Dead stiff on its feet!

[BiG Boar]

A guy I was hunting with this year told me of a deer he had shot that literally died on its feet. I kinda called BS, but when I thought about it, maybe it is possible.

Does anyone have a story or heard of a story like this?

He said he shot the animal, and the thing just stood there. He shot again, and it still stood there, even though he knew both shots hit the animal. In the end he walked up to it, and it was dead (stiff on its feet).

Myth or Plausible?

[ThinAir]

I've seen them up against a tree or deadfall.... they looked like they were standing.
As far as standing without the aid of trees etc.... I call BS.

[835]

belonie! or how ever you spell it.

I have heard of animals dieing up against stumps etc. But to be shot twice,,,,,,, and still be standing when you walk up to it????
Belony

[keoke]

My grandfather told a story like that, he shot a deer several times and it just stood there. He was a fisherman first and foremost so his tales could be a little long.

[coach]

You weren't hanging out with that guy whose name rhymes with Kiss Peeler again, were you? What that guy lacks in stature, he makes up for in tall tales! :shock:

[BernDawg]

Hmmm.. Seems like he left out the part about the CO busting him for shooting his decoy off of the road...... ;-)

[Ddog]

total BS. I have heard from a friend of mine that shot a moose, it took 5 shots in the boiler room and never moved, the reason for this was, after the first shot the moose went forward and got wedged between a stump and tree so it couldn't fall over.
if there is nothing to hold up an animal after it is shot then it will fall over or down but not stand on its feet.
so it was a good story i am sure, but thats all it was.

[greenhorn]

My CORE instructor told a story like this - claimed he spined a moose and the the animal just stood there, motionless. He thought he missed so took another poke, then it fell over.

[warnniklz]

I've heard of hunters that use to skin their deer and drape it over a log and propped up it's head and watched hunters stop and watched them shoot it until one of the guys walked up and kicked it over

[steel_ram]

"Standing motionless", plausible, standing dead not.

[835]

I've heard of hunters that use to skin their deer and drape it over a log and propped up it's head and watched hunters stop and watched them shoot it until one of the guys walked up and kicked it over


We did that with a grouse at the road into camp. To get our buddies. Bang, buddies drive into camp,,,, bad words said!

[knockturnal]

I've heard of one of these instances where a guy shot a moose in the head and it died standing on it's feet. Just froze up. Something to do with massive trauma to the brainstem and their muscles contract so violently that they stay that way. And apparently the meat is ruined by this action.

[TSW]

It appears that the only way to solve this mystery is to submit it to Mythbusters!

[Magnumb]

The legs locking? maybe, but what is holding the head up?
Heard a similar story - turned out the moose was wedged and couldn't fall but his head still dropped down...

[warnniklz]

I've heard of one of these instances where a guy shot a moose in the head and it died standing on it's feet. Just froze up. Something to do with massive trauma to the brainstem and their muscles contract so violently that they stay that way. And apparently the meat is ruined by this action.

I seen a muley and it was smaller. So I figured if I could hit it in the head I'd take it. So I sat down and got in position and put the crosshairs on the nose. Touched the trigger and it went down thrashing around kicking like mad. I thought maybe I didn't get a clean kill (hit it in the jaw or something). So I waited a few minutes and it stopped so I walked up to it and I had split it's skull perfectly in half and there was no brain.

It was for sure dead before it hit the ground, but I guess the nerves went bezzerk.

I agree. We should all flood the mythbuster's fan site to get them to try this out.

[Timberj]

Brother gut shot a white tail few years back, thing ran for about a mile and dropped but by the time we got to it you could have stood it back on its legs. EVERY muscle had locked up solid, meat tasted terrible, likely an adrenilin thing. Doubt if buddies deer would have died on its feet though......

[The Dawg]

Moosin and I shot a doe a few years back. He hit her in the boiler room with a 300wm and she didnt flinch. We thought he missed, so I hammered her in the neck with a 250g partition from my 338 and she didnt move. Saw the fountain of blood from the neck wound and knew she was dead.

Got up next to her and she was tightly wedged between 2 trees so she couldnt fall. Freaked us out until we saw that.

[BlacktailStalker]

I shot an elk 3x in a 3" group from 360 yards and it finally fell over... I thought (didnt believe but definitely thought :lol:) I was missing so it was definitely dead before it hit the ground but I cant see an animal stay standing without a 'crutch' before rigamortis can set in.

