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Q:
I have got a story to tell. Remember the question about do you shoot deer late in the evening when you don't know what they are?(Rack wise) See 1st answer.
Question by anjadams. Uploaded on November 19, 2009
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Answers (17)
Well last night after I got in from hunting a close friend called me and said he needed help finding a deer. He shot it with his bow as it came to grunts and Tinks 69 in a scrape. Long story short we tracked blood for 300 yards or more and finally I found the deer. During the search he kept saying I hope it isnt a 4 pt. Well when I seen the deer I turned off the lights and blocked him from seeing it.(It was thick and his light was almost out) I turned to him and said it was a big buck! He didnt believe me. I finally let him to his deer and the whooping and hollering commenced! It was a 170 lb thick racked 8 pt. He had lost alot of weight from chasing does. Now the wild part. The arrow had ever so slightly sliced the deers lip en route to his neck. The arrow entered his neck and went right down beside his spine length wise to the deer. His jugular was sliced and he bleed like crazy. His pics are on my profile. If he had not shot he would have never gotton this trophy. I feel the dark conditions made him shoot at the deer when he didnt know exactly how it was standing. That resulted in a poor placed shot but it was lethal. Would You have shot?
His pic is in my profile.
No. I leave my stand when I can no longer see the small twigs extended from bushes and trees. It takes away any chance of an arrow being deflected by an unseen branch. If I'm at the edge of a field I stay a little longer. I understand what you buddy has done. It's easy to see and identify a deer as the deer approaches in the dim light but after pulling back and looking through a peep (the reason I don't use a peep) the body of the deer can be distorted and the light further dimmed. Compound this by the fact that some fiber optic sites can blind you. I've been bowhunting nearly 30 years and have made this same mistake. Maybe your friend will use this as a learning experience.
You should always know what you're shooting at and where you're aiming at. It sounds like your friend already knew it was a buck, but took a questionable (lucky, in this case) shot.
I don't shoot unless I know, for sure, what I am shooting at. I would have tagged out twice already if I just shot.
No, the shot shouldn't have been taken. Just read any one of the stories posted currently on hunting accidents. He should know it's a buck or doe, he should know broadside or facing. Even if only for the sake of an ethical kill. Tough to say not knowing exactly what/who is on the plot, but that arrow could have easily gotten a curious non-deer creature, human, or been a cripple shot. "Lucky" should never have to be used when describing a shot.
Come on guys he knew it was a buck he just wasnt sure how big it was. Private land and dusk dark. Not completely dark.
Not being there, I cannot condemn the man for shooting. How dark is dark? We should all be sure of our target before shooting.
Glad he got the buck. I personally don't shoot with my bow unless i have it broadside or quartering away. I have made the mistake of shooting a quartering to buck, and luckily made a perfect shot. He only went 30 yds, but it was still a shot i shouldn't have taken. A deer head on or facing away, there is no bow shot. Like i said, glad he got it but it sounds like an ill advised shot.
Personally I wouldn't have shot, but congrats to your friend on the buck.
What does "private land" have to do with it. Are you referring to it being past legal shooting hours and he most likely would not have gotten busted for shooting too late?
Sorry, I just realized that you were probably referring to it not being likely that it would be a person.
If I couldnt identify past the point that it was a buck comeing in. I would not have shot if not more than the lone purpose of makeing a clean kill.
Yeah SC laws say 1 hour before to 1 hour after sunset for hunting time. It was not illegal. We too are skilled hunters who would never shoot a deer unless we are sure it is one. SC has very dense thick woods with no limit on bucks. If I were in a State like a lot of you that get only a limited amount of buck tags, I would be alot less likely to chance a shot on a BUCK that I didnt know how big or old he was. Thanks for the answers.
It was questionable though I would not have taken a shot then.
Honestly I would not have shoot. I have passed on deer that I knew were really nice bucks because it was a little too dark out(in Wisconsin it is 15 minutes before sunrise and sunset). I would rather pass on the biggest buck of my life, then make a poor shot and walk away knowing I made a poor shot. Your friend was lucky this time, but the key word in that sentence is lucky. Whose to say when is luck is going to run out? And the only way to get big bucks is to let the small ones go, so shooting just because you know it is a buck is unethical and not properly identifying you game.
with no limit on bucks it would be hard not to shoot.
