# Mercy Killing – Beware Graphic Image



## Outside9 (Apr 30, 2008)

Sorry about the long story;

This all began yesterday at 2:30 pm, when I first saw this spike which I discovered could hardly walk. He was approximately 40 yards away eating in a green field. Had I known he was in such bad shape when I first spotted him I could have easily taken him. However, by the time I noticed he was in bad shape he winded me and moved into some thick brush. About 30 minutes later he reappeared 294 yards away hopping across an opening. I tried to rush the shot and flat out missed him. Yea, I normally don’t shoot that far but I felt bad for him. 

Which brings me to this afternoon. I was sitting in another stand looking at the same field where I missed the crippled deer. Due to the wind I was sitting at the opposite end of the field with a much better view. Approximately 30 minutes before dark, I see a deer 254 yards away in the field. When I first looked with binoculars I thought it was a doe, its head was down eating. My excitement level went up hoping a buck would soon follow. Then to my regret I saw the deer try to walk and I realized it was him again. Amazingly he was probably 75 yards from where I shot at him yesterday. I really didn’t want to shoot him at the prime time I was hoping big boy would come out. When I really looked at him again with binoculars I could see a white spot on its right side. I thought it was where it had been injured in the past and it was white hair grown over the spot. 

Well, I decided I needed to try and shoot him again to get the thing out of its misery. I ranged him again and he was 260 yards and moving away. I thought not again, really doubted my ability to hit the little SOB. So I fired and of course missed, but he did not move. Bolted another one and really took my time and fired number two and he dropped. 

When I walked up on him the view you see has nothing to do with where I hit him. He had an open wound on the right shoulder where the shoulder blade was showing and had begun to heal up. In addition there was a big pocket under the skin above the hole which was full of pus, a nasty mess. I can’t believe the coyotes had not already gotten him.

He had one spike about 10 inches and one about 4 inches. 

Needless to say I took him to the back side of the property and tossed him out for the coyotes.


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## MikeG (Oct 5, 2007)

Yep he needed to be culled. Damn thing had to be in terrible pain.


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## Reelfun27 (Oct 4, 2007)

Is it possible this the deer that was shot by one of your guest earlier in the year and could not be found??


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Hate it fer the deer to have went through who knows what pain....glad you put him outta his misery!


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## nastukey (Aug 8, 2012)

I'll probably make someone mad on here but quite frankly I don't give a crap. These type of situations rank right at the top of the list of things that disgust me about my "fellow hunters"...right there with people who dump entirely or partially cleaned deer carcasses on the side of the road. I don't fault "outside" for euthanizing the deer. In fact I have a doe on my property that has a defect on her back leg but because I can't harvest doe until next archery season it will have to wait. What bother's me about the situation is people need to learn responsible shooting....it's not gonna hurt to let a deer walk until perhaps next time if it is a good distance away. Who cares if someone else harvests the deer...if it gets done in a manner that results in a lethal shot at least the animal is not left in the condition of this particular deer prior to "outside" coming along and putting it out of its misery.


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## Outside9 (Apr 30, 2008)

Reelfun27 said:


> Is it possible this the deer that was shot by one of your guest earlier in the year and could not be found??


We have a six or bigger rule. However, I would bet you it was shot on another property with a broadhead. Years ago a friend of mine shot a doe that had a broadhead in her shoulder blade. However, her injury had completly healed over.


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## Outside9 (Apr 30, 2008)

nastukey said:


> I'll probably make someone mad on here but quite frankly I don't give a crap. These type of situations rank right at the top of the list of things that disgust me about my "fellow hunters"...right there with people who dump entirely or partially cleaned deer carcasses on the side of the road. I don't fault "outside" for euthanizing the deer. In fact I have a doe on my property that has a defect on her back leg but because I can't harvest doe until next archery season it will have to wait. What bother's me about the situation is people need to learn responsible shooting....it's not gonna hurt to let a deer walk until perhaps next time if it is a good distance away. Who cares if someone else harvests the deer...if it gets done in a manner that results in a lethal shot at least the animal is not left in the condition of this particular deer prior to "outside" coming along and putting it out of its misery.


I agree 100%. I shoot a Browning 300 wsm and like the man said;

"a man has got to know his is limitations". 

I can't make those 300 yard shots anymore with my rifle and I certainly can't take those longer bow shots. Let em walk and get them another day if you have doubt.


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## MikeG (Oct 5, 2007)

Could have been hit by a car. You never know.


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## Outside9 (Apr 30, 2008)

The way the hole looked I wonder if a bigger buck could have hooked him.


