One shot, two kills, or What Caliber for deer?

**PennsyPlinker** · December 7th, 2009, 04:35 PM

About 5:30 AM today I was awakened from my sleep by sounds outside my bedroom window. Well, that and the dogs were going berserk. There was a vehicle parked on the road with the driver's door open. As I watched, a man appeared from below my line of sight walking back towards the truck. That meant he had been on my porch, given the angle and where he appeared. Despite being sick as the proverbial dog, I got dressed and went outside to investigate. It was still very dark out, but I had my little 120 lumen Streamlight with me, as well as my big SIG. Just in case, of course.

By the time I got outside he was down the road about 30 or 40 ft, talking on a cell phone. I shone my light on him, and asked him to identify himself. I heard him say, "Oh, there's someone else out here now! I have to go!"

He started walking towards me, explaining that he had hit a deer, but could not find it. He did not have a light. Keeping an eye on him, I shone the light around. It took about 10 seconds to locate the deer. Imagine our surprise to see TWO deer lying side by side!

One was very seriously messed up, and the other was unmarked as far as we could see. Both were dead.

To make a long story a little shorter, the proper authorities were notified. While we were standing there waiting, he told me he had hit the deer with his wife's car. He took the car back home and came back in his truck to look for it. The wife's car is a Dodge Caliber, hence the second part of the title here. I know deer travel together, and have seen as many as 16 on my property, moving through on their way to wherever it is they go. But I never saw two hit by one car before.

**Swarner793** · December 7th, 2009, 04:56 PM

Out of curiosity, what became of the deer and did they ask that you put the injured one down?

Be safe (and humane).

Scott

**Dredly** · December 7th, 2009, 04:57 PM

could have either hit the head of one and the body of the second or they may have been side by side and the first took the abuse but killed both of them...

I'm surprised he was able to drive the car home

**PennsyPlinker** · December 7th, 2009, 05:01 PM

Scott, the best I could tell, they were both dead. There was no movement from either. I did not hang out in the weather (being very sick right now) so I do not know the final disposition of the animals.

Dredly, the car was not in great shape from his description. He said something about the wheel rubbing. While I do not know him, he does not live far from here, by his own report. If I had to guess, I would say they were traveling side by side when they got hit.