[Amphibious]

unless it had a kickstand..... BS

[Big Lew]

Hmmm.. Seems like he left out the part about the CO busting him for shooting his decoy off of the road...... ;-)

Exactly!

MY thought as well, but seriously, I shot a large 4-point tight against the back of a front leg (aiming for the heart) on a steep hillside on Savona Mt. and it went down only to get back up and walk away very slowly, so I put another into the same area. It stopped and just stood there with it's head down. I had no more bullets ( I had already shot another before this one) It took me about 10-15 minutes to climb and claw my way up to it, thinking maybe I could use my hunting knife. Just as I got to it, it slowly sunk down. When I gutted it, I could see that both bullets hit only 1 inch apart and there wasn't anything left of the heart, so I can see where a story like that can be go around.

[dragonslayer]

Don't believe it

[Foxton Gundogs]

belonie! or how ever you spell it.

I have heard of animals dieing up against stumps etc. But to be shot twice,,,,,,, and still be standing when you walk up to it????
Belony
BOLOGNA!!! But no matter how u spell or slice it comes out the same.

[338 Mag]

I shot a mulie a few years back took two shots at it with my 7mm mag ,was sure that I hit it the first time took a second shot it just stood there.Had my buddy take a shot as I had no shells left with me,He shot not it down with his 338 ,When i was gutting it I had hit it in the lungs both shots legs must have locked up as he was toast.Wouldn't have beleived it myself no stumps or anything else to prop him up.No B.S.

[*bcgold*]

In the Ladner hunting store there's a old photo or two of a huge moose. It's been awhile so I have forgotten the "old hunting tale", but there's a guy posing pretty much beside a huge moose "standing" dead. I guess in truth it was standing motionless till it was tipped over. I guess you would have to go there and get better version of the tale.

[Mulehahn]

My core instructor told me the story of one of there former students who had a video of shooting a moose that was on a ridge (clearly no trees around) and upon getting hit the its head sunk a little bit that was it. Shot it again same thing. Not running away, nothing. Finally, after a little while they walk up to it and it is stone dead. Have to push it over. They showed the video to a vet and he seemed to think the moose had tetanus. Probably from a barb wire fence. I trust the people who told me the story. Could happen.

[Steeleco]

BB I think your bud shot a decoy, did a CO come jumping out of the woods right after? (kidding of course!!!)

[pg83]

We had a moose a couple years back that took two solid heart shots and didn't budge til he eventually tipped over. I didn't have the stopwatch out, but I think two minutes of standing before he just fell over would be accurate. Dad and I were dumbfounded after the second shot. He was shooting and I had the binos up. I clearly saw both shots hit so I told him not to shoot again until the moose moved. Never happened. I don't know why he eventually tipped over, but I assume it's possible that he could of stayed standing a while longer... it was weird.

[Trapper D]

well unfortunatly i have witnessed this in a different context. my oldest sons mom died in front of me , and what happened , which was later explained by her nurse was her heart stopped beating , but she was still alive as there was still oxygen in the brain, she lasted about a minute maybe its less but it seemed like it. but ya heart stopped but still alive, for a moment. sorry guys, i know , morbid , but the truth.

[TheProvider]

its like cow tipping its bs. cows can't lock their knees and stand sleeping up. Horses can though. So an animal being shot would fall over from its own weight. Unless wedged up some how

[3kills]

my grandma shot a deer a few years back and when she first shot the deer stood there and my grandpa said u missed shoot again and i cant remember for sure if she shot again or what but end result was my grandpa ended up puttin on in the neck to knock it over. my grandma said i was kind of funny but kind of creepy i will see my grandpa tomorrow night i will ask him the story again.

p,s would u call your grandma a liar?

[Mr. Dean]

I placed a well thought out shot into a buck and he just stood there, looking as he did before pulling the trigger. I placed another, and he fell on the spot. Upon inspection, the shots were under an inch apart and both were solid killer's.... I think he just 'locked-up' on the 1st one and that left me thinking that I missed.


Was he dead on the 1st?
I doubt it. I think he got the wind blown out of his sails and lost his orientation.

WTS; I've pooned large halibut in the head and have had them stiffen out too, without as much as a twitch. Complete short-circut...