Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Shot placement question?

Well guys this morning I shot a nice buck but me and my friends are having trouble in finding him. I shot the buck with my 270WSM and Federal accubonds 140gr. The shot was about 120 yards and when I hit the buck he jumped real high and ran into the brush. After 20 minutes I got off my deer blind to look for him, when i got to the spot where I shot him I saw the scrapes, pieces of bone and meat tissue. The deer didn't leave a blood trail, so I started looking for him doing 90 degrees circles. After one hours I heard brush braking about fifteen yards in the direction I was walking. I found the spot where he was laying down, I also found two big circles of blood. The distance between the initial shot and the spot where the buck was laying down is about 150 yards but the terrain is hard and the brush is real thick. I tried to follow the trail where the buck left few drops of red thick blood and some pieces of meat stick to the tree branches, but then again the blood trail disappeared. I look around with the help of some friends but couldn't come up with anything.

I think I hit it too low and is confusing because it was not leaving any blood trail. The only parts where he left blood was where he was laying down and a few yard after.

The five pieces of bone that I found each is about an inch.

I am real disappointed about myself for not hit in the vitals and for not finding the buck.

Where were you aiming?
Was he broadside or guartering away or guartering toward you?

I suspect he was quartering. You may have hit him high and the bones are part the ribs.
What did the blood look like?

Head back out tomorrow a.m. when the sun is up an start doing circles or grid patterns out from the area you last found blood. He may not have gone to far and you just haven't found him yet.

Good luck.

I agree with the low assessment, and maybe a little "late" with the dark blood description. Do what NH Hunter suggested, you should get him.
Selmer

I would take my "bird" dog for a walk in that area..

I think if the beast had been hit high, its likely it should have dropped on the spot especially if it was anywhere near the spine..if the shot was marginal, the deer may have come around after a few minutes and crashed off depending how close to the spine the shot was..

Considering the deer jumped, and that you have two patches of dark blood plusa few bits of bone I'm going to guess the opposite and suggest a brisket shot, especially if the buck was broad side on..

Did you find any hairs where the deer was standing when it was hit? They would be a good indicator of where the shot actually hit..

+1 for the bird dog, labs are wonderous for finding deer. HAPPY HUNTING

If it can be done without invoking the wroth of the game wardens, that would be a very good idea!

Even an untrained dog is likely to take a strong interest in the scent of a wounded deer...

Look for him in the morning. If he bedded 150 yds from the shot he is probably hurting and wanted to lay down again. Hopefully he will stiffen up and die tonight. He likely ran another 100 yards or so and laid back down. You'll get him.

Thanks guys for the advise. I am going out tomorrow morning to look for him.

When I shot the buck he was quartering away and I aimed right above the front two legs. I think I hit it too low, man that buck jumped about 6 feet and ran across the trail. When I got to the spot where I shot him, I encounter pieces of bone and pieces of meat. The thing is that after he ran into the brush he didn't leave any blood. When I found him laying down, that's where I saw to big circles of blood. The two circles of blood where about two feet apart. Then a few yards away into the direction he took off, I saw some drops of dark blood. The buck was braking brush when I woke him up and in some of the branches he was leaving pieces of blood and meat. Then the blood stop again and I couldn't pick anything up after that.

The pieces of bone I collected from the initial shot at about an inch each and the bad part is that it was not leaving any blood on the trail.

I hope I can find him tomorrow morning.

Wild270WSM,

Any luck finding your buck?

Regards,

Pete

Glass from a distance and look for crows/ravens. They know most everything.................

No news is never good news on a deal like this. I do understand how he feels. Been awhile since I wounded one, it's a sick feeling.