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No. I leave my stand when I can no longer see the small twigs extended from bushes and trees. It takes away any chance of an arrow being deflected by an unseen branch. If I'm at the edge of a field I stay a little longer. I understand what you buddy has done. It's easy to see and identify a deer as the deer approaches in the dim light but after pulling back and looking through a peep (the reason I don't use a peep) the body of the deer can be distorted and the light further dimmed. Compound this by the fact that some fiber optic sites can blind you. I've been bowhunting nearly 30 years and have made this same mistake. Maybe your friend will use this as a learning experience.
You should always know what you're shooting at and where you're aiming at. It sounds like your friend already knew it was a buck, but took a questionable (lucky, in this case) shot.
I don't shoot unless I know, for sure, what I am shooting at. I would have tagged out twice already if I just shot.
Not being there, I cannot condemn the man for shooting. How dark is dark? We should all be sure of our target before shooting.
Glad he got the buck. I personally don't shoot with my bow unless i have it broadside or quartering away. I have made the mistake of shooting a quartering to buck, and luckily made a perfect shot. He only went 30 yds, but it was still a shot i shouldn't have taken. A deer head on or facing away, there is no bow shot. Like i said, glad he got it but it sounds like an ill advised shot.
Personally I wouldn't have shot, but congrats to your friend on the buck.
No, the shot shouldn't have been taken. Just read any one of the stories posted currently on hunting accidents. He should know it's a buck or doe, he should know broadside or facing. Even if only for the sake of an ethical kill. Tough to say not knowing exactly what/who is on the plot, but that arrow could have easily gotten a curious non-deer creature, human, or been a cripple shot. "Lucky" should never have to be used when describing a shot.
What does "private land" have to do with it. Are you referring to it being past legal shooting hours and he most likely would not have gotten busted for shooting too late?
Sorry, I just realized that you were probably referring to it not being likely that it would be a person.
If I couldnt identify past the point that it was a buck comeing in. I would not have shot if not more than the lone purpose of makeing a clean kill.
Yeah SC laws say 1 hour before to 1 hour after sunset for hunting time. It was not illegal. We too are skilled hunters who would never shoot a deer unless we are sure it is one. SC has very dense thick woods with no limit on bucks. If I were in a State like a lot of you that get only a limited amount of buck tags, I would be alot less likely to chance a shot on a BUCK that I didnt know how big or old he was. Thanks for the answers.
Well last night after I got in from hunting a close friend called me and said he needed help finding a deer. He shot it with his bow as it came to grunts and Tinks 69 in a scrape. Long story short we tracked blood for 300 yards or more and finally I found the deer. During the search he kept saying I hope it isnt a 4 pt. Well when I seen the deer I turned off the lights and blocked him from seeing it.(It was thick and his light was almost out) I turned to him and said it was a big buck! He didnt believe me. I finally let him to his deer and the whooping and hollering commenced! It was a 170 lb thick racked 8 pt. He had lost alot of weight from chasing does. Now the wild part. The arrow had ever so slightly sliced the deers lip en route to his neck. The arrow entered his neck and went right down beside his spine length wise to the deer. His jugular was sliced and he bleed like crazy. His pics are on my profile. If he had not shot he would have never gotton this trophy. I feel the dark conditions made him shoot at the deer when he didnt know exactly how it was standing. That resulted in a poor placed shot but it was lethal. Would You have shot?
Come on guys he knew it was a buck he just wasnt sure how big it was. Private land and dusk dark. Not completely dark.
His pic is in my profile.
It was questionable though I would not have taken a shot then.
Honestly I would not have shoot. I have passed on deer that I knew were really nice bucks because it was a little too dark out(in Wisconsin it is 15 minutes before sunrise and sunset). I would rather pass on the biggest buck of my life, then make a poor shot and walk away knowing I made a poor shot. Your friend was lucky this time, but the key word in that sentence is lucky. Whose to say when is luck is going to run out? And the only way to get big bucks is to let the small ones go, so shooting just because you know it is a buck is unethical and not properly identifying you game.
with no limit on bucks it would be hard not to shoot.
Post an Answer