I know no one ever likes to discuss when things go wrong because it is a matter of pride and not causing suffering.
Here is the scenario:
I had a nice blacktail lined up at 100m and and when I squeezed the trigger something spooked it and it bounded. I caught it in the spine right where the rib cage meets the spine and it went down hard and began to spaz with its aft section paralyzed. I couldn't get a clean shot with it moving like that.
I made my rifle safe and ran forward to the deer. I jumped across its chest pinning it to the ground and reached for my knife with the intent of slitting its throat but I looked back and saw my knife with my gear 100m away. I thought of shooting it but it was rocky ground and dangerous. I thought of bludgeoning it but that seemed like it might not work and smothering it was impossible. I twisted its neck to the limit of its natural turn and then crushed it with the weight of my upper body. It was dead instantly.
Why I am telling this story is two fold:
- Always have your knife
- How would you suggest handling an unclean kill like this.
I want to learn and be the best hunter I can be and my only other kill was super clean shot so what are the best ways to deal with this type of scenario?