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From: keith@clodii.columbiasc.NCR.COM
Newsgroups: rec.hunting
Subject: Wounded Animals
Message-ID: <1991May21.071141.15434@doug.cae.wisc.edu>
Date: 21 May 91 12:11:40 GMT
Lines: 50
Approved: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu
Originator: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu

>In a post Steve White tells about taking a bear and while dressing it
>out discover it had a bullet lodged in the front of the skull.

>Tom Stewart then adds :
> After reading this story, I wonder how many other animals are shot but 
>don't die.

 Probably more than we would like to think but unfortunately this going
to happen as long as there are hunters willing to take risky shots or 
use weapons that are not up to the necessary power.

>If you have experience with similar old wounds in animals, why not share
>them?

I did not witness this but a member of my hunt club did. Several years ago
he was at a store which was also a check station for the game dept. A hunter
brought in a buck to check in. This deer was missing BOTH front legs from
just above the knee joint! The hunter stated that the deer was able to hobble
around in its condition when he shot it. Examination revealed that tough hard
skin had grown around the bones where the deer put pressure on when he hobbled.
The best anyone could figure was the deer had been standing broadside when a
hunter shot at the shoulder but hit very low. This would have shattered both
bones. Eventually the skin holding the severed legs tore and they fell off
while the new skin formed over the bones. Have you got a better theory?

>P.S. The only wound I've seen on an animal is one that was probably the   
>result of getting hit by a car, not from an actual hunting incident. I
>imagine a good many animals survive collisions with cars, since I've had
>a couple of hits myself where the deer jumps up and runs off.

In S.C. we have alot of car versus deer accidents (one to two thousand/year)
and my personal guess is that probably about half survive and the other half
die on impact or eventually from complications. We also have alot of deer that
are hit by trains. A RR employee I used to know found them quite often while
patrolling the tracks for inspection. I don't think many survive this. :-(
I once hit a deer when I had my '82 Toyota 4X4. It darted into the left rear
of the truck and I stopped immediately. The deer was thrashing and kicking 
in the ditch but after 2 or 3 minutes it stood up on wobbly legs and wobbled
off. No apparent damage to the truck. There was hair stuck to the tailgate!
Figure that one out. (I think it hit the tire or bumper). 
Later!!


 

---
| Keith M. Boyd  (NCR E&M Cola.) |  Nothing could be fina' than huntin' and  |
| 3325 Platt Springs Rd.  _______|  fishin' in South Carolina!  -Me-         |
| West Cola., S.C. 29170 | Std Disclaimers | keith@clodII.columbiasc.NCR.COM |
| ph: 803-791-6419  |   From uunet: !uunet!ncrcom!ncrcae!sauron!clodII!keith |