One of my first experiences with a liver hit involved a nice mule deer with 5x6 antlers that I shot in Colorado while hunting with guide and outfitter Rudy Rudibaugh. I fired as the buck was moving at a fast walk above timberline at a range of 200 to 250 yards, but I didn’t lead him enough to get the lungs. My 150-grain .30-06 slug hit the deer in the center of the body, damaging the liver.
I was more excitable and less experienced then. The terrain was open enough that I could watch the buck’s progress after the hit, and I saw him go down in a thick patch of willows. Anxious to claim my first big muley, I raced to the spot. The buck reacted to my sudden appearance by jumping up and bouncing downhill, and I began trying to hit the moving target at close range with my variable scope still set on nine power. In my excitement, I forgot to turn the scope’s magnification down to three power.
I had a hard enough time finding the deer in the scope, much less hitting it. The buck was hurt bad enough that it didn’t go far before dropping into the willows again. I pressed my pursuit, jumping the buck once more and missing with another volley of shots. The buck went down for a third time, and I was able to finish it.
