re: What percentage of deer have you had to track after the shot?

Im not disagreeing with you at all. Another hunting buddy had the same thing happen with his 45-70. 25-30 yards, deer ended up spinning him around the woods for an hour before he found it.

Hornady Leverevolution is the shell that we both used.

I didnt get much meat off that deer

Could have easily gotten a head shot but didnt want a crime scene in front of me.

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we have weapon of choice starting next yr! no more primitive!

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NOICE!!!

My kid is due to be here Oct. 3, so I doubt I will even be in commission this years deer season to pull the 45-70 out. By the time I am able to get out of the house, duck season will be full fledge.

I thought it was going to be no contest, drop at my feet. I will look into that Federal shell, thanks for bringing that up..im up to try anything else out.

FYI, I got 7 packs of bitchmade size steaks and 14 lbs ground out of that deer.

ETA: Money Shot

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I thought it was going to be no contest, drop at my feet. I will look into that Federal shell, thanks for bringing that up..im up to try anything else out.

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yes def try the federal.. much more penetration as opposed to exploding on impact. We had better results with it for sure, cant remember if its 325 or 275 grain though.. they only make one, blue box

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I started to shoot all varmints and does within 75 yards or so in the head this past year.

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When it comes to hogs I only head shot now. You can make a perfect shot and sometimes they won't leave much of a blood trail due to their thick skin.

If you say that you've never had to track a deer after a shot, you haven't hunted much. I've had them die before they hit the ground and I've put four shots into another one that still ran off. I've even had a buck that I shot so close that he didn't know what happened to him and stood there for a moment while blood pumped out of his side. He just laid down and died without moving a step.

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Should I have a buddy on speed dial that knows WTH he's doing?

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Best thing about hunters: if you let them know that you are trying to find a deer, you will be swarmed with helpers.

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Best thing about hunters: if you let them know that you are trying to find a deer, you will be swarmed with helpers.

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And thats the damn truth. Anytime I have called, or someone has called, its amazing how quick you or a friend will un-arse the couch and get there to help. It is also a good excuse to cruise the woods and drink.....keystone

30%

You're going to trail deer if you place the shoot perfect in the ribs. Take out his shoulders and he'll drop, hit him in the spine and he'll drop, get him in the head and he'll drop.

Most of mine that have fallen in their tracks have ruined shoulders or a neck/spine shot. Heart/lung shots with no shoulder damage run about 50 yards and I have heard many of them crash. They are not usually hard to find.

I've had two "tracking" jobs with poor results. One we never found after a 100+ yard blood trail petered out; seven people were helping. The other was a gut shot, on a dog day, and the hounds found him 200 yards away down in a hollow. Bastards ate half his rump.

1 out of 4 so 25%

Got 3 head/neck shots and 1 shoulder shot.

I had to track the shoulder shot about 25 yards. The damn thing crossed a deep drainage ditch and died on the other side.

meh