You call the shot

[Twanger]

It's been a while since we played this game.

The rules are: You've decided to take this deer with your bow if it gives you the proper chance. You can take this shot, or wait for a better one, knowing that if you wait - something might happen and the opportunity will be gone forever.

Deer #1 Here's the set-up: This buck just stopped at 25 yards and is on yellow alert. You are on the ground, and your bow is draw. The wind is good, but your scent stream is passing about 20 yards in front of this buck. The buck is sensing that something is just not right but he has not figured it out. Do you take the shot? If so, where? If not, why not?

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/buck_quartering_towards_dots.JPG

[purple heart]

I wouldn't take the shot. In my estimation the red and blue spots are
too far back to get into the vitals real well.
The green spots look to be all bone shots and you never know what will
happen when an arrow hits bone first.
The yellow spot is to risky. To easy to miss the vitals or spine and just
end up with a flesh wound.
Where I hunt deer are too few to take a chance and waist one with a
lousy hit. I'd wait and if he got away I'd hope to see him another day or
during gun season.

[DaveHawk]

good call, I lost one nice buck with that shot , I will not repeat that again. I'll wait it out.

[Twanger]

I would pass and hold out for a better shot, even knowing that the deer was headed for my scent stream.

A few weeks back I saw a hunting show where the 'pro' took a shot just like that, and proclaimed "smoked him!" when the arrow hit somewhere around what looked like the middle red dot. They didn't find that deer right away, but they did find it, eventually. :confused:

[dave-t.]

If I was taking that shot, I'd split the difference between the bottom green and middle green and maybe even just a bit forward of that. I'd wait at full draw hoping he looks away, and if he did, I would.

I wouldn't shoot at one at that range that is giving me the stare down. Aim low enough and forward enough that if the buck drops or lunges at the shot, you still can make a good hit.

Quartering to angles suck.:(

[GF.]

I'm not sure he'd be lunging forward, though.... With that near-side foreleg underneath him like that, he might well shove back on it. That would open up the gap between shoulder blade and upper leg bone, but also move the blade right into your intended placement.

Lotta bone in the way there.... I drew it a little larger than life, but you have to give yourself a little room for error, and IMO this shot simply doesn't offer any.

TV guys will take this shot if the antlers are of hornographic proportions, and they'll tell you that their magical SponsorBow will drill the buck regardless of those piddly little deer bones.

But they mostly signed away their ethics when they took the TV contract.

If I could hold long enough for him to relax a bit, or if I could let down without getting busted, that's what I'd do. No shot here. though....

Thanks, Twang - these are fun........ Good practice thinking things through...

[Smokey]

I also would wait this buck out. Too nice of a deer to wound and run off.

[ncboman]

unless he puts his head back down, I'm making some kind of motion, (look at my foot move :confused:).

Chances are better than 50-50 he will turn broadside or slightly qtr away and look again ...

at the arrow on the way.

If his head goes back down, I'm froze until he moves and then only following him along in the sight ... waiting.

I like these threads. :)

[Sabre]

I'd be using a rifle so I'd aim half way between the lowest green dot and the yellow dot and drop the bugger.:D

[My buddy]

should be a pretty easy call for archery hunters.

Hold off.

Angled toward shots offer more negatives than positives.

Sure, angled toward deer can be killed with archery equipment, but there is normally plenty of bone to avoid reducing target area.

Also, single lung hits often result. While deer normally die as the result of a single lung hit, they can travel a ways. And, with that angle a near side lung entry would most likely end in a gut exit. Stomach hits can often clog entry and exit holes and limit blood trails.

Bottom line is that the deer looks like it is heading the right direction to offer a good broadside shot.

If the deer spots you and takes off, that is one the deer wins. If he doesn't then you win. But with the current shot, it is often the case that both end up losing.

Also, the deer doesn't meet my 150" QDM minimum......

.....just kidding