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## davetnrmm103 (May 23, 2012)

It looks like it was a decent original shot, good one in the shoulder should've been a winner. Could be just a strong will to live let him get away the first time.


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## johnf (Jan 20, 2012)

davetnrmm103 said:


> It looks like it was a decent original shot, good one in the shoulder should've been a winner. Could be just a strong will to live let him get away the first time.



Looks like a fine example of bad rage penatration. Was a good shot. Tough deal for the deer


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## Outside9 (Apr 30, 2008)

His worries are over now.


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## Geronimo (Oct 2, 2007)

johnf said:


> Looks like a fine example of bad rage penatration. Was a good shot. Tough deal for the deer


Exactly what I was thinking! Looks like a quartering away rage shot.


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## titan77 (May 13, 2012)

You did a good deed


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## Big "E" (Dec 6, 2012)

That sucks it took so long for him to be put to rest


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## K-Bill (May 14, 2009)

nastukey said:


> I'll probably make someone mad on here but quite frankly I don't give a crap. These type of situations rank right at the top of the list of things that disgust me about my "fellow hunters"...right there with people who dump entirely or partially cleaned deer carcasses on the side of the road. I don't fault "outside" for euthanizing the deer. In fact I have a doe on my property that has a defect on her back leg but because I can't harvest doe until next archery season it will have to wait. What bother's me about the situation is people need to learn responsible shooting....it's not gonna hurt to let a deer walk until perhaps next time if it is a good distance away. Who cares if someone else harvests the deer...if it gets done in a manner that results in a lethal shot at least the animal is not left in the condition of this particular deer prior to "outside" coming along and putting it out of its misery.


i don't think anyone is gonna be mad that you're an advocate of responsible hunting. however, you have no way of knowing what happened to this deer or if it was a hunter making a poor shot that caused this. as already stated, the shot (if it was a shot) was not that far off the mark. have you never made a bad hit on a deer and lost it? even though it was well within your comfort zone?


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## nastukey (Aug 8, 2012)

K-Bill said:


> i don't think anyone is gonna be mad that you're an advocate of responsible hunting. however, you have no way of knowing what happened to this deer or if it was a hunter making a poor shot that caused this. as already stated, the shot (if it was a shot) was not that far off the mark. have you never made a bad hit on a deer and lost it? even though it was well within your comfort zone?


Actually I never take a shot unless I am sure it is a kill shot. I have never maimed an animal...I have flat out missed but never left one to suffer. I do not say that in bragging, I have just been fortunate to be in situations that afforded me a great shot opportunity. In fact, I put down my archery equipment many years ago and eventually sold it because after harvesting my first and only deer with a bow (and although it was a kill shot at about 20 yards with a 40-50 yard run before demise) I began to think just how brutally unforgiving a slightly off shot could be...especially with a bow. It wasn't until about 2 years ago that I decided to give archery another try and I subsequently went out and purchased another archery set. Someone above mentioned it could have been a quartering shot. There seems to be alot of talk about how this shot can be deadly and I am sure it can be if it is well placed. This injury could have been from another buck...I have a feeling that it was a shot gone bad or an ill-advised shot. The point here is my speculation is as good as anyone else on the board.


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## swhiting (Oct 4, 2007)

nastukey said:


> Actually I never take a shot unless I am sure it is a kill shot....I have flat out missed ....


anybody else see the irony here?

Sure = 100% but you missed, so does sure = 99% or if you're sure and you miss that = 100% 

....

If you're sure and you get lucky and miss, you can talk.

If you're sure and one runs off, you're scum

I'm just learning here. Want to make sure I have all this right.

Still haven't figured out the dastardly dog hunters, those that hunt with corn on the ground v on the stalk v scent type stuff.

Give me a while, I'll have it figured out....


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## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

Nobody can be 100% sure of a shot. Period.


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## nastukey (Aug 8, 2012)

I think you guys knew what I meant but let me clarify. I have missed twice in my life. The deal here is that on the occasions when I have missed the circumstances were very similar to the times I was also successful. Barring no unforeseen circumstances I felt success was in sight. However I missed. My point was that I was not taking some crazy, low percentage shot with the hopes I might be successful. As for my misses....the same year as a youngster where I harvested the buck with the bow I also shot at and missed a doe. She was within my comfortable range and broadside but because of an inherited nervous twitch (on top of the one that comes with the nervousness associated with trying to shoot an animal) I was unable to connect with the doe. I shot low. My site was on her but the "twitch" got to me. You can go ahead and poke fun at that as well. I can take it. As for the buck I missed with my rifle I felt confident of the shot when I fired my rifle but with it being around last legal shooting hours and prior to my investing in a treestand with a gun rest I shot at the buck broadside at the shadows of the tree line but I instead shot high by a few inches into the pine tree behind the deer. Mind you, these situations were very different from someone who takes a shot at an animal hoping they might connect. Not sure why I wasted my time even typing this. You people are gonna say what you will. I try to choose my shots carefully. It's nice to get a deer every now and then. Sometimes if the situation isn't right I don't think twice about letting it walk until next time. I'm not starving....unlike the "if it's brown, it's down" mentality that seems to be so prevalent on the forum. Apologies to those who actually attempt to manage the harvest so the resource can sustain itself at a healthy level from one year to the next.


