The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-04-09
Vitality of the Deer.

trulSm tnat thcrc is no shot which
will stop deer within 90 yards and
do it every time.
Deer have been known to travel a
quarter of a mile with shot through
the brain, to go 100 yards with
broken spine, to pass on apparently
unhurt when hit through the heart.
AS general thing hound-drivcn
deer will 20 farther when mortally
hurt than deer which arc shot while
being still-hunted, for the reason that
those driven by hounds are often
going at top speed. Their tremendous
momentum carries them some little
way and besides they are badly fright
cncd and have the instinct to run SO
long as the muscles will act.
Last fall G. II. Colbert Of Frost
vile used 12 large buckshot on deer
which crossed him at 80 yards with
the dogs not more than quarter Of
mile behind it. The deer fell at the
discharge Of the gun, rolled over in q
somcrsault, lcapcd to it's feet and dis
appeared with undiminished speed.
The dogs ran into it dead 300 yards
farther on. 1t had been hit thrice
through the neck, the shot passing
out on the other side, and once
through the head below the eyes.
lutting into this deer it was found
that the top Of one Of the neck YER
tcbrac had been split by bullet.
1t happens most often that deer
shot through the heart falls dead
within 20 feet, but som nctimes one
will display a surprising hold upon
life. In Trempeleau county, Wis,
last season George Hatfield fred at
deer which was lying down 60 yards
away with it's head turned from him.
He used soft-nosed bullet of 30
calibre.
The animal jumped up and ran at
terrific speed. A hundred yards away
it crashed into sapling the size of
man s wrist, broke it off and fell it.
self. When Hatfield reached it life
was extinct.
The bullet had entered near the
middle Of the back and taken for
ward and downward course. Striking
rib it had been converted practically
into charge IF small shot. 1t had
passed through the heart and this
organ was nearly pulverized.
Once in Wood county, in the same
state, Frank a Porter used -lS cali
brc rifle on deer which was standing
broadside on. This animal was knock
cd down, but regained it's feet after
rolling over a couple Of times and
came directly toward the shooter
lie supposed it was charging linn
and got out Of its way. 1t passed
him apparently without seeing him,
ran 90 yards in the open and fell.
The hole through its heart was larger
than silver dollar.
Some sportsnen believe that deer
shot through the heart go blind as
they often crash into trees or stumps
before falling, but it may be only the
blindness of fast approaching death.
1t would seem almost that the stricken
animal maintains its equilibrium and
the muscles act involuntarily after
death has come. Instances of deer
travelling more than quarter of
mile when the heart has been struck
by only one buckshot are too numcr-
Gus to mention.
On the other hand very slight
wound will sometimes stop deer,
Hugh Boyd of northern Minnesota
once shot doe which was crossing
the runaway at. q walk, not 30 yards
from him. She dropped in her tracks.
Running to her he grasped her by the
ears with one hand aud drew his knife
to bleed her when She jumped UP.
Boyd is q powerful man. He threw
the deer and killed her with the knife,
thouSn snc cut MS right wrist badly
with fore hoof.
She had been shot through the
fleshy part of the neck" -"creased" as
the term is in the southwest. No
bone was touched and she had fallen
merely from temporary shock to the
spinal cord.
Two winters ago James Dubose Of
Claiborne parish, La, fred at deer
which was passing him at gentle
lope. It's hindquarters sank almost
to the ground and it endeavored to
escape by dragging itself with it's
forelegs.
When it had gone 10 yards he shot
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