Bad shots on animals

[JackOfAllTrades]

I can't discuss the 'differences', but I was taught never to intentionally shoot through the sternum. I have seen people do that not too successfully. Only such that a followup shot did the trick since the animal was standing there. The bullet did deflect from the sternum in one instance, and stopped in the bone in another.

To be honest, I've never heard of intentionally shooting through the rectum. (Texas Heart Shot)

I have seen the full frontal shot made more into a neck/spine shot if a Deer is looking right at you, center of white patch Will bust the neck on the far side or take a carotid artery.

Shooting through the ass would be like trying to make a bullet or arrow travel more than a few feet through 'gelatine' to get to the vitals.  Probability on an Elk, I would think would be very very low. Maybe successful on a little Texas White Tail. Dunno.

-Steve

[NWBREW]

I have taken the full head on shot with a rifle...never a bow. In that case I aimed for the white patch on the neck. Deer dropped like a brick, I also scoped myself between the eyes...BAD...Big cut and lots of blood. I didn't see the buck go down but after I cleaned my face off and went over to where the buck had been standing he was dead on the ground. The texas heart shot I would never do...gun or bow. Hunting whitetails I have had lots of chances to do so, Big white flag waving goodbye to me but I have too much respect for the animals I hunt. I too have had a deer get away from me after a hit with a rifle, saw the deer kick high, I know it was a hit. No blood. Looked for two days, went home and had a humble portion of tag soup. That happened 12 years ago and I will never forget it.     Texas heart shot

[jackelope]

I've been taught that a deer that jumps and kicks high is a gut shot deer.
 

[Ray]

Bad shots on animals.

The important things. Don't make them intentional. If you make one - Take the experience and learn what you can from it so that you could try and avoid it in the future.

I have only taken one bad shot - it was not actually a bad shot but it turned out bad. I learned from it.

Just because you never took a bad shot or had a bad shot experience - doesn't mean you are ethically superior but you might be doing a lot of things right and it's a good point to consider the success. It also doesn't mean you never will.

There's definitely a distinction between taking a bad shot and having it turn out bad.

[jackelope]

Just because you never took a bad shot or had a bad shot experience - doesn't mean you are ethically superior but you might be doing a lot of things right and it's a good point to consider the success. It also doesn't mean you never will.

that is money in the bank, Ray.

[NWBREW]

I've been taught that a deer that jumps and kicks high is a gut shot deer.
 

Bad shots on animals.

The important things. Don't make them intentional. If you make one - Take the experience and learn what you can from it so that you could try and avoid it in the future.

I have only taken one bad shot - it was not actually a bad shot but it turned out bad. I learned from it.

Just because you never took a bad shot or had a bad shot experience - doesn't mean you are ethically superior but you might be doing a lot of things right and it's a good point to consider the success. It also doesn't mean you never will.

There's definitely a distinction between taking a bad shot and having it turn out bad.

You are right jakelope. I do believe it was gut shot. It was a broadside shot that turned out really bad. Like I said...12 years and I still think about it every hunting season. Has not happened since. Did I learn from it..HELL YES. Does this make me a bad HUNTER? I don't think so.I know I am not the only one, for those it has happened to....you know the feeling.       Still...Texas heart shot....never do it 

[bearpaw]

I've been taught that a deer that jumps and kicks high is a gut shot deer.
 

I have seen heartshots and lungshots do the same thing....

[LongTatLaw]

Well...

Ill put myself out there a bit!

I used to refuse to take anything but a broadside shot STANDING STILL even on deer shooting under 150 yards with a 300 win mag.

Then I heard Larry Wysun (sp?) saying a texas heart shot was VERY EFFECTIVE.

Since then Ive probably done it maybe 8-9 times...only on deer...  only with a 300 win mag (one time in Wisconsin with a 12 guage slug).  ALL were bloody messes and all but one left the deer dead within just a few feet. The furthest Ive seen one travel was about 40 yards but it tried to get up when I got close and I gave it a follow up shot!

Sooo, Id say Im not opposed to it with a big damn gun on a deer or smaller!

Id never try it with an elk...not even with a 375 HH.

Now, Id say Ive had as many experiences with a head on shot on deer with the same guns...  all of these were very successful. Put em down in their tracks...  I dont remember any of them taking a single step!

Id take a head on shot on a DEER or smaller bear with a big gun!

THAT SAID...

Ive had several opportunities to disprove the idea of a head on shot with a bow

The 3rd biggest WT I killed in Mississippi was shot at 19 yards with a strong quartering to me angle and I would be ashamed to describe the details.

Ive done it a few times and its a shot Ill absolutely NEVER do again on any animal!

Ive seen that shot go bad on a damn 30 lb beaver at 30 yards shooting a 76lb bow and a broadhead!!

Its a NO GO on ANY animal!

as for a Texas heart shot...   one of the 5 biggest WT's Ive ever seen was in Mississippi and I was at full drawn at 15 yards as it walked straight away... I didnt take that shot and Im completely ok with that!

anyone that takes a THS on any animal with a bow is a *censored* in my book!