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## skullmount1988 (Dec 13, 2010)

How are u sure you missed because no blood or hair? Thats not always the case ive shot deer and they run off leaving no blood or hair behind. People make mistakes shooting bow or gun and theres no way u can always make a perfect shot. When u missed twice instead of missing u could have very well ended up hitting the deer in a non vital area causing an injury like the deer in the OP.(if thats what happened)


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## nastukey (Aug 8, 2012)

skullmount1988 said:


> How are u sure you missed because no blood or hair? Thats not always the case ive shot deer and they run off leaving no blood or hair behind. People make mistakes shooting bow or gun and theres no way u can always make a perfect shot. When u missed twice instead of missing u could have very well ended up hitting the deer in a non vital area causing an injury like the deer in the OP.(if thats what happened)


Let's see.....at about 20 yards I watched the arrow hit the ground below the doe. As for the buck....yeah I am sure I missed him as well. First of all the deer stood their for a split second trying to figure out what happened. Not sure of any situation where a deer just stands there after being struck by a 30-06 bullet through the side without some sign of injury. Even a non-lethal hit would warrant some type of reaction from an animal besides just standing there. Secondly, the height at which the bullet struck the tree behind the deer was high to be a through and through. Like I said, it was the last bit of legal light, there were shadows....the buck stepped to the edge of the tree line....setting sun glimmering on his antlers. I glassed him....I thought my crosshairs were on him good but not having a steady rest I shot high. It's as plain as that. 

Also, last season I did harvest one particular doe...the shot went straight through the lungs. Nothing but a speck or two of blood about 2 or 3 feet behind where she was standing. She immediately bolted......until I walkded over and found the blood speck I thought I had missed. While I was still in my stand and after she ran I thought I heard a crash but I wasn't so sure it was a crash from her dropping because of the particular ravine she was running toward with a number of standing snags and downed tree limbs that she might have ran through in her haste to get away. Nevertheless I found the blood and trailed her up not 50 yards away.

You can be fairly sure of a shot...unlike some of my friends growing up that used to shoot at dove on the wing with air rifles and assume the bird had been hit just because the bird shifted on the wing in response to the report (I assume) or perhaps just out of instinct.


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## jvalhenson (May 14, 2008)

nastukey said:


> Let's see.....at about 20 yards I watched the arrow hit the ground below the doe. As for the buck....yeah I am sure I missed him as well. First of all the deer stood their for a split second trying to figure out what happened. Not sure of any situation where a deer just stands there after being struck by a 30-06 bullet through the side without some sign of injury. Even a non-lethal hit would warrant some type of reaction from an animal besides just standing there. Secondly, the height at which the bullet struck the tree behind the deer was high to be a through and through. Like I said, it was the last bit of legal light, there were shadows....the buck stepped to the edge of the tree line....setting sun glimmering on his antlers. I glassed him....I thought my crosshairs were on him good but not having a steady rest I shot high. It's as plain as that.
> 
> Also, last season I did harvest one particular doe...the shot went straight through the lungs. Nothing but a speck or two of blood about 2 or 3 feet behind where she was standing. She immediately bolted......until I walkded over and found the blood speck I thought I had missed. While I was still in my stand and after she ran I thought I heard a crash but I wasn't so sure it was a crash from her dropping because of the particular ravine she was running toward with a number of standing snags and downed tree limbs that she might have ran through in her haste to get away. Nevertheless I found the blood and trailed her up not 50 yards away.
> 
> You can be fairly sure of a shot...unlike some of my friends growing up that used to shoot at dove on the wing with air rifles and assume the bird had been hit just because the bird shifted on the wing in response to the report (I assume) or perhaps just out of instinct.


Seems like you are missing the point. You say you have never wounded a deer bc you only took shots you are certain of......yet you have missed those shots. The point is had you not missed those 100% certain shots so badly you could have easily crippled the animal instead of missing. And that low light shot in the shadows is def no 100% certain situation especially since you missed completely with the only reason being that you couldn't see it good enough. Not exactly a high percentage shot when you couldn't see it. I'm not trying to bash on you. It's just that everyone messes up at some point either by just flat out messing up a good shot or rushing and taking a bad one.


