I saw some flicks of some kind of Bow Competition where they were shooting at Deer Decoys. The thing that caught my attention was the Head placement on the Decoys was in the direction of the Bowyer.

Then I saw a thread on another Board about Proper Shot Placement and they used flicks of Live Deer, again looking toward where the Bowyer would be. I challenged this particular thread and said I did not see where an actual shot was available. Only one responded and said at 12yds it didn't matter if they were looking at you or not.

Question:
Is a shot available/advisable when a Deer is looking directly at the person?

Choices:
1. No
2. Yes
3. Maybe, it depends on.....
4. Other

 

HC,
I voted no.
In 1992 I shot a very nice buck here in southern Missouri at just under 20 yards right in the center of his front legs/neck area looking strait at me. The arrow buried up to the feathers and the buck made his tail down dying run through the brush. One day later and with a lot of help from friends and family and one beagle hound we never found him.

From that point on I have been soured against that shot with archery equipment.

Just think how easy it is for that deer to lower his head just as you shoot. That alone makes it a no go for me.

Maybe I misinterpreted the question. It states "if a deer is looking towards you", not if a deer is FACING towards you.

I voted maybe, if a deer is looking at me and the shot angle is OK I might shoot depending on the deer's disposition. If the deer is facing me, as in a head on shot, I would not take the shot with a bow.

I understand the question as a dead head on shot looking strait at you.

Well if you mean only looking, well a deer can turn its head and look over its shoulder and see in any direction it chooses to. So I guess any deer can be lookin at you when you shoot. In that case I say shoot. If it's head on refer to my above post.

Had the subject line stated;

"Deer facing toward you - is a shot available?" I would definitely say NO!!!

However, the question asked about it looking at the hunter. In that instance, I say, if you have a relaxed animal, a good shot angle, you're already at full draw and all you have to do is let the arrow go, then "Maybe." It all depends on the circumstances at the time.

The question is concerning the Deer's "eyes", not the body position.

"... the Head placement on the Decoys was in the direction of the Bowyer."(staring at)

"...Deer, again looking toward where the Bowyer would be."(staring at)

In my experience, when a deer is "staring at me" (alert, knows I am there & don't belong, maybe stomping a front leg) a shot is not available. The slightest movement, or drawing my bow, will cause a quick departure. In this situation, I have waited several out, & occasionally if the wind is OK & I can stay still long enough, they will resume normal activity & give me a shot.
If drawing my bow is what alerted them, & I am already at full draw with a good shot angle, "it depends". If they are really wired, I wouldn't shoot unless they were VERY close.
If they are still relatively calm, & just checking for the source of the movement, I'll hold a bit lower than normal & release.

I voted depends. I assume we are not talking about a straight on shot(a definite no), but rather, a broadside, or quartering away shot where, after you have been able to come to full draw unawares (if you haven't drawn yet or the deer saw you draw -- No), the deer has sensed something and is looking at you trying to figure out what you are or what the problem is.

Then, probably yes, assuming an otherwise good shot, a quiet (but relatively fast) bow, and a reasonable range. But I might hold a little low. Wouldn't take that shot at 40 yards.

If im reading this right.....
This season i found myself at full draw on a decent red stag at about 10meters. He and i both froze looking at each other for what seemed like 5 seconds. I had my pin low on his chest. I hesitated a second longer thinking he would present better. A split second after that he was gone! Ive lost sleep since then over this. Why didnt i take the shot? Why did i want to wait for the classic side shot? Whos says the side shot is the only shot possible on these animals? How F-----g stupid am i? what was i thinking ? etc....
I did shoot another, but thats not the point. From now on, if the shot is there, and i know i will hit vitals from my angle, im taking it.

