I took my six year step son on his first deer hunt yesterday and shot a doe using 110 gr Hornady SSTs in my 6.8. I shot her in the shoulder and figured she was DRT. We kept hunting and had a small buck run through the beanfield like he was being chased. I didn't hear any dogs so figured a decent buck was about to come out. Five minutes after the buck ran out the doe staggers up from where she had been laying and gimps towards the woods. I shot her again trying and she fell over like she was dead in the woodline. I didn't was somewhat surpised she got up as we were able to see her in the beans looking dead for close to thirty minutes. My stepson was ready to go so we picked up and walked back to the truck then drove to go pick up what I thought was a dead deer. I saw blood from where she had laid in the field and found good heart blood/sign she had laid down from the second shot but it looked like something had spooked her. I kept trailing her and found a fresh pile of coyote shit not two feet from blood. I kept going another thirty yards and see another fresh pile of coyote crap. We keep tracking another five minutes then all of a sudden coyotes open up yipping 50-75 yds of us scaring my step son to death. I called off the search at this point and got him back to the truck.
I was shocked that the coyotes were so bold about going after the doe. In my experience they tend to be very wary and will avoid any possible human contact.
From what I saw I think the bullet exploded on her shoulder and failed to penetrate. I have heard that SSTs will occasionally do this with shoulder shots but I have killed a pile of deer with them that fell like Thors hammer hit them. They shoot sub MOA for me and I was shooting from a rest so I doubt I pulled the shot. We both had a good time but I hate the way the hunt ended. This is the first deer I have lost in 10-11 years and hate it happened in front of my stepson. If anybody knows a good trapper in the Warren/Vance area let me know.
I was shocked that the coyotes were so bold about going after the doe. In my experience they tend to be very wary and will avoid any possible human contact.
From what I saw I think the bullet exploded on her shoulder and failed to penetrate. I have heard that SSTs will occasionally do this with shoulder shots but I have killed a pile of deer with them that fell like Thors hammer hit them. They shoot sub MOA for me and I was shooting from a rest so I doubt I pulled the shot. We both had a good time but I hate the way the hunt ended. This is the first deer I have lost in 10-11 years and hate it happened in front of my stepson. If anybody knows a good trapper in the Warren/Vance area let me know.