I never recovered. Never even found blood. He was seen on camera 4 weeks later.

I shot a turkey with my bow at 25 yards this fall right through the base of neck. Big puff of feathers blood on arrow. She got up and flew away when I got close to picking her up. She died on neighbors pasture where I had no access.
This post was edited on 1/2/15 at 12:36 pm
Posted by ZacAttack
The Land Mass
Member since Oct 2012
6416 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 12:22 pm to
I don't really consider deer "big game" but I lost a 6 point one time to a pack of coyotes. Shot in the afternoon, went back to house for 4 wheeler, was just getting dark when I came back, heard a good half dozen coyotes growling and hollering. So, left him in the woods.
Posted by TigerDeacon
West Monroe, LA
Member since Sep 2003
29408 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 12:25 pm to
quote:

some may have mistakenly take away the impression that the OB is a bunch of elitists who view other "lesser" hunters with disdane and contempt.


I view everyone with disdAIN and contempt.


When I was a kid, I shot a doe with a .243 (yup), and because every deer I had shot died and was easily found, I let it get back up and run away. I didn't even try a second shot. I had put my rifle down (hunting a ladder stand) and was putting on my orange after I shot. Tracked that deer through the worst thicket I have ever seen. Plenty of blood, but never found her. Now if it twitches, it gets a second shot.

About 15 years ago I shot at the largest buck I have seen at the woods. Buck was chasing does across a clearing. I estimated it to be 200 yards or so. Shot five times and hit it with the last shot. Stepped off to where I found blood and it was almost 400 yards. Ended up finding bone and only a little blood. Guy on the club killed a nice 3 legged buck the next year.
Posted by DownshiftAndFloorIt
Here
Member since Jan 2011
66763 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 12:28 pm to
I think I've hit 6 deer in my life that I didn't find in time. I found buzzards on one and never saw anything of the other 5. One was a clip with a bow and I doubt it died. The other 4 I'll never know.

It happens. Having a good dog really helps, but that's no guarantee and the deer has to be dead to find it. Crippling deer is part of hunting. If it hasn't happened to you yet, you haven't shot very many.
This post was edited on 1/2/15 at 12:31 pm
Posted by tigerfoot
Alexandria
Member since Sep 2006
56625 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 12:32 pm to
I have lost two doe and 2 bucks in my life.

Both does were dumb long shots, one in the rain that I hit in the gut and probably recover if not for the rain pouring down.

Both bucks were bow shots, one hit low low that bled a bit and laid down 100 yards from my stand. The next morning he was still there and just got up and walked off when we came in.

Second buck bled like coming out of a paint can, don't have a clue where he was hit. Trailed him probably over 1/2 mile and blood just stopped. He was a real high 10 in Iowa. Nothing great but a real good one. I am sure the coyotes drug him down.
Posted by TexasTiger01
Lake Houston
Member since Nov 2013
3215 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 12:36 pm to
About 10 years ago I missed a nice 10 Point in Uvalde. Was my first Texas hunt Then got out the stand and 3 bobcats jumped out, killed a bobcat after 3 shots from the hip!!!

I was around 22 and I was hunting in the marsh and had a doe playing about 250-300 yards out. It was late and my buddy was texting me pumping my head up to shoot that nanny and put meat in the freezer. So about 20 minutes before dark I take a head shot, the deer fall then gets right back up. So I rack another bullet in and shoot again, deer falls and I see legs kicking so I knew I had it. I hopped in the mudboat and crossed the ditch and started hiking that way. Fell thru the marsh twice over my Lacrosse knee boot and finally got there. To my disbelief it was 2 deer, not 1. AND BOTH WERE ABOUT 55-60LBS. I was pissed, apparently one was bedded down the whole time the other was playing around and when I shot she got up.

So I drug both of them out, got soaking wet again and proceeded to pickup the other hunters and get ragged about it. My buddies dad that manages the lease was a little ticked, but knew it was an honest mistake. He said, "I bet you'll never make that fricking mistake again. 2 good shots and you cant even brag about them because they knocked the spots off of'em".

Definitely not a perfect hunter here, but in the past 6-8 years I watch more than I shoot, only wall hangers now.
Posted by FelicianaTigerfan
Comanche County
Member since Aug 2009
26059 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 12:37 pm to
Most memorable was when I was 12. Had a 20ga with a slug. Two big bucks come down a trail straight towards me. Put a slug in the chest of the one in front and he jumps straight up and hits the ground kicking. Thought it was the death kick but was wrong. He got up and ran off. Blood crossed a field and the guy with a dog pulls up with a truck load of people drinking beer. They all take a piss and the dog ultimately just keeps trailing back to the truck

In all, I've lost one doe with my bow, 2 bucks with a shotgun ( one was found after season while squirrel hunting 100 yards from where we quit) and also lost a doe with my 45-70.

So in all, 4 deer.

Maybe half a dozen pigs with bow
Posted by gorillacoco
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2009
5320 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 12:40 pm to
First doe I ever shot with a bow ran off, never found her. It took me 8 more years to get my first bow kill.
Posted by DownshiftAndFloorIt
Here
Member since Jan 2011
66763 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 12:44 pm to
I'm waiting for the "I've never had a deer take a step" crowd......
Posted by Slickback
Deer Stand
Member since Mar 2008
27691 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 12:51 pm to
I shot at an 8 point with buckshot and peppered his arse. The next stander dropped him.

