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impact · December 18, 2005, 02:01 PM

The first deer I shot that day was with a 270. It was a side shot. But through the scope I could tell I hit the shoulders. I thought the deer was down and out. The deer went down next to a tree line. Just inside the tree line is a deep dried up riverbed. I like to sit and wait after a shot. Never know what you might still see moving around.

When I ran over to the riverbed I could hear the deer on the other sdie moving in the brush. I looked and looked. Never did see it. So I made my way through the riverbed and chased the deer in the woods. Still with no luck on getting a visual on the deer. The deer went off into some thick undercover. I even went back and got my dog to help look but he is not trained to track deer. I thought if he found the deer or even heard it he would be after it. We looked for a few hours and came up empty.

I went back to where the deer was shot and where it layed. Lots of blood! I let the dog smell the blood and we went back to the last place where the deer went over the riverbed. My dog knew he was suppose to do something but he didn't quite know. He's only 10 months old and never even saw a deer before. Thats going to change!

The second deer. I was was on a ridge and the deer was on top of another ridge next to me in this big field. When I shot the deer ran along the top of the ridge and the cut down the back side. I lost sight of the deer. I went to where I shot the deer and found a good blood trail. Pink blood! I tracked the deer where it went over the ridge. I tracked and tracked. This field has some tall grass. About waist to chest high. It started to rain. it was light at first and then got heavy. I was going as fast as I could so not to lose the blood trail. As I tracked the deer I could see I was getting close to a tree line. I'm thinking oh no not again. About that time I found the deer.

I just picked me up a Nikon Laser 600 range finder. The next time I go out there I can get a better idea how far that deer ran.

This year I changed from my Sierra 135gr match bullets to a Sierra 140gr game king. I'm going back to my match bullets. They expand much better. The deer had a big hole through the lungs but I guess that was not enough to put it down fast. I'm going back to what works good. why I changed I don't know. I shot many deer and never lost one. I feared the day I lost a deer. guess it was bound to happen one day. I always kinda felt not tracking a deer took some of the hunt out of the hunt.

The kicker is. There was a boy in camp that shot his first deer. He is 15. He made the same shot as me with a 22-250 at about 70 yards. He dropped a yearling in it's tracks. He said it just folded up and fell over. I think the 140gr Game king would be a good bullet for a nortern deer with a big body and lots of fat. These thin skinned texas white tails need more of a varmint bullet.

December 18, 2005, 02:01 PM	#9
impact Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2005 Location: the great state of Texas Posts: 854	The first deer I shot that day was with a 270. It was a side shot. But through the scope I could tell I hit the shoulders. I thought the deer was down and out. The deer went down next to a tree line. Just inside the tree line is a deep dried up riverbed. I like to sit and wait after a shot. Never know what you might still see moving around. When I ran over to the riverbed I could hear the deer on the other sdie moving in the brush. I looked and looked. Never did see it. So I made my way through the riverbed and chased the deer in the woods. Still with no luck on getting a visual on the deer. The deer went off into some thick undercover. I even went back and got my dog to help look but he is not trained to track deer. I thought if he found the deer or even heard it he would be after it. We looked for a few hours and came up empty. I went back to where the deer was shot and where it layed. Lots of blood! I let the dog smell the blood and we went back to the last place where the deer went over the riverbed. My dog knew he was suppose to do something but he didn't quite know. He's only 10 months old and never even saw a deer before. Thats going to change! The second deer. I was was on a ridge and the deer was on top of another ridge next to me in this big field. When I shot the deer ran along the top of the ridge and the cut down the back side. I lost sight of the deer. I went to where I shot the deer and found a good blood trail. Pink blood! I tracked the deer where it went over the ridge. I tracked and tracked. This field has some tall grass. About waist to chest high. It started to rain. it was light at first and then got heavy. I was going as fast as I could so not to lose the blood trail. As I tracked the deer I could see I was getting close to a tree line. I'm thinking oh no not again. About that time I found the deer. I just picked me up a Nikon Laser 600 range finder. The next time I go out there I can get a better idea how far that deer ran. This year I changed from my Sierra 135gr match bullets to a Sierra 140gr game king. I'm going back to my match bullets. They expand much better. The deer had a big hole through the lungs but I guess that was not enough to put it down fast. I'm going back to what works good. why I changed I don't know. I shot many deer and never lost one. I feared the day I lost a deer. guess it was bound to happen one day. I always kinda felt not tracking a deer took some of the hunt out of the hunt. The kicker is. There was a boy in camp that shot his first deer. He is 15. He made the same shot as me with a 22-250 at about 70 yards. He dropped a yearling in it's tracks. He said it just folded up and fell over. I think the 140gr Game king would be a good bullet for a nortern deer with a big body and lots of fat. These thin skinned texas white tails need more of a varmint bullet.