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Thread: Game that Runs Towards the Shot.
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13-10-2020, 11:26 #1
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Game that Runs Towards the Shot.
This morning, I stalked a bachelor herd of blue wildebeest. They were in fairly level, grassy terrain with some scattered bushes. I got to within 250m and shot one on the shoulder with the 9.3x62. He went straight down and the whole herd started running towards me, stopping ±100m away. I was keeping an eye on the spot where the bull had gone down as I'm nervous about wildebeest dropping in their tracks from shoulder shots. The herd then started walking towards me and ended up ±70m from me. I shot a second bull slightly behind the shoulder, he was angling away from me, and he and the rest of the herd ran past me less than 20 meters away.
I checked on the bull I had shot first and he was stone dead. The second bull went down behind a low ridge ±100m from where he was shot. This is not the first time I have seen animals behave in this way, it is actually not uncommon behavior but it remains quite exciting to see.
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13-10-2020, 13:10 #2
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Re: Game that Runs Towards the Shot.
Where you using a suppressor? I’ve noticed a suppressor often masks where the sounds comes from for the animals.
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13-10-2020, 13:14 #3
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Re: Game that Runs Towards the Shot.
I have had similar experiences. In all the cases the animals were totally relaxed and not aware of me or the hunter.
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13-10-2020, 13:32 #4
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Re: Game that Runs Towards the Shot.
Happens quiet often especially with a suppressor fitted. I think in veld things deflect and reflect sound and sometimes that confuses the animals.
I have also noted that if you shoot the furthermost animal with the rest being between you and shot animal they sometimes run from shot animal side, away from impact noise or animal.
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13-10-2020, 13:42 #5
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Re: Game that Runs Towards the Shot.
I stopped using suppressors about two years ago, after using them extensively over a six year period. My main reason for doing so is that they spoil the balance and handling of a rifle. Suppressors do have two very important benefits, firstly they protect your hearing and secondly they do reduce recoil. These days I wear electronic ear plugs to protect my hearing and I have never had a problem handling recoil, so I have no use for a suppressor.
As for suppressors making a difference to the way animals behave, in my experience this is simply not true in walk and stalk hunting situations.
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13-10-2020, 14:01 #6
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Re: Game that Runs Towards the Shot.
Thank you.
My experience although far less frequent mirrors yours. A good stalk where animals are unaware of you often also results in the herd not running away at all but merely becoming alert.
Twice on one hunting trip it happened that the BWB that got shot and collapsed on the spot was actually "attacked" by another bull.
In my limited experience, the following makes animals skittish:
Shooting from a vehicle.
Shooting at a watering hole.
Not giving the herd chance to move away at their own pace when you have fired a shot i.e. immediately running towards the fallen animal/ herd when the shot is fired*
I do understand the need for quick follow up on marginal/ wounding shots where it is critical to get a second shot in pronto.
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13-10-2020, 14:05 #7
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Re: Game that Runs Towards the Shot.
...the wildebeeste were probably hurrying over to see what type of magician managed to shoot something that far away with a slow old 9.3x62
I jest - my 9.3x62 is also mostly not used their traditional role, I hunt Gemsbok with mine at around 150m-230m. Which reminds me, this year for the first time i recovered a bullet, need to add a small contribution to the Bullet Performance thread!
Back on topic, I also this year experienced game running towards me after a shot - was hunting blesbok via voorsit method, and after shot the herd ran past me and stopped other side of me at about 50m looking back at me with curiousity... first time hunting blesbok, have to say their running gait looks a bit funny!
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13-10-2020, 15:18 #8
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Re: Game that Runs Towards the Shot.
External ballistics people, focus, the animals knew full well that with the trajectory of the 9.3 if the first animal was shot at 250m then if they ran closer they would be perfectly safe, all shots taken at shorter range would go way over them.
Also, the bullet is so slow the shot can be heard a few seconds before the animal drops, where as in a normal cartridge they would hear the impact first and then the shot, so now they react to the second noise like they normally would and they run straight to the shooter.
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14-10-2020, 12:23 #9
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Re: Game that Runs Towards the Shot.
Ok having made fun over, back to a more realistic question in this scenario.
The first shot the animal dropped on the spot, safe to say little adrenaline was in its body because it did not suspect a shot.
The second animal ran more than a hundred meters with the herd.
What would have happened if the second animal got that exact same shot as the first shot of the session, and the first animal in this story got the exact same shot but the second shot of the session.
Would anything have changed as their adrenaline levels changed(was reversed)?
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14-10-2020, 15:41 #10
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Re: Game that Runs Towards the Shot.
In this case, the first shot broke both shoulders so the animal would have dropped anyway. The behavior of the second animal was typical of a wildebeest shot through both lungs, he ran ±100 meters. This often happen with blue wildebeest even when they are completely relaxed when shot. From the second animal's behavior, I doubt that he had adrenaline in his system. He looked relaxed and not particularly vigilant when I shot him.
Having said that, an animal with adrenaline in its system behaves very differently from a relaxed animal and will keep going for a longer time.
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