The question is how often do you get a shot off on an animal where you remain undetected until you let the arrow go?
TTT. Already the results are interesting!
Looks like a number of you guys are good at staying unnoticed until it's go time!
Even undetected, I need two criteria before I release my arrow.
1) The shot has to be 20 yards or less.
2) It must also be a broadside lung shot.
If just one of the my criteria isn't there, I let the animal walk.
Shooting at an alert animal is a good way to spend a long time bloodtrailing on your hands and knees.
I hunt mainly turkey and whitetail and if they detect you they have a good chance of dodging. The only way I could think of feeling good about a shot once detected is small game like squirls who if you wait know your there but become occupied with other activities making a shot possible or birds like pheasants or geese for those who shoot on the wing.
I generally hunt hogs and learned a long time ago that patience usually results in a decent shot.
Yup, I dont release on an alert nervous animal. Im at a point where I'm okay at letting a good animal pass without shooting if conditions are iffy. I went deerless this year because of this. Several bucks very wary. Lots of hunting pressure last year. But Im okay with it all, just psyched to get them within shooting range. Dont get me wrong, if conditions are good I'm Taking the shot!!! I want a full freezer and I love antlers. But I'm okay if I go without as long as I'm putting myself close to game.
ttt
Mule deer mainly. And I would say 100% undetected or I don't have a shot. If they get a whiff of me they're gone.
Around here, if I am detected, there is no shot opportunity. Deer are too dang spooky. So I'd say real close to 100% of my shots are at an animal that doesn't know I exist.
If critters around my house find out your there...they aint.RC
Yeah, like already stated, if they see me or are wired up tight the odds of wounding an animal is to great.
Glenn
I like to hunt public land and the deer I hunt have a lot of pressure. I'm lucky to see a good buck one time and 99.9% of the time it's only once and in the 6yrs. I've hunted this area, one time I saw one actually feeding. They just don't risk their lives over an acorn around here and they are always alerted, nervous and on the move. Thankfully does and young bucks are plentiful.
If I don't think I can kill him I won't shoot, but if I waited on a perfect pose I'd be wasting my time. Very seldom do they know where I am when I shoot.
I mainly hunt W Tails with my longbows, I usually target one or two specific bucks.Everything has to come together and the buck has to be care free, relaxed,and within comfortable shooting range ect.Chances are I will only get one chance so I make it count. No sight, no sound, no smell, one good shot and its dinner bell. :thumbsup:
If looking to get down to the long or short of it, the short.
Can do one pollup
I can't hit a running coyote yet.
It depends on the game I'm hunting I do a lot of small game hunting and I'd probly shoot 30 small game to one big game if it's a shot on a hog or bigger I pass if it knows I'm there
Jim
Hi. this is a good learning moment.
I (almost) never shoot at an animal that is on to me. They just are too fast to react if they are aware of your presence. When I stopped shooting at alert animals I start eating back straps...
Joe
PS. 2 mo, 1 week and 4days
My question is besides body posture isn't possible the animal may know we are there in some capacity and not react to it visually yet
"2 mo, 1 wk & 4 days." B here 4 u know it Joe! Might get on them again one day myself. My #1 favorite. Best luck.
I wouldn't draw on an animal that was on to me, but once the draw sequence starts, I'm not looking at the head. For deer, reaction time to the sound of the shot is going to be a lot slower if they are not in alert posture - you don't want those legs loaded up and ready for action at the shot.
QuoteOriginally posted by RC:
If critters around my house find out your there...they aint.RC
You have pretty much killed out the gene pool of critters that...don't ain't. :notworthy:
This is an interesting question and after pondering some thought the answer obvious. 66-100 %. And likely close to 90-100%.
Now I mainly shoot whitetails, so maybe that is the reason.
So I am wondering whether this is a question of big game versus small game and on small game you can get away with more. ??
e.g. Rabbits, squirrels, pheasant - mostly spooked. ??? Deer need to be undetected. ??
I don't know. Don't think I would hit a lot of spooked squirrels that is for sure.
I guess that depends on the animal.The ground squirrels here will duck arrows at much over 15 yds.I'm convinced they are reacting to the sight of the arrow,not the sound.I assume raptors have them jumpy.
Deer here run at the hint of danger. Never had the opportunity at one that was alarmed.
I am wondering if I misunderstood the question. I have had deer come well into range, never know I'm there, but still not get a shot. Had several encounters last year, wrong angle, behind the tree, limbs blocking vitals, just a variety of things that prevented a clean shot. I don't usually get busted in a tree, even though I am hunting public land.
Ok, Let me give an example of why I posted this.
Last year while in a tree stand, I had a doe walk 360 degrees around me without smelling me. The thermals were perfect and rising while she was below me. At one point she was directly below me. Eventually, as she was walking around me(and just as she was entering the broadside shooting lane I had ready), she "saw" something in the tress she didn't like. That would be me. She looked up at me for several seconds and then looked straight ahead and walked that direction. I couldn't tell if she was nervous or not. She stopped feeding and just walked away. I let her go figuring she would bolt at the sound of my string and arrow. I anticipated it would have led to a bad shot.
I assumed at the time, I had made the right decision. After some months I began doubting my decision. I starteed wondering how many of you out there only shoot when you are undetected by the animal. That is what led to the poll I posted.
From the results that I see in this poll, half of you shoot undetected most of the time. Interesting data. It would reinforce my decision to not shoot at those times.
My other post had a few good videos by Buff showing him shooting at aware animals with good results though..... Those videos would suggest the opposite. Maybe it should go by the general rule and not the exceptions to that rule/philosophy?
IMHO, you were right by not shooting...chances are too high that the deer would have been moving by the time the arrow got to her, and then arrow placement is only a matter of chance.
My big game kills are limited to a couple hogs, but dozens of deer. From what I have seen, hogs tear out and pretty much run till they can`t run anymore. Deer (providing they are NOT alerted) will often get some space between them and the disturbance and then stop to watch their backtrail.
Its hard to beat the feeling of knowing your deer is down within sight.