I completely whiffed on a few and had a hell of track on a doe and had to finish her off with a knife to the throat, but never had blood on the ground and not recovered one.
Posted by mack the knife
EBR
Member since Oct 2012
4189 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 12:59 pm to
ive lost 3: 1 doe, 1 "ok" 8pt, 1 MASSIVE 10 pt. doe got chewed by 'yotes before i could get to her, 8pt was shot w/ a .243 (no, im not trying to start shite) and didnt leave squat for a blood trail, 10pt was a WTF happened moment that i still cant figure out. shot with a .30-'06 that was zeroed really well. i'll never forget that buck.
fyi, i've been deer hunting for 25 yrs and have only scratched 2 years.
im not counting the stupid-sized hogs i've intentionally gut shot
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
81894 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 1:06 pm to
I'm not able to tally them all because I just cannot remember, but they include two truly large bucks . None with a .243 though
Posted by dayne o
Member since Sep 2008
714 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 1:06 pm to
to you for making this thread!
Posted by Citica8
Duckroost, LA
Member since Dec 2012
3666 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 1:50 pm to
quote:

In and effort to show we are from elitists, that we make mistakes, and that we understand the heartbreak of losing an animal


There was a thread on here earlier that addressed making sure your gun is sighted in and you are confident and competent with you weapon of choice.... I don't think that can be stressed enough.

I've lost 3 does and a buck that were confirmed hits. Doe when I was young with a rifle (.243) and 2 with a bow, 1 with black powder (frick a percussion cap!)

Buck was a solid 3.5 year old 10pt would have been my first buck with a bow. Stepped out broad side when I drew back and stood up I hit a branch he got spooked and started walking off whistled he looked dead at me and I let it fly.... Well he ducked the arrow, hit him higher than I wanted and he took off. Got down and looked for blood and found half of my arrow about 30yards away (not the good half). Trailed 350 yards and it started pouring. Went back out the next morning and there was no sign other than soaked toilet paper hanging in trees. Got some closure though, 2 weeks later was opening day of rifle he caught a bullet. When I came in from the hunt he was hanging...
Posted by REB BEER
Laffy Yet
Member since Dec 2010
16290 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 2:35 pm to
I'm trying to remember, but I think I've only lost 2 deer. It was 2 seasons ago, one evening and and the next morning out of the same stand. I shot a buck in the evening and think I hit a little back. He went down and then crawled off the pipeline like his back legs weren't working. I went to look and found no blood but could tell where he crawled off. Looked for about an hour and went and got a deer hound from my stepdad. Old Red never could get on the scent. And he is one cold trailing SOB.

The next morning, I shot a really nice buck the other direction down the same pipeline and only found white hair and no blood. I think I shot low. Still had Red in a box in the truck from the night before and took him down there to trail. He took me out into a cutover and we jumped a deer. I'm still not sure if it was the same buck or not.

I'm more sick about the first one, bc of the way he went down.

I've been on numerous track jobs for my son, friends, and brother of deer we never found, and it makes me ill everytime we lose one.
Posted by CSATiger
The Battlefield
Member since Aug 2010
6231 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 3:24 pm to
2, both does. on both-small blood trail that ended soon. Couple of hours circle and sector search. nada. They probably lived
Posted by Big_country346
Member since Jul 2013
3650 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 3:50 pm to
Lost 3 does and 1 small buck. My first deer down was going to be a doe. I was 11 and didn't know better. I got down immediately after the shot and she shot off into the canal. Never saw her again.
The others were bad shots. The other 2 does were gut shots the 2 hunts immediately following my 10 point in '05. Talk about short lived glory
Posted by dat yat
Chef Pass
Member since Jun 2011
4358 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 4:52 pm to
I've killed a couple dozen deer, had one long tracking job and one that I drew blood and never recovered. Six of us searched for about two hours and then it was lunchtime so we left the swamp did not look furtber.
Posted by TigerOnThe Hill
Springhill, LA
Member since Sep 2008
6833 posts
Posted on 1/2/15 at 5:01 pm to
I failed to recover 2 deer, both does. Both were shot w/ a 6.5 cal T/C Contender at 100-125 yds. Both were victims to what I think happened to Dayne O: hit high in the chest area resulting in temporary paralysis, but not a fatal shot as both deer shortly got up and ran off. One I trailed a mile or so through mesquite trees and saw a palm sized patch of blood very high on the offside shoulder. The first deer moved as I shot. The second deer was the victim of a change in my scope's point of impact: I went to NM on a mule deer hunt one week earlier w/ the gun sighted in 3" high at 100 yds; when I shot the gun after wounding the deer it was hitting 8" high at 100. Never had any indication that either deer died.
This post was edited on 1/3/15 at 1:00 am
Posted by Raz4back
Member since Mar 2011
3958 posts
Posted on 1/3/15 at 12:37 pm to
I've lost 2 doe with my bow. I've been fortunate enough to have never lost a deer with a gun, although I'm sure it will happen eventually.
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