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From: Q19QC%CUNYVM.BitNet@vms3.macc.wisc.edu (Tom Hall)
Newsgroups: rec.hunting
Subject: re:wounded animals
Message-ID: <1991May23.022637.26175@doug.cae.wisc.edu>
Date: 23 May 91 07:26:36 GMT
Lines: 46
Approved: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu
Originator: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu


     In response to wounded animals, it's not always the risk of the
shot or the power of the gun thats at fault.
 
     About 5 years ago I started hunting with a 250 Savage.  Numerous
people in my gun club told me that it was too small for deer.  It
didn't bother me too much coming from a bunch who use mostly -06's.
One fellow shot a small buck with a 350 Rem. mag.  He hit it a little
far back and it took off on him.  When I ran into him and other
members of the party, they had been looking for it for about a half an
hour.  I picked up its trail about 100 yds below where they were
looking.  There was almost no blood to be found anywhere, and it
couldn't have drained out that quickly.
 
        We got back together and we figured it probably crossed onto a
neighbo s property. While they went to ask permission, i checked the
roadside.  I figured that if he crossed, when his hooves hit the
pavement some blood would be shaken loose.  Sure enough, everyone who
had passed it before me had missed the sign.  I got within 15 feet of
the deer and dumped him, still as alive as ever.
 
        Whats the point?  A 350 is for big stuff - this deer weighed
under 80 lbs.  Just because the gun is big dosn't mean the animals
going to fall down.  The shot by the way was not a really bad shot,
sometimes animals can act in crazy ways.  Adrennalin is wonderful
isn't it?  Also, the bullets for a 350 are not designed for small
stuff like Whitetails.  I have seen more deer lost with a 30-06 than
any other gun.  It isn't a bad gun, its just that most of the bullets
people use were designed for elk or something.  (no flames please-just
an observation on my part)
 
       Lastly, I can easily believe that more animals are lost due to
lousy tracking skills than due to bad hits, half of it is just common
sense.
 
       By the way, I dont hear any comments about the 250 from them
anymore.  My gun isn't made to kill a moose, but for deer I wouldn't
trade it for anything.
 
       My only problem with it -woodchucks.  Unless I hit them in the
head the bullet zips on through and I have to hit them again before
they get to the hole. Deer bullets dont work well on chucks, I guess
nothing is perfect for everything.
 
           Give me my 12 ga.                       Tom Hall
                                                   Cuny Queens.