Tracking a wounded deer (and other animals)

[whert]

G'day,

Up and coming hunter here after some advice. I suppose everyone is going to get a runner eventually in hunting. I'm in Vic so will be after the usual suspects including deer.

I'm after any advice on tracking a wounded deer if it happens. I don't really know how far or fast they will run.

Is their path usually pretty clear to follow?

Any of that kind of stuff.

Thanks for any advice guys.

[AusC]

Assuming you're using a suitable calibre and bullets, runners shouldn't really get far.

Any that I've seen run after a chest-shot only get 30-40m at most before they drop and are gone.

What you don't want is a bullet to just pencil through without hitting any vitals. The deer will likely run further than you can chase him and bleed out some time later. The same for having a match bullet explode on a bone and just blow out a lump of flesh.

TBH it doesn't take much to ensure reasonably swift kills. Use a suitable calibre and ammunition, and work for good shot placement. With a little effort it shouldn't be an issue for you.

[SendIt]

Shot placement is everything, as always.

Sticking the the boiler room is always good advice for shooting deer IMO.

In addition to hitting the vitals, you can also break the shoulder and ribs with your shot depending on the angle which will prevent runners and allow for quick follow up and dispatch if needed.