When you're hunting big game animals, do you stop them while they're walking to get a shot or do you allow them to stop on a natural pause? I realize that deer, for example, will be on high alert when grunted at. I also realize all the potential problems associated with stopping deer prior to shooting at them; things such as string jumping, wounding animals, hurrying a shot causing a poor hit, educating local deer populations in your hunting area...
If you're a hunter who always wait for their natural pause, do you then set, within your personal hunting limitations, the possibility of letting the animal walk by, and that the deer may not stop until out of range?
I'm just curious what others do when facing with that decision. I have stopped deer to take a shot before. I've also made poor shots as a result of rushing to shoot after stopping the deer. I've also killed some nice deer by grunting at them prior to the shot. Personally, I'm at the point where I'm going to let the deer stop on their natural pause. If they don't stop within bow range, so be it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying one way is right and the other is wrong. Each hunter has to make their own decision on what's best.
A walking deer within my range, I will take the shot. No noise used.
I either let them stop on their own or shot them on a slow walk. My experiences stopping an animal haven't really turned out good. They either stop in the wrong place,jump the string, or I hurry the shot when I stop them. Looking back I have probably shot more animals on a slow walk than any other way.
I prefer a walking shot unless there is a lot of brush. They don't hear the bow and I feel I can make as good a shot as on one standing still.
I have only tried to stop one deer, he was at a trot. He stopped behind a cedar tree. I shot him as he started to walk again. I much prefer them to be either feeding or at a slow walk. Have let a lot go because they were walking a little too fast.
One thing, where I hunt and how I set up most of my shots are really close. If the shots were longer, I may want them to stop.
The key to stopping them effectively without adverse events following, is the ability to read the animals state and personality. A person needs a bit of a range of different frequencys, types, and volumes of sounds to be most effective. Its best done with natural sounds you can make, not calls.
If a deer that is sensitive and wary comes through and you bellow a loud grunt, bad things are going to happen. Where as just a light short whistle would have gotten a good result.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, the only thing that stopped the buck I killed last year was me hollering to the top of my lungs the word "HEY". He was in such a rut stooper, with mouth open and rack and head tilted slightly back, he no more knew what was going on around him then a man in the moon. When he stopped he looked confused but relaxed, and WAY off course of where the loud sound came from. He never so much as flinched when I let go at 17 yards away.
The reason you rush the shot from stopping them is from either using the wrong type sound alerting the deer and making you nervous, or you just haven't done it enough to realize there is nothing to worry about and you can indeed take your time. Unless a deer stops of their own right, and where I want them, I will stop every deer I need to, and have for years.
It all works if done right but every situation is different. I even had to yell twice at the big buck I shot last year to get him to stop while chasing a doe. I drew the bow as he was stoping and was anchored by the time he stopped.
I never try to use a grunt call drop the call grab the string then try and pull back because he's got you nailed by then. It's all automatic and done with my voice if I do anything. Most of the time nothing is needed and most of my shots are 15yds or less.
This kind of stuff I never worry about or think about while I'm hunting it's just natural. Can't predict what's going to happen so I don't need to worry myself about it. IMHO
Tracy
I do sometimes but not always, here are a few things I've learned along the way:
1: older deer sometimes will bolt if they here that sound...do it at your own risk
2: whitetails will almost always duck the string of you grunt. I use this to my advantage because at least now I know what the reaction will be after the shot. I aim lower 1/3 if I grunt between 15-25 yards. Right at if 25-35. 30ishbis my effective range so I really don't shoot past that distance.
3: deer don't always keep walking when you shoot them on the trot/walk
So ultimately I now make a quick judgement depending on the situations such as terrain, wind, age of the deer, alertness ect. Then I aim differently depending on the animals reaction after the grunt
Btw you guys in Kansas aren't hunting the average whitetail lol deer in Kansas don't react quite the way they do in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma etc ...southern deer can be even more skittish
Rutting bucks often don't stop, or stop where you want them to. As others, if I have a very close walking shot, I take it. If not, I'll sometimes grunt with my voice. More often than not, I take the moving shot because I'm so intent on getting the shot I forget to grunt.
A feeding deer in a quiet woods may become instantly alert if grunted, but moving bucks usually just stop moving (if they even hear it) and try to locate the sound, providing a few seconds to make the shot before they figure out what's up. I've very rarely had them jump the string after I've voice grunted them.
Re rushing the shot. That can happen whether you stop the animal with a grunt or other noise, or not. :goldtooth:
QuoteOriginally posted by Michael Arnette:
Btw you guys in Kansas aren't hunting the average whitetail lol deer in Kansas don't react quite the way they do in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma etc ...southern deer can be even more skittish
Yes... its because we take the time to tame them down good before we kill them, plus there is hardly ANY hunters chasing them around year after year.... :knothead:
An easy whistle doesn't seem to spook them like a grunt or a bleat will, if at all.
Interesting stuff here! Thanks!
99% of the time I let them stop on there own. If I don't get a shot because they did not stop in range, then I come back later and try again.
