HERES THE SENARIO
I'm sure most all of us have been in this positon.
As soon a the whitetail steps into range it senses something is wrong and focuses on you in your treestand. A few head bobs and fake feedings but you are frozen like a statue and the deer doesn't vacate the area but begins to feed. However after every bite it looks up and refocuses on you.This goes on for 10 to 15 minutes. It never looks the other way or has it head go behind a tree or bush.
Do you attempt to draw?
Wait for the slim chance that the deer gets distracted and looks the other way to draw knowing that probally won't happen and the deer will end up walking away without you drawing?
Or maybe you draw and up pops its head staring right at you, do you take the shot and compensate for a matrix move as it ducks to evade your arrow?
Please share your personal experiences (not untested opinions) in these cases and the result.
For the most part I have tried to wait for them to become distracted prior to drawing and most of the time have been left without a shot. I was just wondering if a more aggressive approach worked for anyone?
I'd say do what you've been doing. Wait for them to become distracted by something else or to lose interest. Those critters have AMAZING reflexes and there isn't a bow alive that will get an arrow through the boiler room if they are all keyed up and tense. And, in my opinion, it's just too risky to try and second guess their move. I'd say wait em out, pass on the shot if need be. I shoot fairly slow bows, and I've not had any trouble with making fine shots if they aren't cued up, but I have had them duck arrows even at close range when they are already alerted. I won't take shots with them really onto me anymore. That's part and parcel with being a good hunter in my opinion. Course, that's my two cents worth, so it may not be worth even that much to others.
I would go for it.
I am in agreement with Sweeney.
I've tried a couple of times over the years to pull off the shot almost exactly as you've described it with bad and good results. The ones that ended with good results only means that no deer were hit and wounded.
I think I tried it the second time because the 1st time there was no foul nor harm.
Lesson learned.
My 2 cents worth.
God bless,Mudd
good lord, you just described my whole season this year. in every instance, alerted deer=escaped deer due to missed shot or no shot.
either way, i've lost.
once they are on to you, i have very rarely had them offer a shot later.
I had an extremely skittish doe step out at 20 yards and did exactly that. It took me 20 minutes to get my bow up to shooting height. Then I just waited her out. after another 10 minutes I saw a slight change in her demeanor. she looked more relaxed just before she lowered her head again. As she started to lower her head I took the opportunity to draw and release. The shot was dead on line and 3 inches right over her shoulders :rolleyes: . She didn't jump the string. She didn't even move until the arrow hit the ground. Just a bad shot. :knothead:
I think any sooner and she would have busted me for sure.
I wait and hope he goes away soon. :laughing: :laughing:
Hogs do exactly the same as the deer no hope of a good shot.
I have made some extra moves like arm waving to end the situation sooner.
I always think it's worth a try. The worst that can happen is a spooked deer.
QuoteOriginally posted by SpencerL:
I always think it's worth a try. The worst that can happen is a spooked deer.
An educated deer.
Or a badly hit deer. My experience is that if they are looking at you, it ain't good. Better to wait till they are distracted or turn to leave, and you can get away with the movement of drawing and shooting. Best is to shoot at a deer totally unawares.
anytime you have alerted a deer even if they are feeding or not looking at you they are keyed up and almost 100% of the time they will duck your arrow with ease, you may get a spine shot and drop them in their tracks BUT most of the time you will miss or the absolute worst thing is yor arrow will pass thru over the spine thru the meat, it won't kill the deer but I'm sure they are not comfortable with that scenario for a few days anyway
Just read what I consider a very ill advised article in one of the sportsmans magazines I receive monthly. The article attempted to tackle the problem of shooting at alert deer and dealing with string jump. It had some pretty impressive calculations involved with the authors point of view in which he stated that it was only a problem past 20 yards! The final evaluation the author came up with is that it was best to apply a generous ammount of arrow speed to the problem as its solution. It was never even considered in the article that maybe you should not attempt to shoot at an alert deer.
