Bad shots on animals

[bearpaw]

Sure, people have missed broadside shots.  Should that person have waited for the deer/elk to walk straight away and even narrowed the target more?

This is not an attack on you but in my opinion this comment was out of context, I don't think anyone has tried to say this.

It's all about judging your own ability to make a lethal shot. A hunter should know his abilities and shoot within his abilities. If a hunter takes shots within his ability, but accidentally makes a bad shot, he should not be tarred and feathered. Yes he should practice shooting and he should reconsider his next shot opprtunities carefully, but he probably doesn't need kicked in the nuts or whatever it was that was said.

I am very sorry the guy did not get the elk, but you guys were making bad comments about him before you knew all the circumstances. I don't think that was real fair when most likely every one of us has lost a wounded animal in the past.

Skill levels vary greatly, I have seen good marksmen who rarely miss at 400+, but I get a lot of hunters who have trouble hitting at any range. Give some guys a texas heart shot on a deer at 200 yards and the animal will be much deader than the bear we tried to track last week that was wounded at 80 yards standing broadside. 

It's all about shooting within your ability and knowing your limits.

[Gutpile]

I took the old texas heart shot once by accident. The deer was close, 50ish yards and I put the crosshairs on the back of the neck. Just as I touched off he started to bound and run, the bullet struck one of the hams. It was like a bomb went off in that quarter and pretty much blew it apart. The deer made it quite a ways but I hunt open wheat fields so it didn't get very far before I finished the job. If that deer were in thick cover it may could have easily escaped me and suffered till the yotes got it. So from my experience this is a less than optimal shot. You hit bone back there and your causing undue suffering. Just one more reason I don't care for Weishuun. I think to claim the Texas heart shot is not only legitamate but effective is pretty irresponsible IMO. Too much room for disaster. If it does go wrong it can be very very messy. I wait for broadsides now. That buy the way was the only deer I ever needed to shoot more than once and I honestly felt a little sick to my stomach watching the poor thing suffer like that. Just to be 100% honest though, if I ever only have a texas heart shot on a huge whity I may just take that shot.  On an elk? No, I really have no experience with them.  Coyotes however, well...... they just get whatever I give them. Texas heart shots roll them real nice.    

[halflife65]

Sure, people have missed broadside shots.  Should that person have waited for the deer/elk to walk straight away and even narrowed the target more?

This is not an attack on you but in my opinion this comment was out of context, I don't think anyone has tried to say this.

It's all about judging your own ability to make a lethal shot. A hunter should know his abilities and shoot within his abilities. If a hunter takes shots within his ability, but accidentally makes a bad shot, he should not be tarred and feathered. Yes he should practice shooting and he should reconsider his next shot opprtunities carefully, but he probably doesn't need kicked in the nuts or whatever it was that was said.

I am very sorry the guy did not get the elk, but you guys were making bad comments about him before you knew all the circumstances. I don't think that was real fair when most likely every one of us has lost a wounded animal in the past.

Skill levels vary greatly, I have seen good marksmen who rarely miss at 400+, but I get a lot of hunters who have trouble hitting at any range. Give some guys a texas heart shot on a deer at 200 yards and the animal will be much deader than the bear we tried to track last week that was wounded at 80 yards standing broadside. 

It's all about shooting within your ability and knowing your limits.

I'm actually off topic a little - I'm not really bashing this guy because, you're right, I don't know the circumstances surrounding this particular incident.  Like you mentioned, most people have wounded an animal in past.  I've done it twice (over a period of many years) and it's an absolutely horrible feeling.  I feel that I'm a pretty decent shot and probably could pull off a THS but, given the awful feeling of screwing up what was actually a good shot (about 200 yards at a bull that I hit high - over the lungs and below the backbone and a deer that I creased across the front of the chest on a shot that I hurried at about 50 yards - I still CANNOT imagine how I messed that up) I don't want to take anything but a high percentage shot (both that I messed up on were broadside).  As I mentioned in a post above, a friend of mine took the THS at a bull and hit it in the left hip - and he's a good shot.

