Anyone ever have one get up after thinking it was dead? This could get interesting. Me... I have had to shoot a couple deer after a tracking job. One had his eyes closed... I shot it and he jumped up and ran off. Another looked dead but it's ears were erect... I shot it and it took off... Both were recovered easily after the second shot. Anyone have a good story about this?
Many many years ago I shot one in a cut corn field. He ran about 70 yards and "went down". I saw white belly at the edge of a little hedgerow. My buddy was across the field. We both walked over to it. He appeared to be as dead as the come. We were standing there 6 feet from the thing giving high fives and talking about how it all happened etc.. for a couple minutes. Bent over to grab his rack and he jumped up and took off!!! One of the craziest things Ive ever seen. He bolted down the gully and we ended up finding him a couple hundred yards away (dead this time).
I have never had that happen but I'm pretty sure I'd need a clean pair of shorts if it did! ;-) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Only once and it was with a rifle. Backed out and found him 80 yards later the next day. My dad shot one in WI (rifle again) that I tracked for a mile and a quarter. As we were walking up to it, it tried to get up so I put another round in it.
A few years ago I shot a 150 in 13 pt. He dropped within 20 yds. After about 30 min I walked up to him (appeared dead) grabbed his rack and he tore into me pretty good. Ripped my arm open with one good thrash of the head. He then gave a couple last gasps and gave up the ghost. Scared the crap out of me for sure.
I havent ever had a deer do it but been on a blood trail for a doe we tracked for hours. (gut shot shotgun). We were all standing in a circle after loosing blood trying to decide what to do next when we heard coughing and wheezing under a near pine tree. She ended up being within 10 yards of us for close to 20 min. Quick follow up shot and she was done. Sure was a creepy noise to hear in the dark.
That's insane. Note to self: always approach from behind and poke them a few times before grabbing their rack.
When I shot my doe last year the arrow ricocheted off a branch and went in right below her ear... She dropped instantly and laid there dead like she was dead. Walked up on her and poked her in the butt and she mule kicked me in the shins.
Not a bowhunting story but I have a similar incident to those outlined above. This was a rifle hunt that I was a part of, some of you might remember this story. He had at least 2 bullets in him and was laying there when I walked up to him and grabbed his antlers. Same thing, he started thrashing and we had to do some hand to hand combat. Rather than shoot him at nearly point blank range with a .270 I put a .45 Colt slug in him as he was standing up.
I have never actually had it happen. I approach all downed deer as if it could be alive, but in 30 years of hunting they have all been expired when I found them thankfully. Twice in rifle I have dropped the deer in their tracks and then put a second one in them immediately since it was obvious they were still alive and I wanted to end it quickly.
I shot a doe many moons ago and knew it was a pretty good shot. My hunting buddy and I took up the blood trail and found her within 70 yds on a hillside. We each grabbed a leg to drag her down the hill to field dress and when we did, a loud growl came out of her. Truns out it was just her busted up lungs releasing some trapped air when we moved her, but we both dropped her and ran.
The doe I shot last year dropped a few feet from where I shot her. I watched her for about fifteen minutes, all of which she appeared to be dead (couldn't see any breathing movement). I climbed down, walked over to her, picked up my arrow and walked to the truck to get my field dressing stuff. When I got back, she was gone and only a blood trail was left. I stood there where she had been for a few minutes just dumbfounded. Eventually, I found her dead, really dead this time, about 80 yards away.
Had it happen with a doe during ML season. Shot her and she dropped like a rock. No twitching or kicking nothing. Climbed down the tree and started packing up my stand. Heard something behind me and turned to see her on her feet and running towards the bean field. That doe ran all the way across the field and onto the neighboring farm. No blood, hair or anything else.
I heard of one jumping out the back of a truck once... Not sure if it is true, but I wouldn't doubt it.
