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The Anchor Shot

5K views 31 replies 15 participants last post by  Brandon_SPC 
#1 ·
I'm not trying to start any crap, or single anyone out - I'm just trying to save some heartache when you finally get that buck on the ground ...

Too often, I hear stories of how someone's prized buck falls on the first shot, only to have him get up and run off, never to be found again. If you can see the buck after he falls, by all means, put another round in him! That would be what I call the anchor shot.

Then if he gets up and runs off, you have two holes squirting blood instead of just one. Makes tracking a whole lot easier and shorter.

The only argument I've heard against it is : "You waste too much meat." Well, how much meat do you lose if the sumbitch gets up and you never find it?

Duh. I don't get much meat off the ribs anyway.

My first year deer hunting, an old man named Oobie Rogers told me, "Cap'n, if you pops him and he's still flagging his foots, well you pops him again! If his eyes are closed, or he's blinking them eyes, you pops him again. He gonna run off iffin you don't. Might hook you!"

Two years ago, I shot an 8 pt. about 165 yards out. He went down immediately. I started to text my nephew and tell him "I got the big one!" when I looked up and saw the buck "flagging his foots", and I remembered what Oobie told me back in 1963. Gave him an anchor shot! Watched him a minute, and he started kicking again. Another shot. Bailed out off the shooting house, reloading as I ran, then did my texting after I put my boot on him.

Bring a buck home - not a sob story. We can all learn something from Mr. Oobie.
 
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#3 · (Edited)
I always make the first shot and instantly cycle the bolt to put another in the chamber all while holding the deer in the scope. If it continues to run or move, I put another one in them. If it's still moving and in my sight, it's getting another round shot it's way.

This guy I shot in BW two years ago and when I shot him the first time he didn't kick, didn't flinch, didn't do anything other than start running like I completely missed him. Put another round at him while he was running. Turns out the first shot was perfect behind the shoulder (quartered away and exited behind other shoulder. Double lunged) and then the second shot hit his neck and dropped him while running.

If anything, I hate tracking and don't mind a little messed up meat if it means less of a drag back to the truck.
 

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#6 ·
Beware of the deer that fall DRT. My friend lost one the other day that fell on the shot. Deer layed there and twitched for a minute or two. Friend turns around, picks up his chair, and walks toward the deer. Deer is gone when he gets there. Small amount of blood and no idea which way it went. Never found it, and I seriously doubt it was a fatal shot. Although there is no mythical "no mans land"(dead space between organs and spine), if your shot is high enough in the shoulder, you can shoot over the spine(it dips down into the neck) and hit no vitals. Stuns the deers nervous system, but does not kill the animal. The two instances I have encountered this, both shots were uphill, affecting the angle slightly.
 
#7 ·
I neck shot a buck several years ago, good 8. He dropped right there. Chambered another shell and held it on him for a minute. He stared flopping, so I shot him head on in the chest. Done deal I thought. Got to him, eyes were open, poked him, nothing. Snapped a picture on my phone.

Then things started to unravel. I drug him about 5 feet, and he roared at me and snatched so hard he almost pulled me over. Knife was closer than the gun, so I cut his throat. No more kicking, eyes started to glaze, and I sawed till I hit bone. We're done.

Caught my breath, drug him about five more feet and that joker wheeled around and kicked me in the shin with his back hoof. Now we're both down.

You know the fight scenes in movies where both guys are down, and crawling in opposite directions for their respective weapons? Picture that, except one guy is a 180 lb 8 point who has been shot twice and had his throat cut. I got to my rifle before he got up. Three rounds left, and I put all three in him. I had a hoof shaped bruise on my shin for about two weeks, but I also had a lot of meat.


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#12 ·
I walked into a little restaurant in Russell County Al. for lunch one day some years back and talked to an older Gentleman who had a long look on his face and commenced to telling me about the same aforementioned scenario.
I've actually heard of this happening on a couple of occasions.
I use a .308 or a .270 and have been fortunate not to experience this devastating, Dr. Phil calling situation.
 
#15 ·
I insert directly Behind the shoulder, low on the body. The ribs kinda angle back, so the blade will probably fall between 2. Just rip down and back toward the rear of the deer. If done fast with a sharp knife, it takes a split second to perform. You will hear a loud "breath" from the wound, and a few seconds later its over. Cuts the lungs and sometimes the heart. I will post a pic of a deer my son shot with a .223. I wanted to show him how to dispatch one with a knife so could one day if necessary. The knife would is the only visible wound one the deer, the shot was in the spine.
 
#18 ·
I learned this rule the hard way about 8 years ago. I was hunting a clearcut and looked behind me and a STUD Florida deer (115-120") was cruising the edge of the clearcut.

I shot and he dropped immediately. I watched him through the scope and he never flinched. I called my dad and told him to bring the 4-wheeler to camp, while I am on the phone I heard a deer busting through the cut. I shot (at) the deer 3 more times, and I know I hit him on the last shot. He rolled a front flip at the edge of the woods.