Flatshooter look at passing up that shot in a different way and you'll see why we pass up shots bowhunting. It's damned hard waiting for the optimal shot but something that a bowhunter has to learn.

quote:

This season i found myself at full draw on a decent red stag at about 10meters. He and i both froze looking at each other for what seemed like 5 seconds. I had my pin low on his chest. I hesitated a second longer thinking he would present better then I took the shot. A split second after that he was gone! Ive lost sleep since then over this. Why didI take the shot? Why didn't i want to wait for the classic side shot?

. I tried to track him for over 6 hours. There was a little blood to start with but soon it stopped, looks like I only got poor penetration and only got one one lung (if I'm lucky). I feel so stupid, I knew not to take that shot, especially on a big animal and now I'll never forget this day. It would have been nicer to remember the moment in its purity as a close encounter with a gorgeous animal but this will bug me for a long time and there isn't a good story to share out of the whole bad mess.

I understand your point Calgary, but at that range i keep thinking in my mind i could have taken the heart from the front, or even a neck shot if he had turned slightly.
What if this.... what if that...i gotta let it go and accept i did the right think i suppose.
My buddy who stood behind me and roared him in wont accept the fact i hesitated and waited, i guess i need to accept his attitude also.

Hey Flatshooter, I've seen folks flub the same shot with a rifle. There are plenty of Deer and that one just happened to Win that time. It sounds like your buddy did well to call it in so close.

Not every Hunt has to result in a Kill to make it successful.

Best of luck to you.

I've shot many deer and an elk with a head on facing shot in ranges from 10-40 yards. Most of the time the critter was a little up hill from me and all resulted in one shot kills.

I shot a Bull elk at about 35 yards that was slightly uphill with a 90 pound compound shooting a 32" arrow. The hit was inside of his should blade in the lower chest and was up to the fletching. He turned and tried to bungle again but could not get it out and starting to wobble and tipped over after walking about 20 yards. A 125g. Thunderhead was devastating in the chest cavity.

The head on shot is not an easy one but if the chest area is exposed and usually when this is presented the animal has its head up high trying to survey, it can be done. If you don't think you can make it, don't take it.

Flatshooter,

You made the right choice. A passed shot is always the right decision.

If you don't feel it, don't take it. I know it was only 10 yards, how could you miss? I know, it can be done.

Not a proud moment, but a number of years ago, I held too long on a kudu bull at about 10 yards waiting for the perfect shot. I started to shake, trying to hold. He bolted, but in doing so gave me the perfect angle. I thought, "how can I miss a heart as big as your head at 10 yards?" Hell, I missed (fortunately an entire kudu bull at 10 yards).

Don't push a bad shot that you aren't confident in. The best shots are the one's you don't even think about.

I expressed all your opinions to my hunting partner and he still insists i should have taken the shot. After reading all your comments i feel better about my choice. Its the fact that he has been hunting them a lot longer and harder than i have that made me back down and give him the last word, even though now im convinced i did the right thing.
Having said that, im the one that introduced him to all aspects of rifle shooting and bow hunting, so he too has a respect for my decision. I guess its just one of those things that makes us humans agree to disagree at times.
Cheers

quote:

Originally posted by Flatshooter:
I ... ...give him the last word, even though now im convinced i did the right thing.
... I guess its just one of those things that makes us humans agree to disagree at times.

Good for you. That is quite often difficult to do, but when you think about it, letting him have the last word doesn't hurt a thing.

If it's a whitetail you have no shot at any range if he has his head up looking at you. Arrow speed can never be fast enough to prevent him jumping the string.

Mule deer, bear and elk no problem.

It is not the best shot, nor one I prefer, but I have taken it and killed several deer with a shot while the deer is looking at me, weather front straight on or otherwise. I have even killed a deer when I could only see his head, looking at me, so I shot her in the head, did a "Steve Martin" on her, worked out fine, but I would not recommend this to anyone, but for me, I am good with it. I shot my bear this year with a shot through the back between the witthers and into the heart, out the sternum ran 23 yards within site, maybe I am lucky or just good.

