As I sit here watching the Sportsman Channel and surfing the Trad Gang, I am stunned that every TV hunter I have seen shoot a deer in the last hour of programming has "bleated" to stop their deer before the shot. I never attempt to stop the deer I shoot at. I do not want to shoot at alerted deer!! Are these new age compounds they shoot these days so fast it does not matter? I've seen instances tonight where it didn't seem necessary. Perhaps they think it makes them a better hunter! Do any traditional shooters stop deer? Surely I am not in the Minority! Thoughts?
I'm not going to tell em I'm there if they are just walking by.
Trap
Im with you on this one goldflinger
Im with you on this one goldflinger
My last one, I just missed high :dunno: that stopped him long enough to get the 2nd shot which ended his walking all together. Otherwise I would not stop them if on a slow walk.
I always stop the deer that I shoot. I know that I'm in the minority here, but I don't want to shoot a moving animal. I also know that "ducking the arrow" has been a problem for some who shoot at alert deer, but I haven't found that to be a problem.
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
The times I've thought it was necessary to stop the deer, they seemed confused by it because I don't bleat. I whistle but not loud enough for them to pinpoint my location. To me an alert deer that should be passed up has either made you out, seen movement or got a whiff of you. I do not take shots at these deer with archery equipment. I've taken deer I've stopped and I've taken slow walking deer but I'd rather take a shot at a stopped deer if the angle is right and they are not alerted.
If they are moving slowly or walking at a normal pace I normally don't stop them. But I definately will if they are moving too fast, and have had good success with just a grunt using my mouth.
I'd just rather shoot one at a slow walk if they are within 12 yards or so. Farther than that I'll use a reeeeeal light bleat or something. Light tongue-clicks work too.
I will stop one if they are walking through a shooting lane at a fast pace, if they are walking slow or feeding slow I will not stop the animal
Stop them every time. Soft enough that they can't pinpoint me like Bernie B. Never had much of an issue with jumping the string. Have had deer jump the string both after stopping and when they stop on their own. To each their own.
Unless they are just milling around feeding I usually try to softly stop them. A few years ago I had to actually yell "HEY" to stop an 8pt. that was on a mission or just plain deaf. He looked real good in the back of my truck.
Glenn
I usually unintentionally make a deep inverted sqreech that comes out naturally after I have been sitting and shivering for 4 hrs thinking about my warm bed and my bow suddenly feels like its 80lbs.
but no I try not to unless they are moving a bit quick for my shot.
I just watch my spot on them and I am ready to shoot at any given second, if they stop I shoot if they don't stop I shoot. I only stop them if they are moving fast. There is no better weapon that the element of surprise.
I had an experience last year that taught me to keep my mouth shut where I hunt. A buddy and I had two stands stacked on a tree, as he wanted to try to get some video footage of a trad shot deer. A big doe and a yearling came in broadside at about 15 yards and were walking slowly, unalert. As I came to full draw tracking the spot I wanted on the doe, I hear a "MEARP" from above me and the yearling kicked up the pace, trotting right in front of my spot on the doe. Botched hunt. When they were gone, I looked up and got a shoulder shrug..?? Never again will I go for trying to stop a deer where I hunt, unless I'm on an open field with a firestick and they're running.
Slow feeding pace in an open area I shot on the move because they are a little more likely to know where the sound came from. I will not anymore if walking right along. Last three I did that on were less than ideal hits. Got them, but not happy with the hits. One was a little back, and one turned as I shot. One was a lucky kill after a deflection off of a branch that was in the way. It is real easy to hit a branch when you are moving with an animal particularly in the direction of the bow where the bow and bow quiver blocks stuff from your vision until it pops up in your site window. It is kind of hard to watch for branches and burn a hole at the same time. I hunt some thick stuff and like cover around me. Most times I am not in a place I can just shoot everywhere.
I just switched over from a wheel bow. I always stopped them with a wheelbow with no ill effects. I was fortunate enough to harvest a small 4 point with my recurve this year, first traditonal kill. I learned stopping them when using a recurve is a little different. I hit him high, he pinpointed my location and at a slower speed he ducked my arrow. I was happy with the harvest, but learned a lesson, either A. dont stop them, or B. if you must stop them prepare for them to drop.
I do stop them, depending on the situation. If feeding, no. I've shot several bucks that I would never have had a chance at if I didn't stop them.
I think if done properly it is a very successful and ethical way of shooting at a moving animal. The doe I killed this month was briskly walking and when I bleated she stopped perfectly broadside and right where I wanted her to.