We looked for hours and never found blood or hair where I shot him. Had a dog come up early the next morning and ended up finding where he bedded that night with blood in it. Never found the deer and he was seen on 3 legs 2 weeks later by another member.

Since that day, if the wind blows their tail wrong I shoot again.
 
#19 ·
Hmm, i just shoot SST's never needed a second a shot. However my dad one time shot the biggest buck of his life, he came running down the hill to get me, he was so excited you could hear it in his voice and read it all over his face. I was bout 13 at the time, he took me back to where he shot the deer and said follow the blood trail and track him down for me. he had already done this just trying to give me a little practice i rekon. Well the blood trail was about a foot wide and the trail was tore up like a hundred hogs had just plowed it. We get to where the deer was suppose to be and there was nothing but a huge pile of blood. That next look was funny mixed with sorrow, all he muttered was the deer was right here he was right here, bout that time we hear crashing through the bushes and i glance up to see a monster of a buck high tailing it out of town. well 2+ miles and 6 hours later the blood trail ran out and there was no deer. We always wondered if that deer lived or buzzards got a good meal.
 
#22 ·
Interesting, how far was your shot and what caliber? Most of my shots are within 100 yards and That SST makes their insides look like a stick of dynamite went off. Never had one run more than about 10 yards. I have heard the SST's may not be as effective on long shots something about them basically disintegration on impact.

Yes Bodupp, i have never needed an anchor shot, however that day my old man certainly did, and did not do it and we lost the deer that day. I'm not saying anchor shots are not needed, just i personally have never had to fire one, but i don't shoot that many deer either i kill one or two for the freezer and then im happy for the rest of the year. By all means if he's still floppin on the ground or his eyes are closed pop him again.
 
#21 ·
Slim, I'm confused. First you say you never need an anchor shot, then you tell a story where an anchor shot would have saved the day.

The original intention of this thread was to spare hunters, both newbies and old timers, the grief that comes from not anchoring a deer when the opportunity is there. A $1-$2 round is pretty cheap insurance after FINALLY getting one on the ground.
 
#23 ·
I had this happen twice this year. Once on my 6 pt and the other on the cowhorn. On the 6pt I tried to put another round in the deer but he fell in a ditch so I had to get down very fast and go dispatch him. Now the cowhorn I hit high shoulder he dropped and I couldn't see him after that but I heard two deep grunts after about ten minutes after the shot. I honestly thought it was another deer coming in but when I got down 45 minutes later he was still still breathing and flopping around once he saw me. At that time I was disgusted in myself. I should've got down to checked on him. On both those deer I was shaking really bad and hit high shoulder. I hate the anchor shot with a passion.
 
#24 ·
Capt'n Slim, I was shooting a 7-08 and it was about a 175 yard shot. I killed several deer with the SST's and they either DRT or ran with no blood trail. I got tired of having to stumble across deer with no blood so I switched back to Remington Core Lokt's and haven't had a problem since
 
#25 · (Edited)
I have had the samething will SST's and the interlocks. I noticed from the deer I have shot with both anything at about 50 yards and under will blow up in their chest cavity and there is no exit. Which to me is fine because 100% if the energy was dumped into the deer and generally those are DRT or run no farther than about 30 yards. Now the deer I have shot past that generally have a fist size exit hole. So I know exactly what you are talking about and it can be a pain finding them down here even if the run 30 yards and no blood. I love the SSTs and and interlocks the are great bullets but they also have a few cons to.

But I have also seen my dad shoot the SST's at deer that were less than 50 yards and there is a blood spray that goes about 5 yards past where the deer was hit. I think it us just wheter you hit bone or not with those.
 
#27 ·
I've had a couple run off after the been shot to never be found, a few years ago I started shooting "high shoulder" and haven't had one take more than a step or two since, yes it might whore up the shoulders, but he's DRT!! Early in my hunting years I shot the fancy dancy ballistic tips, after a few lost deer I shot them no more, I want something that retains its weight, not explode when it hits a little something.

Just my opinion.....
 
#28 ·
I'm just sayin', I hit a doe with my Santa Fe, and I hit her again with a head shot from my CC handgun before I even looked at the car. I've seen too many comedy scenes where the deer in the accident wakes up and trashes the car. Heck, I'll give a squirrel a back-up shot, if it means I get them little legs in a frying pan!
 
#29 · (Edited)
Every anchor shot (high shoulder 3 deer) I have done needed a second round to finish them off, every deer I have shot through the pump station hasn't ran farther than 50 yards and have never needed a second shot...... I put them through the vitals every time where I know for a fact they will die vs messing up a high shoulder shot and the can walk or crawl away then you have go chasing after them.
 
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#30 ·
Wasted meat? Hell you are going to grind most of it anyway. I call it a head-start!
 
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