Just what you do NOT want to see after the shot

[deadeye]

A relative of my brother in law shot at what called a big 10 pointer. Being it snowed on Tuesday and he took the shot on Wednesday, there was plenty snow for tracking.  The deer made a couple hops forward and then turn back to where it came from.  They could find no hair or blood at the shot location.  They followed the bucks tracks for about 200 yards and never saw a hair or speck of blood.  Lining up the stand with the deer revealed that his shot hit an oak tree about 25 feet from the deer.  The day after my brother in law followed the tracks another hundred yards and saw nothing.  Later when the snow started to melt, he again followed the trail and saw nothing.  We checked it out again yesterday and with the two of us using forensic science and trajectory analysis concluded that he indeed did nothing more than frighten the buck.  From where the deer was walking (he followed the buck with his gun rather than picking a spot and letting the deer walk into it) the bullet entry and exit path through the tree lined up with the shooting rail on the stand clearly indicates that he shot over the buck. My guess is the hunter didn't sleep well that night.   

[Steve-o]

That is some incredible sleuthing and he must have some good bullets to make a hole in a tree like that!

[birdswacker]

I’m curious what was he shooting for a gun?

[deadeye]

He has a 30-06 using solid copper bullets.

[birdswacker]

That’s amazing it went thru that tree as it looks to be an 8-10” tree