A Bad Shot - Advice

[brian]

All of you advocating a follow up shot are ignoring the OP's saying the rocky ground was making a close range follow up shot risky as well. Choose your poison, the off chance of being gored or the off chance of nailing yourself with a ricochet. Now I've cut a few throats out there and would take this approach if I thought it was safe to do so. Going out and cracking its neck... man that is a step above. I would have gone back for my knife secure with the knowledge that a spined animal probably was not suffering much. But I do agree take the safest approach under the circumstances.

[Fella]

Be doubly careful when approaching downed bears. Those things can take a beating and still get up and run. When I approach a bear, even one that I "know" is dead I approach with the business end pointing at the animal and the butt of the rifle on my shoulder.

[AgSilver]

All of you advocating a follow up shot are ignoring the OP's saying the rocky ground was making a close range follow up shot risky as well. Choose your poison, the off chance of being gored or the off chance of nailing yourself with a ricochet. Now I've cut a few throats out there and would take this approach if I thought it was safe to do so. Going out and cracking its neck... man that is a step above. I would have gone back for my knife secure with the knowledge that a spined animal probably was not suffering much. But I do agree take the safest approach under the circumstances.

I think that's why you see advice here such as "move to a safe distance, kneel for a better angle, etc"

[CaribooBC]

I go muzzle to eyeball with every big game animal that I shoot. Make sure it is dead before touching it. Even though the OP was on rocky ground, I would have taken a shot to the back of the neck/head before jumping on a wounded wild animal.

[sawmill]

All of you advocating a follow up shot are ignoring the OP's saying the rocky ground was making a close range follow up shot risky as well. Choose your poison, the off chance of being gored or the off chance of nailing yourself with a ricochet. Now I've cut a few throats out there and would take this approach if I thought it was safe to do so. Going out and cracking its neck... man that is a step above. I would have gone back for my knife secure with the knowledge that a spined animal probably was not suffering much. But I do agree take the safest approach under the circumstances.

stupid is as stupid does. Shoot it again, keep your head out of your ass so you can see what you are doing. Jeez, dumbest topic ever. Maybe buy your meat from a store where it`s made and no hunters were hurt.
Can`t believe some of you guys.

[Shikari300WSM]

Yeah like others have said definitely would not have left my gun. I took a bad shot last season on a running whitetail. Hit him in the spine towards the end of his ribs. Luckily he went down and died pretty quick - but it just as easily could have been your situation

[huckleberry]

Approach from behind and put one in the base of the skull. Don't shoot it between the eyes, not a pretty sight with the eye's popped out.

[Xenomorph]

Shoot, safe distance and put another one in. Not worth the risk, I've done it before, spined buck, was trying to crawl his way away, obvious pain, so I slit his throat as I was holding him down. Don't think I want to do it again, even if I know I can, just not worth the risk.

And no, I'm not stupid, used to wrestle grandpas rams to the ground and drag them back into their enclosure, but it's just not worth the risk. You slip, he put one last effort in and you're going to get a scar you'll remember ...or get killed. Just shoot.

[hunter1947]

Lots of members have said to stay back a distance and put a bullet in the head of the deer this is what should be done no doubt about it..

[shortrange]

Lots of members have said to stay back a distance and put a bullet in the head of the deer this is what should be done no doubt about it..

I got kicked by a "dead" deer when I first started hunting a while back and I decided to be more careful since then. Last year I spined a deer, probably because he heard me make some noise and he spooked just as I was pressing the trigger. It happens. I didn't go all Grizzly Adams with my knife, but got close and after making sure that it was a safe shot, I put a bullet high in his neck. Game over.

Buddy of mine said "why didn't you knife him?" I pointed at my head and told him about the time I got kicked by the dead deer. You can hardly see the scar. ..