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## skullmount1988 (Dec 13, 2010)

jvalhenson said:


> Seems like you are missing the point. You say you have never wounded a deer bc you only took shots you are certain of......yet you have missed those shots. The point is had you not missed those 100% certain shots so badly you could have easily crippled the animal instead of missing. And that low light shot in the shadows is def no 100% certain situation especially since you missed completely with the only reason being that you couldn't see it good enough. Not exactly a high percentage shot when you couldn't see it. I'm not trying to bash on you. It's just that everyone messes up at some point either by just flat out messing up a good shot or rushing and taking a bad one.


Perfectly said sir.


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## nastukey (Aug 8, 2012)

jvalhenson said:


> Seems like you are missing the point. You say you have never wounded a deer bc you only took shots you are certain of......yet you have missed those shots. The point is had you not missed those 100% certain shots so badly you could have easily crippled the animal instead of missing. And that low light shot in the shadows is def no 100% certain situation especially since you missed completely with the only reason being that you couldn't see it good enough. Not exactly a high percentage shot when you couldn't see it. I'm not trying to bash on you. It's just that everyone messes up at some point either by just flat out messing up a good shot or rushing and taking a bad one.


Hey, thanks for the comment. I wasn't bashing anyone for missing a shot either. This entire thread was about speculation regarding a deer that an individual shot that had a gaping hole in its side. I was simply speculating like everyone else. I never came down on anyone in particular at all but I can't say that for everyone else that has provided a comment. With that said, I have a hard time believing that someone could shoot a deer and leave a hole in its side that big (yeah, I know it probably was a bit smaller originally and deteriorated some) but still an animal has to give some indication it was struck by whatever the weapon might have been. My only buck with a bow was hit a little back and with WASP fixed blade broadheads, nowhere near the broadheads of today and it left me enough of something to be able to track the animal down. Seems to me they probably did an inept job at tracking the animal. As resilient as deer are I don't believe an animal is back on its feet that quick after a hit like that. 

As for my missed buck you referenced......I did see enough of the body outline to feel like the shot was makeable therefore I took the shot but my shot was a little high.....little bit of nervousness probably as well as the fact my shot was not steady due to my chronic shakiness (sp.) I never stated that every shot was 100% makeable but scenarios are such that over time you have a pretty good idea based on your own skill level (that no one knows better than you) that you should take a shot or not. I didn't rush this particular shot. After I pulled the trigger I had absolutely no reason to believe I had missed. However that was not the case. I thought the crosshairs were on the deers shoulder and the truth of the matter is had some of the shadows not been playing tricks on me and I had squared up an inch or two lower I wouldn't be having this "conversation". I made an error in judgement...not necessarily an irresponsible shot selection because from all I could tell I had the crosshairs on the deer. No doubt some people on here will disagree that it was responsible but had I hit the animal even a bit high I can honestly say I have never had a deer under any circumstances not drop or struggle after being struck by a 30-06 bullet. Contrary to many of their claims that had I not completely missed the deer I could have very well maimed or injured the animal only to have it run off and never. To these people I can only say they have never shot my Browning 30-06 Safari rifle otherwise they would understand where I am coming from. Release the crazies!!!!!!! 

BTW, where exactly is your city located in MS? I lived in Starkville for a few years while working on my degrees from the College of Forest Resources. 

As for the people with previous comments that took what I said as "bragging", "talking" or whatever I simply answered the question addressed to me....the question being something along the lines of have I ever messed a shot up where I injured or maimed an animal that had to be tracked down or was never found. My answer was that for all but two occasions I have dropped the animal where it stood or was able to find the downed animal a relatively short distance away...then all the crazies come out. On those two occasions I simply missed the animal.....I was not bragging...just giving my answer. The fact that I missed a couple of shots does not make me any less of a responsible shooter or a hypocrite for promoting the notion of responsible shot selection even though I have missed a couple of what I figured were makeable shots. I might also add that the notion of responsible shot selection should be followed by a responsible followup. 

Ya'll have a good evening. I have to attend a meeting in Marianna in the morning.


