wtnhunt Posted February 8, 2016 Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 Think most of us have been there with scratching our heads wondering just what the heck went wrong. Real shame the weather was a factor and the flooding rains moved in that night, unfortunate sometimes things just go against us. Never found any sign she hit the deer going to our property line. I posted an update here http://forums.realtree.com/forum/gen...le-questionsed in the old thread, may get overlooked. We have killed a lot of deer with the same bullets from our muzzleloaders and never had one make it far enough that I did not find any blood or an animal. These were 240 grain tc xtp mags pushed by 120 grains of loose pyro. Sure sounded like a miss by the body language and in the other thread think everyone agreed. Last pics we had of the deer were on November 15th, she shot on the 16th, skull was found about 317 yards from where she shot the deer. Big thanks to the neighboring landowner for contacting me about finding it and letting me go and get it. Anyway this is the wife's best deer to date. Not sure yet what we are gonna do for a mount but think he belongs on the wall. Live pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 plaque it just the way it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogwild63 Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 Or try this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted February 10, 2016 Report Share Posted February 10, 2016 Most taxidermist can get a cape for it if you want to do a shoulder mount. With the nose end of the skull damaged, don't think I'd do a euro mount. Whatever you want to do though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted February 12, 2016 Report Share Posted February 12, 2016 These guys did some great work for me. I highly recommend them. There are some pics in my RT Photopost room. http://springbrooklaser.com/hunting__deer_elk__mule_deer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted February 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2016 Most taxidermist can get a cape for it if you want to do a shoulder mount. With the nose end of the skull damaged, don't think I'd do a euro mount. Whatever you want to do though. Yeah the nose is pretty chewed up. Considered going the mountain Mike's route. Euros with those turn out ok. I have a cape/head in the freezer, may be slightly freezer burned though. Would not be much trouble to find one. Had we found it when she shot it no question it would have gone to taxidermist for a shoulder mount, dunno though. Probably a 118 inch deer very nice for this area, bigger than a few of the mounts i have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adjam5 Posted February 13, 2016 Report Share Posted February 13, 2016 That is a good buck William. Congrats to the Mrs. White out the skull and mount it just the way you found it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 (edited) Consider sitting on it until she finds a mature buck with a nice cape and junk rack. Harvest it for the meat and cape. I prefer the cape to be self harvested myself. In addition it motivates me to harvest a mature buck I would otherwise pass on. I think a mountain mike mount require one to cut the antlers off the skull which I would never do. I'd leave it as is but if she doesn't like the look you might do something like this if you go this route and wait for a self-harvested cape. Regardless of your choice congratulations on a fine buck. Edited February 15, 2016 by fly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted February 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 I think a mountain mike mount require one to cut the antlers off the skull which I would never do. Done one of the wife's on one and it turned out ok, she was not unhappy with it. Did have to cut the antlers off the skull, measured before hand to keep close to original. I got to looking back at tc pics of this particular deer and put them all in one file. The week leading up to her shot we had 19 pics between 4 cams. Then after the day she shot not one more pic. I am at a loss as to the lack of blood, wish we knew where she hit him but impossible to know at this point. The brush pile she watched him walk into I combed high and low on the edges and nothing. Usually even on poor penetration hits will find blood on brush where a deer rubs against something, walked the entire brush pile edge looking close at most common entry and exit routes. I looked quite a bit where she thought he walked in and nothing. Had it not rained that night I would have been back at it in the morning and may have turned something up, but we had flooding rains move in while we were looking. Thanks for the suggestions. She would have definitely wanted a shoulder mount had we found him right away, will clean it up for now and hang it somewhere the way it is I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted February 16, 2016 Report Share Posted February 16, 2016 I had a doe do the same thing this year William. Shot it with a shockwave out of my ML. The ground had a fresh white frost which would have made tracking in the blood easy. I walked her steps to a fence she jumped and hit. Hair all over the top barbwire section but not one drop of blood. I found her hidden under an evergreen while grid searching. The hole was visible but only a few drop coming out. I stuck my finger in the hole and the blood gushed out like a faucet. I figured that a piece of fat must have blocked the hole and kept all the blood on the inside. I almost gave up on her thinking it was a miss since there was no blood and I can never really tell about the hit with a ML because of the smoke. She ahd a fawn with her though and a few minutes after I shot her the fawn ran back to the field and right under my stand all alone. That is what made me think she was dead - and she was about 70 yards from where I hot her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogwild63 Posted February 20, 2016 Report Share Posted February 20, 2016 I am at a loss as to the lack of blood, wish we knew where she hit him but impossible to know at this point. Every time that has happened to me it has been a gut shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinger-Hunter Posted August 4, 2016 Report Share Posted August 4, 2016 Tough luck, but glad you found him. I would definitely mount him and with a cape. My personal preference is to have it look like a deer while on the wall. Please post a pic when finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stealthman Posted August 5, 2016 Report Share Posted August 5, 2016 Nice deer, at least you found it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkeygirl Posted August 18, 2016 Report Share Posted August 18, 2016 Too bad on the loss but glad you ended up getting the skulls. Congrats to Catrina! It goes to show that with hunting, you never stop learning and anything is possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted August 22, 2016 Report Share Posted August 22, 2016 you can ask Tim about no blood and ml hits. we've all had them. my biggest buck to date was the first deer I shot with my muzzleloader. not a drop of blood and it ran about 40 yards, despite it had a hole in top of heart. after that the same combo had produced great blood trails. if you've got a picture from that day then I'd go the lazer engraved plaque route. I've done the Mountain Mikes euro mount route on that buck. came out well. years later it has cracked the expoxy/putty seems of the real skull plate and fake skull. they're the size of a mature skull so anything less than a 4.5 yr old buck might be a little small with more blending. I'd put it lower to look at. sawed off skull plate wrapped with velvet on the lazered plaque with imagine from you all that day if you've got one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted August 22, 2016 Report Share Posted August 22, 2016 you can ask Tim about no blood and ml hits. we've all had them. my biggest buck to date not a drop of blood and it ran about 40 yards, despite it had a hole in top of heart. after that same ml sabot and powder combo produced great blood trails. I've done the Mountain Mikes euro mount route on that buck. came out well. years later it has cracked the expoxy/putty seems of the real skull plate and fake skull. they're the size of a mature skull so anything less than a 4.5 yr old buck might be a little small with more blending. I'd put it lower to look at. I'd go with sawed off skull plate wrapped with velvet on the lazered plaque Joe linked with imagine from you all that day if you've got one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted November 13, 2016 Report Share Posted November 13, 2016 Good to at least get some closure and KNOW what happened. What did you end up deciding on for the skull/rack ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted November 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2016 31 minutes ago, Strut10 said: Good to at least get some closure and KNOW what happened. What did you end up deciding on for the skull/rack ?? Not done anything with it yet other than clean it up a little. Asked her if she wanted the cape from the one I killed Friday to use for a shoulder mount and she said no. Definitely nice to know why we quit getting pictures of the deer. Still kinda scratching my head over not finding any blood. One I killed Friday was using the same bullet and had no exit but hit bone, deer was only about 70 or so yards out. Sure wish I knew where she hit the deer for him to take off hard the first little sprint then stop and walk off like he wasn't hit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted November 13, 2016 Report Share Posted November 13, 2016 Maybe a brisket hit. A lot of times that's the way a deer will act. So strange how sometimes a great hit bleeds little and a non-fatal hit will bleed a lot............ strange critters, them deer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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