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Deer ducking bow shots
- Thread starter arrowchukker
- Start date
I would assume predators in the area would also make a deer more jumpy. The biggest predator around my area is a coyote and I'm sure deer are much more skiddish where there are wolves and mtn lions.
Doesn't matter where or what you shoot. Everything is situational.
I loosed an arrow at a doe at about 12 yards with my quietest bow....a 60# longbow pushing a 600 grain arrow. I center punched the heart.....on the opposite side I was shooting at.
Doesn't matter how quiet or how fast your bow is. It ain't quiet or fast enough for every situation.
I loosed an arrow at a doe at about 12 yards with my quietest bow....a 60# longbow pushing a 600 grain arrow. I center punched the heart.....on the opposite side I was shooting at.
Doesn't matter how quiet or how fast your bow is. It ain't quiet or fast enough for every situation.
I always thought this way too but after some reflection I'm not sure the physics/math back up this statement. Just some food for thought.
The calculations below indicate that if a deer is walking at a very leisurely pace of 2mph it will walk further if not stopped than it can possibly drop due to the effect of gravity even if alert in the same arrow travel time. For instance, for my 270fps bow, and a 20 yd shot, if I don't stop the deer he'll cover 7.8 inches from the time I release the arrow to its arrival. In the same scenario, if I meh and stop the deer and he reacts instantaneous with the sound of the bow release he can only drop 5.5 inches maximum. The cross over to make stopping questionable occurs out around 30yds.
I included a similar chart for faster arrow speeds just for grins and that only extends the cross over distance.
The more relaxed a deer is the less likely they are to duck.
A lot of youtubers give what I consider bad advice, which includes ALWAYS aiming as if the deer will drop at the shot. One guy said to always use the wrong pin (next pin up), which is crazy.
This might have something to do with these youtubers 1. being too anxious for a shot on camera and so shooting at alert deer, 2. them fidgeting with their camera gear and making the deer somewhat aware, and 3. how and where they set up to hunt.
If a deer is relaxed and is at 15 yards, I'm aiming exactly where I want the arrow to go.
I aim low...not low enough to miss vitals if no reaction but at the bottom edge anticipating some drop if we shooting off the ground and broadside. My arrow s.are pretty slow and try to compensate a little....id rather miss low than miss high.
Last year I missed a buck over the back. He was at 11yds and I was up 20 feet. I aimed almost below the entire body of the deer and that slippery joker still ducked it. He had no idea I was there. High angle shots are way hard to judge.
Last year I missed a buck over the back. He was at 11yds and I was up 20 feet. I aimed almost below the entire body of the deer and that slippery joker still ducked it. He had no idea I was there. High angle shots are way hard to judge.
Cant disagree with physics but i feel like when you are trying to predict the way and animal will react I would rather take my chances on the deer that is just doing his thing I dont want him knowing something aint right before i shoot
Correct, shoot just under them and let 'em catch a broadhead in the riblets. Seriously, lots of folks I think fall in the trap of shooting at deer where the scoring rings are on a target.
The only correlation I've noticed is alert deer ducking far more often. I think mehhing is a terrible idea most of the time and way way overdone on youtube because of forcing shots to get them on camera.
I've actually taken to using a kissing noise instead of the good old meh. Similar to calling in a fox the last 10 yards or calling to your cat. Seems to get a more curious response instead of an alert response. It has worked to perfection on the last several deer that I've shot.
I have never "stopped" a deer but have thought to myself that the "mehhing" noise was a weird choice if u are elevated in a tree... Wouldn't a bird or squirrel type sound be a better choice to get a deer to stop?
Edit: ooopppss I'm too slow. Mr crazy droptine brought it up while typing
Edit: ooopppss I'm too slow. Mr crazy droptine brought it up while typing
I only stop deer if they are hauling butt. Then I just usually yell YO DEER. I'd much rather they stop on their own though.
I also don't set up for 30 yard shots like some guys prefer to. If they trees accommodate, I want them 15 and under. That close a walking shot is doable.
I also don't set up for 30 yard shots like some guys prefer to. If they trees accommodate, I want them 15 and under. That close a walking shot is doable.
good call....I didn't get a shot on a nice 8 point this year because he was very close to the tree and so I tried a very low "meh".....It was cold and wet and I hadn't talked or cleared my throat in hours.....when I tried to do the micro-"meh".....no sound came out and he was out of my shooting lane a second later
kissing noise won't suffer from that and is volume adjustable
i didn't let out a full "meh" on that day because I was afraid he would bolt
I've had mixed results with noises. I don't do the meh noise any more for the reason @raisins said, I just whistle now. I've also yelled at bucks 30 yards away during the rut but its only worked twice out of the four times I've tried it. I think overall whether its ducking or trying to get a deer to stop it's all based off of their personality.