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## skullmount1988 (Dec 13, 2010)

Also, last season I did harvest one particular doe...the shot went straight through the lungs. Nothing but a speck or two of blood about 2 or 3 feet behind where she was standing. She immediately bolted......until I walkded over and found the blood speck I thought I had missed.*
No doubt some people on here will disagree that it was responsible but had I hit the animal even a bit high I can honestly say I have never had a deer under any circumstances not drop or struggle after being struck by a 30-06 bullet. Contrary to many of their claims that had I not completely missed the deer I could have very well maimed or injured the animal only to have it run off and never. To these people I can only say they have never shot my Browning 30-06 Safari rifle otherwise they would understand where I am coming from. Release the crazies!!!!!!!*


You contradict yourself quite often. You shot a doe and thought u missed because she bolted off and u never under any circumstances have not had a deer drop or stuggle after being shot


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## Outside9 (Apr 30, 2008)

swhiting said:


> anybody else see the irony here?
> 
> Sure = 100% but you missed, so does sure = 99% or if you're sure and you miss that = 100%
> 
> ...


Oh, my head hurts!


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## Comfortably Numb (Oct 1, 2007)

All hunters will eventually lose one or miss them if they hunt enough. I cleaned missed a doe at 6 yards this year with a muzzle loader! I watched the doe bound for 300 yards with the rest of the deer of in the field after the shot. I have killed a lot of deer and knew that this one was not hit, but still looked for blood for over 2 hours. Just could not believe you could miss one when the whole scope was full of fur! I shot the rifle later at the same distance, and it shot high, but not high enough to miss. No explanation other than s..t happens. Could have just as easily maimed her, glad I did not.


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## jplvr (Mar 7, 2011)

One morning, I shot at a buck at about 20 yards with a 180 grain 30/06. He bucked up, dropped a lot of blood and ran off. I thought I'd certainly hear him drop, but all I ended up hearing was him continuing to run off. 

I waited a good while and had a general idea of where he went, but as I traveled, looking for blood, I found very little. Luckily this was on a morning hunt as I spent the next 2 or 3 hours looking for this stupid thing, and when I found him, he was still alive. I got in a kill shot to the neck to finish him off.

My stand was in some pretty thick woods, but I had some nice site line to game trails, and he was in one of the openings when I shot. I assumed I just hadn't seen a limb or branch in the way and that my shot got deflected for a bad shot, and I expected to find evidence of that when I got to body. 

Nope. The entry wound was right where I put the scope behind the shoulder (broadside) and the exit wound was about the size of a kid's or girls basketball with a broken rib sticking out. I still don't understand how that deer wasn't DRT, and I'm even more amazed it was still breathing 2-3 hours later. Basically, I have never seen an exit wound even close to that big on any animal I've ever killed.

You can never be 100% sure.


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## nastukey (Aug 8, 2012)

jplvr said:


> You can never be 100% sure.


I don't believe I ever said said you could always be 100%.


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## nastukey (Aug 8, 2012)

skullmount1988 said:


> You contradict yourself quite often. You shot a doe and thought u missed because she bolted off and u never under any circumstances have not had a deer drop or stuggle after being shot


This is incredible. How did I contradict myself? Please explain. You quoted me as saying I have never hit an animal that did not show some type of sign that it was shot...that is the truth. I guess I have been fortunate in the times I have hit my target the animal has given an indication of a bullet impact. In reference to my story about the doe I shot.....now read carefully here......I said after I took my shot at the doe I thought there was a chance that I had missed because of the way she reacted but I also thought I heard a crash once she was out of sight. I did not affirm the shot (although I felt I got a good shot off) until I left my stand and walked over to where she had been standing and found the speck of blood. This is what happened and this is what I stated when I first brought this situation up in previous posts. If you are gonna call me out on something at least know what you are talking about or simply read the posts and keep your mouth shut about it. I don't see where there is contradiction in my statement that you quoted as much as there is an apparent lack of comprehension on your end.


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## K-Bill (May 14, 2009)

well how about these examples? not that it matters or has any value to the original topic but since this train derailed about 4 days ago what the heck. i will say this - nowhere in the first statement does it say you shot the doe with your -06, so if that's the case then yall just need to hug and make up over the misunderstanding.

Also, last season I did harvest one particular doe...the shot went straight through the lungs. Nothing but a speck or two of blood about 2 or 3 feet behind where she was standing. She immediately bolted......*until I walkded over and found the blood speck I thought I had missed*.*

No doubt some people on here will disagree that it was responsible but had I hit the animal even a bit high *I can honestly say I have never had a deer under any circumstances not drop or struggle after being struck by a 30-06 bullet*. Contrary to many of their claims that had I not completely missed the deer I could have very well maimed or injured the animal only to have it run off and never. To these people I can only say they have never shot my Browning 30-06 Safari rifle otherwise they would understand where I am coming from. Release the crazies!!!!!!!*

You quoted me as saying *I have never hit an animal that did not show some type of sign that it was shot...that is the truth*

*I said after I took my shot at the doe I thought there was a chance that I had missed because of the way she reacted *


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