Bisch
I have never tried to stop'em.....shot quite a few on the walk.
Yup, shoot them on the move.
Shoot on the walk , but not if the are running .
On the move, too!
How many times I have heard the Pros say its unethical.
QuoteOriginally posted by Michael Arnette:
Btw you guys in Kansas aren't hunting the average whitetail lol deer in Kansas don't react quite the way they do in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma etc ...southern deer can be even more skittish
Sorry Mike, I don't by that for a minute. I've hunted all those states you just mentioned and down to Texas and see no difference in our deer. Never hunted public land deer in those states though but here the same story's here as I do down there.
Maybe the difference is the deer are a lot smaller then our deer makin them quicker :bigsmyl:
I've seen some videos of ranch deer though that were very impressive reaction times but those deer are hunted incredibly hard and at feeders and know what's going on.
Tracy
I like to shoot them while walking.
Terry
I've stopped a few and never had one spook, but I always use a VERY soft mouth grunt, and only after I'm at full draw and ready to shoot. I prefer to let them stop on their own though if possible.
In this neck of the woods, anytime you stop them with noise (loud or soft) it puts them in high alert and poor outcomes happen. I now wait for them to stop on there own or shoot on a slow walk or let them pass.
I'll lock one up before I watch it walk out of range or into cover.
QuoteOriginally posted by Bisch:
99% of the time I let them stop on there own. If I don't get a shot because they did not stop in range, then I come back later and try again.
Bisch
What Bisch said. Last thing I want to do is burn my hide.
I'll side with the folks that sit quietly and wait. I haven't had much luck over the years with stopping deer. I've done it many times with success but have also found they are just too quick if they see the limbs on my bow unfolding in their direction. I'd much rather have them stop on their own. If they don't stop they get a free pass.
A lot of things happen in the deer woods the more you hunt the more you learn so when that buck of a lifetime comes you have to react quick I've stopped some and let some walk it's a hard thing to practice when your hunting but if you can when in the stand try some sounds on a little buck if he's alone in front of you like some guys said its up to you at that time but when you alert the deer you better be alert to and ready to shoot good luck to all this deer season
A lot of things happen in the deer woods the more you hunt the more you learn so when that buck of a lifetime comes you have to react quick I've stopped some and let some walk it's a hard thing to practice when your hunting but if you can when in the stand try some sounds on a little buck if he's alone in front of you like some guys said its up to you at that time but when you alert the deer you better be alert to and ready to shoot good luck to all this deer season
A lot of things happen in the deer woods the more you hunt the more you learn so when that buck of a lifetime comes you have to react quick I've stopped some and let some walk it's a hard thing to practice when your hunting but if you can when in the stand try some sounds on a little buck if he's alone in front of you like some guys said its up to you at that time but when you alert the deer you better be alert to and ready to shoot good luck to all this deer season
What Graps said.
For me its situational.
If a deer is meandering / feeding / picking their way down the trail my way, I wait for them to stop, as its very likely that they will based on the previous 10 / 15 minutes of watching them approach slowly.
If its a deer cruising down the trail and I've not seen them stop as they approached, chances are they will not stop on their own, so I will for sure try to stop them for a shot.
If in the first situation, (meandering deer) happens to make it through and approaching my last shooting lane and hasn't stopped like I thought it would, then I'll stop them for a shot.
I draw, get to full anchor, track the deer with my arrow tip, settle it in vertically where it needs to be as I'm tracking it horizontally, and give a soft grunt as soon as I've got my tip where it needs to be. The arrow is usually on its way before the deer is even looking up for the sound.
Haven't had a deer spook from me trying to stop it yet. However, as always, hunting is a never-ending learning experience. So if that monster buck spooks when I try to stop him... my tactics might change ;) But so far so good.
If I have a deer in range I make em stop unless I can get a shot off at a slowly moving deer. I don't get many opportunities. I have to make every animal I get into range into an opportunity as I don't get many and sometimes don't ever get one.
I try to position my setups to help with natural pauses. Examples would be fence jumps or terrain changes that cause deer to stop before moving on. The rut can be frustrating when chasing is hot and heavy. Happy hunting this season. Shoot straight!!
QuoteOriginally posted by MnFn:
A walking deer within my range, I will take the shot. No noise used.
X2
I can see by the comments here that a lot of Killers have checked in. Great stuff!
I like them to stop on their own when possible. I like setups on trail intersections (so I'm hunting multiple trails), they typically stop at the fork in the trail. If they don't I will give a very soft "mmaaaaa".... Normally it stops them and they are still calm.
I have tried to stop them and had them duck. I won't try again unless it looks like I have no other option. I don't get enough opportunities to not try if they look like they are going to walk out of my life.
Like others have said, I like to have them walking when I take the shot. I think it helps mute their keen hearing and eyesight to some small extent.
I don't always stop a deer before I shoot, but when I do, I use a small mouth blat.
Shoot straight my friends.
BB
My motto is "If they are in range they are in range." I will, however, pass if they are moving too fast.