Bow Hunters! Do You Meh?

[drew13]

Prefer to let a deer stop on its own but have “meh’ed” a number of times successfully when bowhunting and will continue to do so when needed. Although it does alert the deer, my experience has been that the odds of me making a good shot in this situation are better than the odds of doing so on a walking/moving deer.

Bird and duck hunting with a shotgun has made me automatically lead a moving target. This has not translated to archery for me as I have seen time and again when bowfishing that I do not automatically lead a fish properly with a bow! I suck at leading carp with my bow! Not going to try it with my bow while shooting at a deer. The one time I did resulted in a gut shot doe.

Maybe I should try using a “meh” on carp!

 

[redsquirrel]

Shooting a moving target with archery tackle is unwise. Rushing a shot with archery tackle is also unwise. Best case by far is a deer meandering along naturally, stopping on its own, and letting you execute the shot calmly and correctly. Less chance to put the deer on alert and less opportunity to feel rushed on the shot.

If a deer looks like it's not gonna stop and you wanna shoot it...ya gotta stop it. But don't let yourself become/feel rushed when you do so and make a bad shot. You still need to pick your spot and take your time - and this can be more challenging when you've literally announced yourself to the deer. It's easy to feel like you've put yourself "on the clock". If you rush the shot you're just giving back everything you gained by stopping the deer. This very nearly bit me on Friday.

I couldn't agree with this any more. It's my exact thoughts. Right down to the shot clock. It is very hard not to rush the shot once you've stopped the deer cause you feel like it's going to bolt any second.

 

[SNIPERBBB]

I can only think you'd lose a deer by making any noise is if it was already on alert . Even then, odds are they'd turn and look at you before bolting. Before I tagged out, it seemed like every buck I saw was on a mission to get somewhere and just wasn't stopping.

 

[raisins]

I thought this was pretty good.

 

[Hawgnuts57]

As a varmint hunter I give deer the same mouth squeak I do for coyotes

 

[Dewey]

I never stopped a deer and hate doing anything that will put them on alert. Deer are unbelievably good a pinpointing exactly where the sound came from. Sure it works but also winds them up like a rubber band ready to bolt in an instant. You better be at full draw when you do it otherwise it’s a perfect recipe for ducking an arrow.
Every single deer I killed was when they naturally stopped for a second or as they walked at a slow pace. Never knew what hit them. The toughest ones are cruising bucks on a steady walk but I have done just fine on them. Obviously close range shots are a must.

 

[DroptineKrazy]

I've stopped deer many times with a meh and I have never had one jump the string and/or duck the arrow. As a matter of fact I have killed every one that I have done this with as far as I can remember. I don't think they can pinpoint the sound if you do it just once. Have you ever been out hunting and heard a single gunshot and you could tell the general area that it came from but couldn't pinpoint the exact direction? Ask any old time poacher (yes I've known a few over the years. My dear departed father in law fed his family for years that way growing up during the depression) They will tell you that the key to not getting caught is to kill them with one shot cause if someone hears it they can't pinpoint where the shot came from because they weren't expecting it. A second shot and they can zero right in on you. I think it is the same way with deer. I do agree that you had better be at full draw when you do meh though because they will react to the sound of the bow going off. That's one of the reasons I always aim for the top of the heart and not the 10 ring like on most archery targets. Also, I don't want any of you guys getting any ideas from this post.

 

[boyne bowhunter]

To me this is all situationally dependent. Variables that affect whether I try to stop a deer are primarily how fast the deer is moving and how wide my potential shooting lane is. If there's a limited lane or the deer is on a quick pace I'll meh every time to try to get the best opportunity I can.

If the shooting options are mostly wide open and the deer is moving at a relaxed leisurely pace I'm likely to let him continue walking while I shoot. In an instance where I'm not going to stop him I pick my point of aim to be directly on the dreaded shoulder, knowing that by the time the arrow gets there he will have moved the 3-4 inches to put my shot in the prime target area. Personally I believe there's less opportunity for string jump if you're shooting at a completely unaware animal.

 

[Bowmanmike]

Meh works.
The major downside of course is that is gives away your position.

I sometimes wonder if on longer shots, 30-40 yrds, freezing a deer with a Meh could be a mistake as it puts them on alert and makes them more likely to jump the string.

With that said, I took a buck at 35yrds this year, quartering away, after freezing him with a Meh.

I shot one at 35 this year after stopping him,first time i ever did that after hitting two does back last year when they were walking. I recovered both,but it was less than ideal.
The buck i stopped did react i think because i hit him in the throat instead of the vitals. Well,i got something vital up front. I think he dropped and spun from the approaching arrow,but i cant be sure,things happen fast.

 

[catman529]

Absolutely, I stop them if they won’t stop themselves. Not sure why it would cost me a deer. Sometimes not stopping them will cost you a deer. Just be sure you have that pin settled and ready to squeeze one off when you give em the Meh.


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