Im sure after that little rant you can guess my opinion on the matter. There are enough things that can go wrong when you set up a "perfect" shot at a deer thats not alert let alone adding the multiplier of a deer that obviously knows you are there. Call me overly cautious but I would rather pass the shot and learn what lesson I could from being caught than take a marginal shot opportunity and end up wounding an animal.
Shooting at a deer that knows something is up is a bad deal.
That being said, they don't actually SEE the arrow coming and try to dodge it. A deer's natural reaction to a noise or movement that startles them is to bunch-up and dart away. No matter how quiet your bow is, they will react to the sound and movment of a shot. When they do that, it drops their body position. Just like a person who can't leap from harm without bending the knees, when a deer gathers itself to flee, it bends all four legs for a jump.
If they think something is hinky and have a spot to pin it on, they are preprogramed to react away from that location.
Close your eyes for a cout of 100, slow your breathing down and wait it out. Slowly open your eyes and see what's up. If the deer is still on alert, go through the process again. Just relax.
Too often I have hunted with friends and watched this whole thing play out. Even when the deer eases up and calms down, they either make a hurried, jerky attempt at a draw or they try the sneaky inch by inch thing. Both result in a bad, tension laden attempt at a shot.
If the deer calms down enough and presents a good shot, be just as smooth as if it never knew you were there.
Deer are ALWAYS on alert to some degree. Eons of being on the tasty end of the food chain has ensured that all the laid-back deer were eaten centuries ago. But a deer that has its radar tuned specifically in to you is a difficult target. I would wait it out and see what happens.
OkKeith
Negative. Wait for them to get distracted or leave.
I would pass, like all said, Deer spooked and not worth the chance of wounded deer. I also would of passed and let her walk out of area, that way they buck and/or any other deer will not be so keyed up. I had this happen few times, I moved my stand few trees over, the next day or two she or they came back in, now they was focused on the tree they seen something in, and I got a perfect broadside shot. Last year when this happen I clucked and yelped like a big turkey and they seem to relax and feed out quicker.
This has been my season all along, either I get to full draw & he stopped & checked me out all along having the kill zone blocked or I was at half draw & he was like (Hello) & never lost sight of me till he walked away.
You had deer that close for a long time I call that a successful hunt no matter what else happens!! I wouldn't try to force a shot at a keyed up deer. Best thing to do is just enjoy the show. Watching deer can be more fun than actually shooting them.
There's no forced shot to be had in such a situation. In my experience, drawing on a deer that is nervous of your presence isn't a lost cause at all, if you're in tune with the shot. Meaning, you know how you're going to bring your bow up to position, where you're going to aim (you should be looking at that spot the WHOLE time anyway, head gear or weight are negligible once you've determined the game is a shooter) and your breathing is in order. The whole procedure should take 2-3 seconds. In that time, the deer, usually, freezes and looks up at you, but by now you should be drawn and kissing a fingernail (or whatever your anchor is) and ready to release.
In those 2-3 seconds, again from my experience, the deer usually just freezes and looks at you to see what you're going to do. By this time, it should be too late.
I wait them out. I had one doe do it to me real bad this year. I had a group of 5 come past and wanted to shoot the big girl in the back of the line. Then had a medium size doe came back closer. She spotted me and then spent the next 15 minutes checking me and the area out. She walked most of the way around my tree looking and sniffing around. She knew something was up. Each time I thought she lost interest in me, I tried to get a draw on her, but she would start checking me out more or be looking so close to me that I knew she would catch me if I moved. Finally she walked back to where the other deer were going into the field and relaxed a bit watching the field. It was too late to get the big doe as she had moved to far out, but the nosy doe was 14 yd. quartering away. I got a draw on her, and she is tucked away in my freezer.
