Not really a hunting story as such. But deer hunters here may have an idea. I went to my farm yesterday and as I pulled off the lane towards one of my buildings I saw a buck deer laying about 10 feet from one corner of it. He was alive but could not get up. The building is about 1/4 mile off the road. No current deer season then except bow. I thought he might have been hit by a car.
I have already taken a buck so I could not even dispatch him. I have some Amish working for me and they were there and I was going to see if one of them wanted to tag him. They had been in that exact location 30 minutes before and he was not there. The buck was a younger 8 point of so.
Anyways about 10 minutes later I had to start a tractor nearby. That must have been enough to pump adrenalin in. He struggled up and went down hill wobbly for 250 feet. I did not pursue him as I did not want him to over exert but as thin as he was I would question whether he survives. The area he lay on was torn up in his struggles to get up. No blood of any type on the ground and none seen on the side of the deer I could see. Unsure if stressed by the rut, hit by a vehicle, earlier hunting wound or disease. Really no idea. Thougts?
I have already taken a buck so I could not even dispatch him. I have some Amish working for me and they were there and I was going to see if one of them wanted to tag him. They had been in that exact location 30 minutes before and he was not there. The buck was a younger 8 point of so.
Anyways about 10 minutes later I had to start a tractor nearby. That must have been enough to pump adrenalin in. He struggled up and went down hill wobbly for 250 feet. I did not pursue him as I did not want him to over exert but as thin as he was I would question whether he survives. The area he lay on was torn up in his struggles to get up. No blood of any type on the ground and none seen on the side of the deer I could see. Unsure if stressed by the rut, hit by a vehicle, earlier hunting wound or disease. Really no idea. Thougts?