Shamanic Guide -- Approaching a downed deer

I recently saw some controversy on one of the forums regarding how to approach a deer, once it's down. Some found the idea of poking a deer in the eye to be abhorent. Some felt it was wrong to use your rifle muzzle. Count me among the eye pokers. I took my kid to Hunter Ed a few years ago, and they taught eye poking too.

However, we're getting way ahead of things here. How do you approach a deer that is down? Carefully and respectfully.

As soon as a deer is shot, and you loose sight of it, check your watch, and remember the time. That information and a little common sense will be your guide in what is to follow. If the deer is not down in sight of you also review the entire end game and mark the following points:

The exact location of where the deer took the shot.
How the deer reacted. Did he hump up his back? Did he jump up or dip low. This may all be important later.

Take a moment and really savor what just happened. Now is the time to build your story for the grandchildren. Most of all, enjoy your success. All glory is fleeting.

Many sources preach waiting as much as an hour before your pursue. My personal experience is that immediate pursuit is the best bet. With the following provisos:

1) If you believe you made a less than perfect shot, particularly a a gut shot. It may good to wait a bit.
2) Weather and time will dicatate a lot. If it is going to rain or snow, any sign you have may be washed away. If it's sundown on Sunday evening and you have to be at work Monday morning, it's probably a good idea to rush it a bit.

In most instances, my deer have died within sight or within 100 yards of where they were shot. They also died within 15 seconds of the shot. Therefore, it is a good idea to get down and at least examine the immediate area.

Don't hurry. Take your time. Get down from your stand and secure your gear. Drop any extraneous cargo. You'll need the following:

1) Your bow or firearm
2) Ammo
3) Your knife
4) Your deer drag
5) Your tag
6) Your hunter orange as state regs dictate
7) Your flashlight,especially if it's evening
8) Your watch
9) The normal survival gear you carry (compass, matches, etc.)

Go loaded. Have one jacked in, or have one on the string. Make sure your safety is on , and your finger is off the trigger. Once you're ready, go to the spot you shot your deer. Examine the location and begin looking for blood. Also check your watch. It may have taken you 15 minutes. That is fine. Just keep an eye on the time.

This is not a piece on tracking. We will save that for another day. For this discussion, we will assume you are confident of your shot and that there is a decent blood trail to follow. Usually, with a good double-lung or heart lung shot, there will be little sign initially. This is because it takes a while for the chest cavity to fill with blood. For the first few yards, be more worried about looking for tracks, disturbed earth, etc. Within 40 yards, the blood will probably come. Just determine where the tracks are heading and begin walking slowly in that direction.

A deer that is mortally wounded may bed within 60 yards of where it was shot. This is where the idea of waiting an hour comes from. The theory is that the deer will lay down to rest and bleed out. My son and I had this happen this past season. It took us about 15 minutes to get down from the stand, collect ourselves, and get to the location. The doe had bedded within 30 yards of where she'd taken a round of 30-30 in the chest. As we we approached, she stood up on shaky legs and prepared to run. I put a round into her to anchor her, and then another into the chest to finish her.

The important thing is to be on your guard. Never be complacent.

Sometimes it takes a minute to find the deer. Sometimes it takes an hour. I once shot a buck on the edge of an overgrown pasture. He headed off into the weeds and went less than 70 yards, but at one point it took two hours to find the next blood spatter.

Then it happens. The blood trail increases precipitously, and you look up and there is the deer. Check your watch. Collect yourself. Do not go rushing in.

Is this deer sprawled like it was thrown, or is it lying as if it is asleep? Can you see signs of breathing? If there is any sign of life, do not approach without putting a finishing shot into the chest.

When you are certain that the deer is dead, approach the deer from the rear. Try and keep sight of at least one open eye. This assures that the deer has every chance to bolt before you get on top of it. It also means it's first move will be away from you , instead of towards you.

At this point, I come in slow and low and do a light tap on the eye with the tip of the muzzle. My rifle is in both hands and the safety is on. With a bow, I use a spare arrow. As I do, I make sure my weight is on my back foot in case I need to get out of there. I have never had a deer flinch, but there are plenty of stories of hunters getting rude surprises. I know one that had dead deer get up and walk away while they were going back for a knife. There are plenty of others out there that woke up the dead deer making the initial cut with the gutting knife. If you see life at any point, withdraw 10 yards put a finishing shot in the chest and wait.

Check your watch and start planning how to get the deer out.

Q: So Shaman, how come you keep telling us to check our stinking watches? Do you have some sort of time fetish?

A: Good question. A watch is a good reality check. Harvesting a deer is one of the most exciting experiences you may have in your life. Some guys get pretty worked up. That's okay, but it has consequences. If you make a habit of checking your watch, you'll know exactly how long its been since you shot, how long the deer may have been laying there, and how long it will be before you're due back at camp. Time can really compress when you're wound up. The worse thing you want to do is go tearing into the woods after a deer, improperly equipped, with no idea how far you've gone or for how long. For hunter getting his cherry popped, this can get to be a problem. On morning hunts, it is not so much of a problem, but afternoon hunts are another thing.

Imagine this: A half hour before sunset, the buck of a lifetime comes out. BLAM! The juices start flowing, and you're on cloud-9. Time compression sets in. You leave everthing at the stand, 45 minutes later, you come out of your time warp. You have only a dim idea of where you are. You look up from your trophy and you realize it is now too dark to see your way back to your stand and your flashlight, your coat, and your matches.