Ethical killing 101

[hickslawns]

Here are some basics guys. I don't want to call anyone out, but every year it seems like we read about more and more deer never recovered. Let's start this thread about basics of quick, clean, ethical kills. Feel free to add to it. I will start with some archery basics.

1) Know your limitations. I don't care if it is a 200" deer, if you don't practice past 30 or 40yds, don't take a shot that far. If you don't consistently hit your target at whatever yardage you practice at, don't go hunting until you have it figured out.

2) Know ethical shot selection. Practice it. Texas Heart shots, quartering toward you shots, front on shots. . . are not bow shots.

3) Practice how you hunt. If you wear gloves in the stand, practice with gloves on. If you hunt from 20' in the air, practice 20' in the air.

This is a starter. Please add to it as you see fit. If it helps keep one deer from suffering, or one hunter to recover a deer by waiting a few seconds for a deer to turn. . . .This thread will be well worth it. Good luck guys!

 

[Boarhead]

Dont shoot at running or trotting deer with a bow.
Chances are you will just wound them.

 

[hickslawns]

Know your yardage.

Don't try to shoot through brush with a bow or try to squeeze one thru tree limbs. Murphy's Law says one of those limbs will deflect your arrow.

 

[Steelheadtracker]

I agree with everything hicks lawns said. I will not take a shot past 20 yds with my bow because it is an older bow and I just don't have the confidence with it at 30 yds and beyond. I've target shot it and 30 and got decent groups and decent pentetration, but decent is not good enough for me. I also mark yardage with trail marker tape before the season starts to be sure I know exactly what yardage the deer is at because I don't want to rely on my own mEmory or even worse guess the yardage in The spur of the moment. I mark off 10 and 20 yds at several different angles from the front of my stand so no matter where the deer is I can tell what yardage it is at.

 

[Bigslam51]

My buddy josh had this buck at 40 yards this evening. It would of been his first buck but he wasn't comfortable with that shot so he let him walk. I told him I was proud of him for doing that.

 

[Bigslam51]

Shoot your bow before each hunt. Stuff can happen in between hunts and sights or rests can get bumped and out of line. It's better to figure that out before you go out then in the woods.

 

[xbowguy]

Need to remember always....a bow is NOT a gun. There is NO room for error.

 

[Curran]

Recommended reading for every hunter, from the book, Beyond Fair Chase:







Ethics are always interesting to discuss because I believe they are individualized. Yes, there are universal ethics that the majority will agree to, like in hunting the hunting community, but there are also individualized exceptions. What one individual hunter feels is an unethical shot may be well within the range for another individual hunter.

Good stuff guys!

 

[Gordo]

Know the anatomy of a deer.

Factor in angles to your shot placement.

 

[MK111]

Good post. I've passed on 10 times more deer than the 3 I've shot at. One clean miss and 2 perfect kills recoveries within 100 yds.
One of the worst problems is tracking wounder deer after the shot. If the blood stops, just stop and think you are a wounded deer in a panic state of mind. Sounds a little corny but it helps. Deer by nature are rather lazy and take the easy way when possible but when wounded they may just blindly go straight ahead through the damnest stuff.
The largest buck I took with a 44 mag high lung shot at 30 yds went straight up a hill that I had to crawl up. Now we all know deer always go down hill when badly wounded and never uphill but this deer didn't show up for that training.

 

[MK111]

Know the anatomy of a deer.

Factor in angles to your shot placement.

Good one. When I started bow hunting I bought a deer anatomy program that the different layers of internal can be added and removed. Damn things looked different at different angles of shots. Even after 45 yrs of deer hunting it helped.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Know the anatomy of a deer.

Factor in angles to your shot placement.

Word.

IMO, it is very important to understand what the inside of a deer looks like. And along those lines: Aim for the exit.

 

[Jamie]

everything mentioned here(and considerably more) constitutes the core of the NBEF program. some states out west require bowhunter education certification to buy permits. even seasoned archery hunters learn stuff in Bowhunter Education classes. everyone who hunts in archery season should take it.

 

[Joel]

Pretty good stuff mentioned here. Still being fairly new to all this, I learned pretty quick that even if you have a deer broadside at 20 yards and you THINK you have a perfect shot lined up something can still go wrong. Therefore if you are not 100% sure of the distance, angle is not perfect and there is a possibility a branch or anything may be in the way, it is highly probable something WILL go wrong. If that arrow doesn't go exactly where it's supposed to there's a good chance you're going to have hours of walking around screwing up your hunting spot, wounded deer out there somewhere and it is going to suck. Much better to watch the deer and learn from the encounter and let it walk. Wait for the right shot or it will be a very crappy and humbling experience guaranteed.

 

["J"]

One thing that people fail too do is too take into account the deers state.... Is it relaxed (tail flipping side too side) is it on alert (walking stiff legged or stomping it hooves).....
A relaxed deer will be less likely too react too the arrow coming it's way then a on alert one.... Quartering away too broadside is the optimal shot, quartering too and frontal are very low percentage shots.... For most people.... Me being one of them....

Make sure you breathe and try too remain relaxed as possible, I know sometimes that's pretty impossible but rushing your shot or shaking won't help your cause (or the deers) as you'll be less likely too hit your mark....

 

[Diablo54]

Don't do this

 

["J"]

We had a guy during muzzle loader drop a doe opening day a few years ago that had an arrow in the same way....

This is one of the worst shots too take on a deer possible..... But every year someone has too try it and you get this.....

 

[xbowguy]

Know the anatomy of a deer.

Factor in angles to your shot placement.

Exactly. Life is much better when you concentrate on the path between the enter and exit hole. Not the point of impact itself.

 

[Strother23]

I have a guy at work who tried a head shot this year. Shot a a deer laying down. Wounded him an he was killed about a week later by another guy who hunts his property. I had a talk with him about ethical shots. Hopefully he listened to me. But great advice so far, a lot of good stuff

 

[hickslawns]

One thing that people fail too do is too take into account the deers state.... Is it relaxed (tail flipping side too side) is it on alert (walking stiff legged or stomping it hooves).....

Make sure you breathe and try too remain relaxed as possible, I know sometimes that's pretty impossible but rushing your shot or shaking won't help your cause (or the deers) as you'll be less likely too hit your mark....

THANK YOU J! Great points. Nervous deer at 20yds is bad. Nervous yard at 30yds is worse. Nervous deer at 40yds would never get an arrow from me. (Truthfully, 40yds is my maximum archery limit anyway. I have to be practicing AND comfortable/confident at 40/50/60yds in order to shoot at a live animal at 40yds.)

Great points by all. I am loving the info so far. You guys have brought up some outstanding points! Keep it up.