You just can't shoot at a really spooky deer with anything short of a gun. I think you can shoot a deer that is somewhat alerted as long as they are not on to your location when you take the shot like when they just pick up a little noise, faint whiff of something, or just have that 6th scene working and get a little jittery. If they know where you are and they are looking at you, they will get a big jump as soon as you lose the arrow or even finish your draw to shoot. If they are just a bit nervous I shot them, but I want to be really close. I have done this many times, but no more than 10-12 yards. I find they jump less if they are relaxed enough to take a couple steps. I think a standing still deer has a much better chance of being real wound up and ready to bolt than one that relaxes enough to take a few steps. I look for them to calm down a bit, look away, and take a step. That and a good broadside or quartering shot can give you a good result.
i wouldn't have a chance at a shot. the deer i hunt usually turn inside out after the second or third head bob and find a more comfortable place to feed.
Looks like the deer are fix'n to add another digit to their side of the win column. I'd wait for things to improve before I risked:
1. Spook'n the living daylights out of him.
2. Take a shot that ended up eating dirt or worse.
On such occassions I have waited and usually the deer moves on without me shooting. A couple of times though something has happened to distract the deer, like another deer showing up that resulted in my getting an excellent opportunity. I have to admit I LOVE to turn the tables on a Doe that thought she had me pegged so well that I was already field dressed and on the barbecue!
I would have been at full draw before it noticed me and awaiting it to blink and the game would be over. :goldtooth:
I don't think you should force anything with a bow and arrow. Even if you were able to make a good shot she wouldn't go down a soon/clsoe as a relaxed deer.
Last Friday I shot a doe that was quarting away. The arrow got both lungs and hit her far side leg. I found her 180-200 yards away. I have been replaying the whole situation over and over in my head since... The best I can come up with is she had been running from some people that were dog hunting close by(i could hear the dogs) and she was already jacked up from them. Her toung was hanging out like a hot dog when I shot her.
Never happens to me so I can't help ya.....I wish I would have a deer that close to me so I could see what happens......I would think an alert deer is not good!
i made the mistake of shooting at one at 5 yards that was looking dead at my ground blind....my thinking was he was about to split but at 5 yards it shouldn't matter...WRONG he ducked enought to dodge the arrow by half a foot!
I always heard if you can get them in mid step or eating they take a little longer to DROP.
I always tried to wait until the deer is relaxed with attn. elsewhere....
In my area, on a calm day, any deer is going to tense up and look at you when you draw within 15yrds.Thats just the way it is. Every deer I have shot was looking at me and thats because it heard me or sensed me draw back. If its windy or there is some other noise distraction he might not look at you. If he is still in a broadside position when he looks at me and Im still focused on my spot I will release the arrow. At 15 yrds Im not worried about jumping the string. Thats my 2 cents.
Good luck
Gilbert
I wait. They leave with no shot opportunity. I second-guess my decision.
Been down that road a few times.
goose bumps that close...
No shot, Let her walk and hope she isn't further educated . Next time she comes thru take her.
I agree to wait it out, especially at longer than 15 yards, But . . .
I have made shots when they decided to take a dump. Yep, when the tail goes out, it's not a bad time to let it fly. That motion and distraction for the deer can be just enough time spent in one spot to place an arrow without the escape/body drop motion.
Just another thought not mentioned.
Greyghost said it perfectly, wait. Way better than a wounded deer, besides you can enjoy the deer and figure out why she had you and next time it's your turn.
Let her rip.Happens to all of us.Last year when it happened to me and I didnt shoot the old doe haunted me all year,would circle me at 75 to 100 yards ,find me and blow and stomp until I left.Will always shoot if they are close enough from now on.By the way,she died the day after Thanksgiving.
An alerted deer is not a target. A recipe for disaster.
It depends if it is a doe or a buck. Most of the time the doe will duck more than the buck. Wait till they are quartering away, aim at the lower 1/4 of their body. Draw slowly anchor and shoot. Works for me. LCH
thats why I like this forum except for one oddball all choose the safe route
QuoteOriginally posted by howler:
thats why I like this forum except for one oddball all choose the safe route
while typing they did--its pretty easy to talk yourself into a shot!!
Rule one> Never look at a nervous deer.
Rule 2> You can't kill it unless you shoot.
I have taken several does that knew I was there and were very nervous. I bring my bow up in one smooth motion only seeing the deer out of the corner of my eye. A smooth draw while turning my head and release. Nothing sneaky or overly slow, just smooth. Some won't stand for it but I was not going to get that shot anyway.