I would guess 30-40% of the deer I have killed stopped when I bleated at them. Can't recall any that then ducked my arrow. The bleat is coming from another deer they think and doesn't get them spooky. What gets them spooky is movement from the hunter after they stop them with any noise. After I shoot at a bleated still deer I do not drop my bow arm and try to stay very still as they are usually looking my way.
I'm torn on this one. I bleated softly at a very nice buck year before last and he came inside out out, no pause or hesitation just exploded out of there. I kicked myself because I knew I could have made the walking shot at under 15 yds. I just let situation tell me what to do but I'm a little gun shy after loosing that buck.
I been paying attention to this thread. I guess it has it's pros and cons. I have whistled at a buck when he was chasing does trying to get him to briefly stop. I have also taken shots on deer when walking. I asked my elderly father about this very same topic some time ago and his response was, "I don't pull over and tell the police that I was speeding, I make him do his home work". It took me a few minutes to figure out how my question had anything to do with his answer. But as usual, my father has a unique way of putting his 50 odd years of bowhunting experience into perspective for me.
I would only try to stop a deer that is running. If the deer is walking slowly I can usually sneak a shot in. I would rather shoot a slowly walking, un-alerted deer than a standing still really alert deer. That's just how I do it, not saying it's right. I see a lot of the TV hunters stop the deer and I think part of it just makes for good TV.
I agree on the good TV part :p I am not opposed to attempting to stop a deer if I am not going to get a shot otherwise and it is within my range, but some of these so called pro's were stopping every deer even as some were casually feeding very slowly. I guess like everything else, to each his own!! Thanks for your thoughts guys!
I have on occasion stopped them, but only when I knew that was my only viable option. I try not to alert them. If they are moving to fast or out past 15 yards and still in my comfortable shooting range I will if they don't show sings of stopping. I have had missed opportunities from hoping they woukd stop to. So not a one size fits all situation.
Chris
To each his own but I stop every deer that is walking. It is difficult for me to pick a single hair to split while the deer is moving. I am at full draw before I stop them and have never had an issue with it costing me a deer. I use a very quiet grunt and it get progressively louder until the deer reacts by the rotation of an ear. They rarely if ever pinpoint this sound. I aim low on the deer and if he drops down at the shot, he still will take the arrow through the vitals. If not, he still is hit in the vitals.
I stop them with an arrow.
I tried it once and the deer came unglued. No more for me.
I know every deer will react as an individual, but no sense giving them a heads up.
Only if I think it's necessary, which is rare. If I hunted with target form I would.
Personaly, I think they do it, because they HAVE to!!!!!
They have to pull the bow up over their head,just to draw it back. Then they have to figure out which pin to use. Then they have to check the level on their bowsight & make sure it's right on the bubble. Then they have to make sure their safty is off on their release. Then they have to look through that tiny peep sight, and AGAIN figure out which pin to use..... This is just simply too much for them to do and then at the same time follow a buck that is slowly ambling by & totaly unaware!!!
We users of the simple Stick & String, just do not understand how difficult it is for these guys to kill a deer!!!!! I'm suprized they kill anything at all.....
Heavily hunted public land in Michigan produce extremely spooky deer. If you shoot at these deer when they are alerted, you WILL be disappointed with the results!
If they are just walking....I just shoot....trotting I gunt.
I don't stop them. I think its a better tactic for compound shooters that can hold longer and bleat to stop the deer, then wait for them to relax a second before shooting. Trad shooters dontbhave that luxury and end up shooting as soon as the deer stops and is alert. Just my opinion but I don't stop them anymore. I just shoot them walking. But I also practice shooting walking targets to make sure I can do it correctly and efficiently.
I have done both. I use to stop them 100% of the time. Then I managed to freak a buck out and he took off instead of stopping. I meant to give a soft bleat but after being in a cold stand for hours my bleat sounded a bit squeaky. He was moving pretty good so not sure if I would have taken the moving shot. The next deer I shot that season was a slow walking doe. I took the moving shot with no problem. Guess it will just depend on the situation at hand.
I don't stop them unless I have too. However, a week ago I opened up mock scrapes in front of my rut stands. Kinda like what Gene Wensel is doing with his Wicked Wicks, I am hoping the buck will stop to check out my scrape as he is cruising through the funnel, giving me an easy standing shot. I don't like to grunt at them to stop them. Also, alot of times, if a deer stops, I'll wait for it to begin walking again before drawing and shooting.
Don't do it, but can't say I'd never. Always seemed like too much risk, too little reward, but I haven't deer hunted as long as some of the guys that do.
Good answer Chuck, made me Chuckle.
I like em walking, I feel really confident then. It seems to increase my focus. I would think it would be harder for the deer to hear the string if he is making noise while walking and also possibly harder to react to to depending on where the deer happened to be in his stride.
Tedd