I honestly can't remember all the deer that I've shot - some of the little 3 points sort of run together, but I can remember the two that I screwed up like it was yesterday.

[NWBREW]

  

It's all about judging your own ability to make a lethal shot. A hunter should know his abilities and shoot within his abilities. If a hunter takes shots within his ability, but accidentally makes a bad shot, he should not be tarred and feathered. Yes he should practice shooting and he should reconsider his next shot opprtunities carefully, but he probably doesn't need kicked in the nuts or whatever it was that was said.

 It's all about shooting within your ability and knowing your limits.
[/quote]

Agreed....You do have control over the shot you take and he is probably kicking himself in the nuts. But I also believe that with a rifle the THS has a higher probabilty of a kill. With a bow there may not be the same penetration. I am sure this will stick in his mind for years to come.You try to learn from mistakes you make. I don't remember all the shots that turned out good, but I do remember the one that turned out bad

Don't get me wrong, I have made a bad shot an a broadside deer. Two days looking...Had tag soup.

And yes I wanted to kick myself in the nuts.

[jstone]

WOW, this topic is getting out there. I have talked to bow hunters who have taken 100 yard shots on deer and was just blown away. I was in the Swakane and a guy asked me and my hunting partner if we saw a 4x4 running around with a arrow in its back hip. He was bragging how he hit it at 100 yards ha said " My bow can shoot that far" Hell ya it can probably farther but come on you dont shoot at a deer at 100 yards with a bow. The odds just are not there. You owe it to the animal to try to make it as clean as possible. To many rifle hunters taking up bow hunting. ( O JUST LOB IT OUT THER IF WE GET IT GREAT IF WE DONT WE WILL GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE) Thats Crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gutpile]

WOW, this topic is getting out there. I have talked to bow hunters who have taken 100 yard shots on deer and was just blown away. I was in the Swakane and a guy asked me and my hunting partner if we saw a 4x4 running around with a arrow in its back hip. He was bragging how he hit it at 100 yards ha said " My bow can shoot that far" Hell ya it can probably farther but come on you dont shoot at a deer at 100 yards with a bow. The odds just are not there. You owe it to the animal to try to make it as clean as possible. To many rifle hunters taking up bow hunting. ( O JUST LOB IT OUT THER IF WE GET IT GREAT IF WE DONT WE WILL GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE) Thats Crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hold on pal. Rifle hunters are less of a hunter than a bow hunter? Some people (me) may take offense to:

To many rifle hunters taking up bow hunting. ( O JUST LOB IT OUT THER IF WE GET IT GREAT IF WE DONT WE WILL GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE) Thats Crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know several Bowhunters who are utter morons too, not only us lowely rifle guys.

[Michelle_Nelson]

WOW, this topic is getting out there. I have talked to bow hunters who have taken 100 yard shots on deer and was just blown away. I was in the Swakane and a guy asked me and my hunting partner if we saw a 4x4 running around with a arrow in its back hip. He was bragging how he hit it at 100 yards ha said " My bow can shoot that far" Hell ya it can probably farther but come on you dont shoot at a deer at 100 yards with a bow. The odds just are not there. You owe it to the animal to try to make it as clean as possible. To many rifle hunters taking up bow hunting. ( O JUST LOB IT OUT THER IF WE GET IT GREAT IF WE DONT WE WILL GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE) Thats Crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So are you saying that all bow hunters that take bad shots are rifle hunters that converted over to archery? 

[jstone]

I feel the same way about some rifle hunters or archers and or muzzy hunters. I am not talking all hunters!!! There are bad eggs in all. Just people need to think about what they are doing before they do it. I understand the best can go wrong but to take a shot that should not be even taken.... PERIOD... We all have the same responsibility.

