In my last blog I wondered if any readers saw something out of order with the nice “trail cam” buck? Art over at “Simplyoutdoors.net” was the only one to respond so far, and he has been suffering from sleep deprivation since his new daughter came into his life. Art was too “groggy” to even take a guess, so here’s what I think.
If you notice the deer looks like a “sway-back” horse, and has a mane to boot. Down along the backside of the stomach area there appears to be a bulge, or a tuff of hair sticking up in an unnatural position. Could this be some kind of a wound? If it is, that could be the reason, this deer has some unusual characteristics.
It is not all that uncommon to find “big game animals” (especially deer) with healed over wounds. We have taken several deer with broadhead or gunshot wounds that have been completely healed. Deer are especially tough, and that is why a double lung or heart shot is what any conscientious hunter should be going for! To take a shot at any legal game animal, that does not guarantee a quick and clean kill, is not good for you, our sport, or the game we pursue. I know there are “no” guarantees when it comes to shot placement, but you get my drift when it comes to that all important ethical shot!
Mike
An ethical and humane shot is definitely important. Double lung and heart shots are definitely the way to go when it comes to proper shot placement.
I wonder if it is a wound, and if that is what is in fact causing the interesting characteristics.
Interesting – I took a look at that photo and the only thing I could find strange was that it was big! To me, that’s strange, because I never see big bucks! But, it’s very well that could be true. I’ve been corresponding with a guy recently that hunts elk in the same area as we do during rifle season – we hunt during bow season. He shot a bull a few years ago with a broadhead in it’s shoulder – and we’re in the process of trying to determine if it is an elk that my uncle had hit that same year.
Speaking of tough animals – I’ve seen elk stay on their feet with their heart shot out of them for several hundred yards – no kidding. Not sure how that happens – I recall one year when my uncle put a shot (rifle) on a running elk, it wasn’t a long shot, but the elk never broke stride or anything as it picked up speed running downhill. It was now into the trees and he couldn’t get another shot off, and we watched it run for 150-200 yards and then smacked head first into a tree. We went up to it and found that my uncle’s shot had taken the bull in the heart – he was dead on his feet, I’m guessing, but his legs were still put distance between us somehow! Who knows how far he’d have gone had he not hit that tree! Animals are amazing how tough they are.