Learn to understand a roe deer's reactions to a shot

A bullet hitting a roe deer is a devastating event for the animal. Firstly, the shot generates a loud noise that the roe deer hears, putting it on alert just as the bullet hits it. This causes an adrenaline rush that prepares it to try to escape, toughening it up to a certain extent. Secondly, the deformation of the bullet produces an impact that can even knock it down, and it also generates a hydrodynamic shock wave that, when it hits a blood vessel, can spread throughout the body.

These two effects combined make almost all roe deer that are hit show a reaction that is evident to anyone who has the ability to observe carefully.

Source: AEPES

Shot in the neck

If the bullet fractures the neck bone, the animal will fall immediately and be difficult to track. However, if we aim for the neck and the animal does not fall on the spot, we can often forget to recover it. This usually happens because we will not have hit veins or arteries, since at that distance from the head, the impact would have caused a hydrodynamic shock that will knock it down. Shooting at the neck is always risky, and if the animal runs away, it is a bad sign.

Shot in the spine

The impact on the spine is one of the most impressive, as the animal literally collapses on the spot. They fall like a sack. However, if the shot does not affect the spine and only hits the apophyses of the vertebrae, it is not fatal and the animal recovers from the shock in a few seconds and walks away almost unharmed. This type of shot is known as "needle heat" and can lead to a long search in which it will be necessary to finish off the roe deer to secure it. If they tell us that it fell like a sack and when they arrive they do not find the roe deer, it is a bad sign.

Shot in the leg or ham

The reaction is usually a kick followed by a flight or a loss of balance and a quick recovery to escape. If the bullet only punctures the ham without touching the bone, we will find a lot of blood, but the roe deer will be almost intact and will be difficult to capture. On the contrary, if the bone is broken, the animal's locomotion will be greatly reduced and it will be easier to track and capture.

Shot in the vital rib cage

Normally, a bullet that hits this area has two different types of reaction. The first would be to jump and then run away if the bullet has not broken any bones. Other times, the animal crumples and runs away more slowly, in which case it is very possible that the bullet hit the heart. Sometimes, the bullet knocks it down and turns it upside down, but it gets up again and runs away as if it had not been hit. In general, these are well-placed shots that should allow us to collect it from a few meters away.

A shot hitting a roe deer triggers a number of crucial reactions depending on where the shot is fired. The sound of the shot alerts the roe deer and triggers an adrenaline response, preparing it to flee. The physical impact can result in broken bones such as in the neck or spine, where the effect can be immediate or lead to a prolonged search to secure the animal. Shooting in the legs or vital rib cage also triggers different responses, from rapid flight to inability to move. In all cases, careful observation and interpretation of the roe deer's reactions are essential to ensure effective and humane recovery of the animal.