PS....you can add the straight down / spine shot to that as well...always seems ok and probably is with a big gun...   with a bow...its a recipe for a half shaft or less that misses vitals and leaves almost NO blood trail!

Ive tried it a few times on 60 pound Georgia WT's with about 80% FAILURE

The very first deer I ever shot with a bow I went for the spine breaker straight above from a tree stand shot...  14 hrs later I decided Id never find her without any blood....

Some would say Ive had a decent year...

12 or so pigs in Georgia ranging from 20 lbs to over 250 lbs
a 4pt mulie in OR
a 5pt rosey in WA

all ended great...100% recovery....   all went down very quick and left HUGE blood trails!  some shot as far as 52 yards out....

why?
Im not a great hunter nor an amazing shot!!!

all exactly broadside or quartering away!

all shot with a virgin broadhead (never touched anything but a quiver and even that was done gently!!)

marginal shots are the stuff "almost got him" stories are made of!

an intentional bad angle shot that ends with a wounded and not recovered animal is a badge of disgrace that ALL hunters should strive to avoid!

IMO

I pissed off a guy in oregon last weekend because he was about to take a bad angle shot at 48 yards on a deer through a thread the needle opening ( Iwas helping him try to get his first bow deer).
I dont know anyone that could have pulled off a happy ending with that shot...

it meant he got no shot...and for that...Im an *censored*!

Im ok with that!

now...Ive gotta go find me a bear!

dave

[boneaddict]

I sure get concerned with the amount of bad shots on here that I see.  Arrows sticking out of the ass, and go ahead and flame me, through the eyes.  I am not an elitist pig, but holy moly.  You have those shooting 80 yards and you have those that must be shooting wacko quartering shots.  I've let a lot of game walk when I could have taken A SHOT, but not a good one.  It seems to me that it would be fairly difficult to hit a deer in the ass from 30 yards when a broadside heart lung was the option.  Just an opinion but not harshin'.

[nw_bowhunter]

What I find so frustrating as a fellow bowhunter is why other hunters feel the need to advertise the bad shots on the web. I feel this is just bad press for us. I realize that there are times when you want to seek advice and talk about the situation which I suppose can be part of the learning exp of what went wrong.  We all know bowhunting takes skill and a lot of time practicing.

Good comment by Ray: There's definitely a distinction between taking a bad shot and having it turn out bad.

[Track-er]

I talked to a guy last year over by Wacaunda who told me thats how the guys he hunts with shoot the whitetails.North end going south.Not me,let a lot of them go.

                          Mike

[bobcat]

WOW just talked to my contractor and he said that one of there co-workers shot a 7x7 bull in the ASS (TEXAS HEART SHOT) what is going on with people and bad shots. He shot it Sunday and had to work yesterday. has not found it yet. I have MAJOR Issues with that. I have missed out on a lot of animals because i only want a high perc. shot. Yes i have lost a buck cause i hit him in no mans land and yes i felt like crap. Perfect broad side shot but just messed up.!!! 

Was this a Texas heart shot with a bow and arrow? I couldn't find where you said it was but it looks like others are assuming such. I can't imagine taking that shot with a bow. On the other and it actually works great with a rifle and the right bullet. I killed a spike bull elk that was going straight away with a 270 and a 140 grain Barnes Triple Shock bullet. I actually only took the shot because I thought I had already put a bullet in him. First shot was at 150 yards or so with him standing just about broadside. He turned and ran straight down the hill and that's when I took the only shot I had which was the "Texas Heart Shot." He did require another finishing shot after that one but he didn't go far. I was amazed he didn't go down though because the bullet traveled from his rear all the way through him lengthwise and stopped in his head. Turned out I had missed that first shot. So the Texas heart shot is what did him in. Believe it or not it didn't even make a mess of the guts. It missed them completely.

[SHANE(WA)]

Gut shot animals hunch up when hit, a double lung will always a high jump and the rear legs to kick, its the air being taken from the lungs that causes the jump kick

[bearpaw]

Gut shot animals hunch up when hit, a double lung will always a high jump and the rear legs to kick, its the air being taken from the lungs that causes the jump kick

shane, that's been my experience most of the time too....

I prefer to get vitals with a shot, but in my experience an a$$ shot is a deadly shot.   My best whitetail I shot right up the a$$ running full bore straight away, texas heart shot....he ate good and he is on the wall....

I think that some people are way to worried about ego or ethics on all this placing the shot business. I was raised in a poor household and we went hunting because we needed the food.....I was taught to look for a killing shot but try to avoid wasting meat. An arrow doesn't waste much meat and an arrow right through both hind quarters is deadly. I don't like losing meat by shooting an animal there with a rifle, but there have been a few times that we had a good a$$ shot with a rifle and we decided to take the shot because we knew we would get the animal and it seemed that we were not going to get another shot. Even though it wasn't the preffered shot, it was what we had, what we took, and it resulted in meat on the table.

That's probably not what some of you want to read, but it's the truth.....

[SHANE(WA)]

my dad took a doe years ago, 7mm straight up the ass, dropped in her tracks