I would pass and pray for him to offer a shot eventually .... just not confident in that shot ... with a gun ... I have killed plenty of deer with that shot ... never lost one ... some of the best blood trails I have ever seen come from that shot with a gun .. Heck .. might as well piss someone off .. I think ANYONE that takes that bow shot is acting irresponsibly ....
In total agreement here. A resposible hunter is one who makes a resposible ethical kill. Now if you are confident enough in your equipment and KNOW you can make that shot and that deer will be in your truck in a matter of a couple of hours then yes take the shot. Do I think you should wait for a broadside or quartring away shot YES I do, no matter how confident you are. I personally would not take that shot. There is too much risk involved for me to take that shot. There are too many bones and things that can go wrong. So I would pass and wait or pray to see him another day.
I have read your sentiments in regard to questionable/long shots before and while I understand the concept you are expressing (we are not all equal in ability/experience), I can't get there in regard to a shot such as this. Why?? Because while this shot will be successful xx% (you can fill in the blank), it is still a low percentage shot and is, IMO, a selfish shot. If someone chooses to do so 1000 miles from me or even 15 miles away, doesn't afffect me directly and of no consequence. But if someone does it on my grounds and then spends the next couple of days trapsing all through the brush and our hunting grounds ruining the hunting and habitat for everyone else because he THOUGHT he could make that shot, well that is not only irresponsible but also selfish. Reminds of me of my son's High Baseball team last year. Our team is down 3 runs going into the sixth inning of a seventh inning game. Player x comes to the plate with one runner on and zero outs. At this point in the game and down by 3, we need baserunners. The pitcher is clearly starting to struggle with the strike zone and the count is quickly 3-0. Player x hits the next pitch right up the middle for a solid single. Why did he do that with a 3-0 count? Because it was a "meat" pitch and he "knew" he could hit it, which he did. But just the same the coach was livid and immediately pulled him from the game. I agreed with the coach. It was a low percentage play as opposed to taking the next pitch and it was selfish in nature. Even though it worked out, it didn't make it right. Seems like me all the more reason to wait for a better shot opportunity. How does one ABSOLUTELY know that "scenario x" is going to be the only shot opportunity that this particular deer is going to offer? While all or some of these VARIABLES could come into play, the physiological structure of the deer and process capability (potential) of an arrow from any compound bow while trying to make this shot are CONSTANT, and not stacked in the archer's favor, IMO.
Questions for those that say they would shoot and are also sitting up in a tree stand... How do you get an arrow into the buck's vitals from that angle (hard quartering too from an elavated position)? How many have successfully pulled this shot off before (percentage of good hits vs. bad)? Are you just going for a neck shot (hope it bleeds to death)? I think I would have to pass and hope I get a better angle before the buck leaves.
Although I would personally NOT take that shot, I believe some other things come into play here. I know some bucks around here that sport pretty good headgear might only weigh 150 pounds on the hoof. In other places, those same bucks might be 250 pounds. That 100 pounds of weight increase in combination with thicker bones/cartilage may change the game even more when thinking about whether to unleash an arrow on a quartering toward shot.
I took the shot once and I won't ever do it again. I was in a tree stand, 15 yard shot, hard quartering to me. I shot, got good penetration, never found him or a drop of blood. I was 14 years old and didn't know that much about bow hunting, tracking, etc. Long story short, I didn't sleep and never found him.
Ok, I’ve had a little time to think on this. While generally a lower % shot, depending on the person taking the shot, their equipment, experience, etc, that % can go up or down. Are a lot of deer lost with this shot…YES. But I’m sure a lot are killed this way too. Personally I am 3 for 3 on ¼ to shots. But that said, just a few years back I had my biggest buck present me with a ¼ to at 17 yds & I waited for a better shot. I knew I was going to get it & I did. Where those some of the most agonizing moments spent at full draw? You bet your ass they were. I had a thousand things processing at once. I’d made the shot before, & he was downwind, but he was “structurally” larger than any deer I’d killed, but I the direction he really wanted to go was going to give me a better shot. Hold/shoot, hold/shoot. And while we are on the subject, I agree that ethics are largely individualized, but that does not mean a person has carte blanche to take any shot they so choose. At that moment NOTHING becomes unethical, which is obviously not true. There has to be a threshold where a shot crosses the line from ethical to unethical. Because of individual talents/equipment that line’s location may waver from person to person, but it is still there. No matter how good or confident you are, you can take an unethical shot. NO ONE is above that.
I was faced with this shot opportunity on November 16, 2006 at 8:30am. The deer had responded to a grunt call and unfortunately came on too direct of line towards my stand on the edge of a CRP field. I drew early and the buck came and stood at 20 yards hard quartering too me angle. I held the pin steady on the spot that I thought could do the job and I have the ability to hit quarters at that distance. However, I held off hoping for a better angle. The deer took two more steps and flushed a rooster pheasant that startled us both and he was gone. I hunted that deer hard for the rest of the season without a sighting. I found out why in early Spring when we found the deer dead, locked up with another buck. He grossed 183" and would have been my best buck at that time. I am still glad I did not take the shot, even after knowing he died anyway. Why, because I can still enjoy looking at that skull and massive antlers in my game room knowing that I made the right decision. Even with the best equipment and highest skill, it is not a high percentage shot and no animal is worth the risk. I have heard of far more lost animals from this shot than successful recoveries. After 30 years of bowhunitng and dozens of kills, I would discourage this shot as unethical for any skill level. In my opinion a quartering too shot is NO shot no matter the size of trophy.
I'll answer this 100% honestly. And I say that.. cause I've been the unfortunate victim of my own morality more than once while in the woods. I would not take the shot. I'd be pissed like always.. then settle down into laughter.. but I couldn't do it. Am I a better man than you cause I wouldn't? No.. Are my beliefs stronger than you? Likely.. It could only be described as vanity and lust than anyone would try this shot. I'm not saying your a bad person.. and I certainly DON'T care if you try the shot. I'll still congratulate you. Of course one could "argue" it may be the only time in ones life to accomplish such a task. Then I would simply call it weakness.. for isn't it? After all.. strength and power is knowing you can and don't.. not in the doing. I may not earn friends with this. But I will call a spade a spade.
Same here.But it was 20 yards out. It made a huge hole right behind the shoulder on its way out. I knew the spot, everything was perfect, One of the best Blood trails I ever followed. It was a Clean Heart-Lung Shot. On the down note it ran into a tree a broke off one of its antlers. Nice 8pt
There's a lot of truth to deer being lost to poor tuning, however I'll respectfully disagree with the second part of your statement. Yes, the kill zone remains the size of a basketball; it's GETTING TO IT that presents the difficully in this scenario. That, and producing an exit hole so you don't plug up the entry hole and have the deer run off without a blood trail prohibiting him from being found even if he DOES die.
