So between this site and others, there appears to be a common pattern. Take what is dubbed as " a bad shot" taken all the time on does? No prob take the shot it's a doe. Frontal, quartering too, direct on top. Seems every show or hunter takes these shots on does. The evidence is in massive amounts of video takin. This site and others. I will take all the above shots FYI. But I find it odd that does deserve a different angle to die?
Granted, I don't watch bowhunting videos, but I'm hoping beyond hope your post isn't true or accurate.
For the beginner hunter taking a bad shot ( low percentage) I can understand with my own experience (1). Taking a second LP shot rates as a slob if you ask me.
The idea may have something to do with does having less mass and being able to get more penetration. My son son shoots a 38 pound bow and I have limited him to does and small bucks at this poundage. Higher chance of recovery is my thinking. I may be wrong. I'm still fairly new to bow hunting myself. I took a bad shot at a doe one time. She never would come out in the open just weaved in and out of heavy cover. I stood at full draw for a long time and at 20 yards she hit this narrow gap. I could see her neck and front shoulder. She took another step and I let it fly. At first I thought it was a great shot until she jumped then I saw the lighted nock sticking out up around her neck. My heart suck into my belly. I feared I would never find her. It looked as if the arrow hit her in the neck went through to opposite shoulder and and stoped. I walked out of blind to point of impact to see if there was any blood. Nothing, so I waited about an hour. As it got dark I continued my search. I went to where I thought I saw her last and nothing. I started a grid search looking for any signs. At this point I felt horrible, sick to my stomach. Finally, about 15 yards from where I shot her I find the end of my arrow the light in the nock somehow went off when it broke off. There was blood. Small drops about every 5-10 feet. I tracked it about 40 yards and that took awhile as my light was very dim. Then the blood trail got heavy. 40 more yard dead deer. The weight lifted off my shoulders was 10x heavier than that doe and she was huge. Come to find out I shot a little to the left of where I was aiming and she was quartering towards me more than I thought. The arrow hit the shoulder glanced right taking out one lung part the other the diaphragm and liver. No exit wound, body cavity was full of blood. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
in no way have I seen "bad shots" limited to does, here, there, or anywhere. In fact the majority of shots on TV, which are almost 99% on bucks, are "bad shots" that you know will need 8-12 hours of letting the deer lay, then getting a hound out 24 hours later and finding a rotting or half-eaten carcass. That being said, I totally took a "bad shot" with my first bow deer, and was lucky.
While I agree sex of the deer should not play a part in shot selection, I think people are far more likely to take a bad shot on a buck, especially a big one, because that may be thier only chance.
The old" poke and hope" shots. I've seen it on bucks, does. I've also seen and heard of people not putting the same effort in to recovering a doe as they would a buck. The thinking that it's just a doe. Slob hunter if you ask me. I could say something about the ridiculously long/ low % shots people are taking with xbows this year being the first year in Missouri, but I won't. I think alot of the bad shots on film are a direct result of filming it's self. Either positioning the camera yourself or waiting for the camera guy to get it in frame all takes time. Time let's the window shrink and as a result people are rushing or pushing the shot.
I'm not sure that filming is a big factor but I'm sure it could contribute in certain circumstances. Perhaps it seems more common because of society and how we interact with each other with social media. Back in the day if you shot a big buck you would drive home with the tail gate down and hang it from a tree in the front yard or in the garage for a day or two, call a few buddies, if it was a real stud you might even get your picture in the local paper. Nowadays you can instantly reach ten of thousand of people with social media. The desire for attention and praise can be a very strong motivator and push people to take poor shots. Are there more bad shots today than 10 or 20 years ago? I don't know but there sure are more hunting shows on TV and the web. Couple that with many peoples practice and proficiency with their bows its a wonder more aren't wounded. Crossbows were mentioned so I will say this about them. They don't make people take bad shots. Hunters deserve all the blame here. Whatever the weapon is you owe it to the animal to stay within your capabilities. Everyone will make a bad hit from time to time but we owe it to the animal not to take poor low percentage shots.
