Introduction to Whitetail Deer Hunting Series - The Shot

Part Six in the series of the Introduction to Whitetail Deer Hunting. In this sixth part we look at "The Shot".

Average size of a whitetail is approximately 38” at the shoulder and about 4’ long not including head/neck or tail or less. Average live weight for a buck is 125 to 175 pounds, a doe is about 80 to 140 pounds. So be ready for a smaller deer than you think.
There are exceptions to this of course, but we are talking the average sizes that are harvested.

Always have your scope set to low power, it's easier to spot a deer when you raise your rifle. Adjust up when you have located the deer.

What is your sight picture? We will talk about looking through a scope since 98% of firearms are equipped with them now. Show some examples of your sight picture, your cross-hairs are on the deer. When you aim, you are aiming at a specific part of section of a deer. If you aim at the whole deer you will most likely miss or hit it in a bad spot.
You want to get the deer to stop if you can when you are ready to fire. Let out a buck grunt,, bbbaaaappp. This will normally momentarily stop a deer.
When ready, squeeze the trigger, do not jerk it or you may miss the spot on the deer you were aiming at.

"Buck fever” or it is really a rush of adrenaline to your body. If you feel that, look away from the deer, take a few deep breaths, and calm yourself down. Focus on where to place your shot.

When you say to yourself, “I don’t like this shot”, you answered yourself, Don’t shoot, wait for a better shot.

We take a look at a deer model for a few minutes and go over shot placement, and what effect it has on a deer. Everything that I go over always, always has exceptions.

Heart - Will see the deer kick and run at high speed like it wasn’t even hit. The blood will be crimson red and may have bubbles in it due to the shot also passing through a lung. May hear or see it drop. Wait just a few minutes before pursuing if you don’t hear it fall.
Lung - Most likely will run a short distance and fall. Pinkish red blood, may have bubbles in it. May take a few yards for the blood trail to start but will get heavier. Wait just a few minutes before taking up the search, you may have heard or see it fall. Much of the blood will come from the mouth and nose area.
Shoulder - Deer will drop and do the classic snow plow, it won't go far. A second follow up shot may be required.
Spine - Deer will drop immediately, but a second follow up shot may be required to humanely dispatch the deer.

You never want to aim at the following, but just make hit it;
Gut - Blood will be brownish red, could have some green specks of stomach matter also. Wait 2 to 3 hours or more before pursuing. Deer will most likely bed down close to where you shot, you can recover it in time.
Rump - Blood trail may be pretty good if you struck a major artery, possibly breaking the back hip. If you know you hit it back there, wait some time, maybe an hour before you look for it. But don't shoot from the gut back, wait for a better shot or another day.
Head - You are new, don’t try it.

After the shot you will search for a blood trail unless the deer drops instantaneously

Go to the spot where you fired at the deer, not in the direction you saw it run. Search for blood and hair. If you find a lot of hair it means you may have just grazed it.

If you doubt the deer was hit well after checking for blood and hair, wait a bit for checking the trail. A wounded deer will keep moving if they know you’re after him. Otherwise it may lay down and stiffen up. Sometimes you just don’t know how well the deer was hit.

Follow the blood trail in all of the above instances. If it starts to become sparse, mark each spot you found with a piece of tissue. Eventually you will can see the general direction of travel.

Look for a body when a blood trail stops. The down deer may be close by. Do widening circles at the last spot.

When you find your downed deer, approach it from back and touch the tip of your rifle to the eye area. If no movement, you’re finished. If it moves a finishing shot is required.

And Good Luck!

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