Two year ago I was in just such a situation. I was actually hunting for hogs with my good friend on his property. I was just in the edge of the woods at the intersection of where a two track crossed a pipeline. The hogs run the edge of the woods big time there and I had both my rifle and bow with me. The plan was to pick a big one with the bow and then pick up anything else within range with the rifle as they made their way down the pipeline.

I had an awesome hunt that morning, clear about 55 degrees little to no wind what so ever. I had seen several nice bucks, plenty of does, and enough cat squirrels to fill a tow sack.

I knew my bud was working a creek line some 400 yards south of me in hopes possibly of busting the hogs out of their bedding area, when I heard a bunch of commotion coming up fast I figured it was a pack of hogs. Turned out to be 7 does with a VERY nice 8 point following in close behind. I was simply standing next to a tree with nothing but some vines around me when they came right up and stopped within 10yds of me, on the road. The buck came up last and was over a bit, but the does walked right up to within about 15 feet the other side of the tree from me.

I looked the buck over and decided that he was a nice one for a bow, but had no intentions of shooting him with the rifle. I eased up my arm and lifted the bow off it's rest, and one of the does saw movement. She didn't spook but started with the head bob, then the one legged stomp. None of the rest paid much attention to her as she continued I eased around to where I could draw on the buck.

He was keeping an eye on the road back up toward where my bud should have been coming from, so I felt confident that I could easily get the bow drawn. Well I got it raised up with little trouble, but two of the does now snapped something wasn't right. They started the blowing and snorting, but stayed right there still within 15 - 20 feet of me on the other side of the tree. I could easily see the one out of the corner of my eye, but I guess the other was looking at the front of my bow. When the buck looked away, I started to draw thinking it was now or never. Just as I got the string moving, he turned and stared a hole right through me.

I was already drawing and knew if I let off the jig was up for sure, so I kept on going hoping for the best. Well he stared at me, and then the does all freaked out and blew out into the pipeline snorting and carrying on. The buck, he looked at them, then at me, then back at them, then back away and up the road, taking a step and giving me a great broadside. I went through my checklist and settled the 20yd pin on the crease just right and tripped the release. At the shot he turned away from me and bolted. I couldn't see anything showing as he circled around and made his way across the pipeline and stopped in behind some thick brush. All I could think of was this is a great buck, I have hit him and the arrow has glanced off his shoulder and gone down his mid section instead of exiting the other side. I watched and waited for his rear to start to sway ro some sign he was hurt, but he simply stood there not showing me any sign.

Well I have tracked a couple of deer through this river bottom tangle and there was no way I was going to follow this one. When he started to move I drooped my bino's and picked up the rifle and when he stepped out from behind the brush I put a 150gr slug from my .308 through both shoulders.

I know this as a bit drawn out, but it shows that just ebcause a deer is looking at you, doesn't mean they know what is going on. When your seen from the front drawing, you don't look like much they have seen other than a bush with a bad manicure. The thing is to NOT move fast, or make a sudden movement. I have been able to draw on many deer with them looking right at me, just to test myself, and well them also.

I shoot a 70# Admiral, Tomkat, and Drenalin. They all have a different draw cycle, but they are all, to me, easily drawn slowly, and also able to be let down slowly, with out launching an arrow off the rest due to an overly aggressive cam.

So personally if and when I have another shot on a deer, it will depend on it's previous actions, and attitude at the time as to whether or not I attempt a shot or not. Every situation is different.

Oh yea, here's the buck I completely missed with the bow, thanks in part to the vines between me and him. I am still learning that the sight pins and arrow are not on the same plane within 5 or so feet of the riser.

On the ground...



On the wall...


(Click the thumbnails for the full sized pic)

If Iam at full draw and the deer starts looking at me I'll shoot it no problem. I have done it many times.

Drawing on a deer thats looking at you is a whole differant matter. It can be done but it is a lot harder.

Girls rule....



And you men drool.



That was my very first whitetail buck.

My first buck was a doe!!

Nice one, Ann.

Me too, Don. I arrowed a lot of does before this young fella walked up to me.