[NWBREW]

  To many rifle hunters taking up bow hunting. ( O JUST LOB IT OUT THER IF WE GET IT GREAT IF WE DONT WE WILL GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE) Thats Crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Where the heck did that come from. I hunt with a rifle and bow and do a hell of alot of it. I have never had a bad shot or a shot go bad with a bow....only once with a rifle. I think with bad shots you could leave the rifle or bow out  it and try to learn from it. From the sounds of it you must not have ever made a bad shoy or had a shot go bad. If thats the case..Congrats to you.   That comment you just made was Crap

[Michelle_Nelson]

So than why would you make the comment that to many rifle hunters are taking up archery?

You wanna know why we are loosing so many of our hunting rights to the animal lovers?  It's because all the different user groups can't stand together against them.  That attitude is just the start of it.

[NWBREW]

So than why would you make the comment that to many rifle hunters are taking up archery?

You wanna know why we are loosing so many of our hunting rights to the animal lovers?  It's because all the different user groups can't stand together against them.  That attitude is just the start of it.

   



Thank you Michelle: That is exactly right!

[bearpaw]

    I totally agree with that......we all need to support each other.

[halflife65]

WOW, this topic is getting out there. I have talked to bow hunters who have taken 100 yard shots on deer and was just blown away. I was in the Swakane and a guy asked me and my hunting partner if we saw a 4x4 running around with a arrow in its back hip. He was bragging how he hit it at 100 yards ha said " My bow can shoot that far" Hell ya it can probably farther but come on you dont shoot at a deer at 100 yards with a bow. The odds just are not there. You owe it to the animal to try to make it as clean as possible. To many rifle hunters taking up bow hunting. ( O JUST LOB IT OUT THER IF WE GET IT GREAT IF WE DONT WE WILL GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE) Thats Crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So are you saying that all bow hunters that take bad shots are rifle hunters that converted over to archery? 

Jstone, I think that I was with you until the comment about the rifle hunters.  You're speaking about any hunter that takes an unethical shot - got it.  However, unfortunately you singled out a particular group of people rather than just saying "in general."  I'm a converted rifle hunter (some years ago now) and I wouldn't take a 100 yard shot with a bow.  That person didn't take that shot because they are a converted rifle hunter, they took it because they are an idiot.

I think that your point holds that we need to take ethical shots - but it applies to everyone: rifle, muzzloader, archery.  Other weapons, as well, where legal (other states that allow crossbows, knives for sticking pigs, etc.)

I was also speaking about ethical shots, in general, and using the THS as an example.  Bearpaw earlier pointed out that we don't know the circumstances of the original post and it's a good point - I don't know them.  I don't want to bash this particular guy without knowing the details...I'm just talking about taking an ethical shot that has the greatest chance of resulting in a clean kill.

[jstone]

Ok yes this is getting out of hand, and yes i was not trying to pinpoint rifle ,archery or muzzy. I do believe that we all do need to stick together and be on the same page. I was just refering to taking long shots,or BAD shots. I am not trying to make this difficult, just voicing my opinion on the ethics of hunting and the ethics that we all should share. And if the guy would have read my post YES i have lost an animal. NO i am not a perfect hunter. But i try to be. the deer i lost was a perfect broad side shot but i hit high and never recovered it. I looked for 2 days and what evedence i figured some other hunter got it by the road. But No im not sure. I am not trying to make this such a drawn out deal. 

[NWBREW]

[  To many rifle hunters taking up bow hunting. ( O JUST LOB IT OUT THER IF WE GET IT GREAT IF WE DONT WE WILL GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE) Thats Crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[/quote]





 jstone, I think it was just that last sentence that heated up a little. I do believe that most hunters on this site care about the types of shots they take and have good ethics about hunting....rifle muzzy or bow. I hear ya..I see the samething myself...You may shoot bow, I may shoot rifle or vise-versa, other then that I think our opinions are about the same on hunting ethics. Everyone has opinions, it's all good...no worries...your still welcome at my campfire..coffee or beer