Most times I just let the deer move on but I have killed several alert deer using this method. Spooked deer came in to feed and I let them feed, sometimes 15-30 min. before I try to take a shot. When I did get a shot I aimed at the hollow spot in front of the hind quarter behind the rib cage. As I released the arrow the deer went down and pivoted away and the arrow hit high but got one lung. Very risky shot. I don't take that shot now.
QuoteOriginally posted by Mudd:
I am in agreement with Sweeney.
I've tried a couple of times over the years to pull off the shot almost exactly as you've described it with bad and good results. The ones that ended with good results only means that no deer were hit and wounded.
I think I tried it the second time because the 1st time there was no foul nor harm.
Lesson learned.
My 2 cents worth.
God bless,Mudd
Same here. I only tried this once with a doe and it didn't end well. She loaded to jump and when she did she pulled her leg back in front of her heart. You can guess what happened from there.
Oddball!!! and proud of it. lol In all honesty i don't know how I would of ever killed anything if I didn't shoot because it was looking at me. I much rather them not look at me but I havent figured out how to do that. These 2 bucks wern't looking at me when I started to draw but they sure enough did in the middle of the draw. They didn't change positions or run off. They were on alert but still broadside and I was still focused on my spot. First one was from a pop up blind 10 yrds away. Second was from a 12ft tripod 15 yrds away. If they had changed positions or moved off, I would of backed off. When I get ready to shoot I wait till the deer is looking away or busy doing something. I have not quite figured out how not to be noticed or heard while im trying to draw back, within 15 yards. Perhaps Howler you can tell us how you do it. In all honesty, on a calm day, I don't think it can be done, again within 15 yrds. At least I haven't seen it happen. When I draw I pull back very smoothly and quitly I wear soft clothe mainly wool but to date I have not been able to draw unnoticed at short distances. Done it many times with hogs and Javalina's but whitetails, not yet
Your Oddball
Gilbert
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc214/amicuspaint/2009-20101stbuck.jpg)
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc214/amicuspaint/2009-2010ndbuck.jpg)
QuoteOriginally posted by Mark Baker:
Or a badly hit deer. My experience is that if they are looking at you, it ain't good. Better to wait till they are distracted or turn to leave, and you can get away with the movement of drawing and shooting. Best is to shoot at a deer totally unawares.
I totally agree with Mark.
Let it walk. Tomorrow is another day.
Hard to answer for me,it's how it feels to me. If it feels right when I draw I shoot if not I let down.
If the deer is head bobbing and checking you out it knows there's a problem and where the problem is. That's a lot different than just an alert deer that caught some movement or perhaps caught a whiff but doesn't yet quite know where the problem is. Very rarely will you get a shot from a tree stand that ends well on a deer that's alert and knows where you are. Most of the time I just hope it moves off without circling around to get my wind. A deer like that is just waiting to confirm what it already knows.... Unless... it gives you the tail flick. If a deer gives you the tail flick and goes back to feeding you will usually see it's shoulders relax too which means all is ok.
I took a 10 yd shot last xmas and he (old 5x4) ducked. Three inches over his back dead on line for a heart shot. He walked away unspooked and totally unaware of me. Fast forward to this year and tripod hunting. Every doe I tried to shoot saw me, got twitchy and walked. Many walked. I took a 51 yard shot at a buck who ducked and rolled. Missed big time.
Never force a shot. Just enjoy being close to them.
Oh yeah.......been there, done that.
Wait em out, or like Bjorn said just go ahead and wave your arms to shoo them away. Get it over with and get back to hunting after the racket subsides. :wavey:
That is what you carry small rocks in your pocket for ,about the size of acorns ,You flick it off with your thumb over and beyond the deer ,When and if the deer becomes distracted with it you draw !
Does it work ? Yes sometimes,Sometimes not .But I have found that often little things drop in the forest,And it's a natural sound ,They're curious about it and most of the time they don't spook or stump off.
Other than that you wait and fall into the trap of the stare down !
Carl