Doesn't Anyone Have Anything To Report?

[Haris122]

Now I know why I hear shots followed by shots all the time. When did it become common practice to shoot at running deer. I'm teaching my son that a good broadside shot (or close to it) is the only ethical shot to take to ensure a clean kill. He has passed several chest shots this year, and understands that a successful hunt isn't always about getting to shoot.

I know it wasn't the right thing to do, but at the time it was instinctive. It was the first deer ever that I saw (and a legal one to take at that), and for all I know, with my luck, could've been the last one too. And technically speaking it was still a broadside shot, just one you had to lead very fast. Monday I saw another one, that could've easily been a clean easy shot. He had just emerged in a field and didn't see me, and slowly made his way across it to another chunk of forest, and I couldn't make out if he had the 4th antler point, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt after I got my first ever firing at one out of my system.

[ciRe]

I try not to take running shots because of the "big" factor but it is split second decisions. He came running behind me seen 4 points easily on 1 side so I said it is a neck or nothing shot. I have never lost a deer with a gun and have only missed once 12 years ago when I was 12. When I brought him into town where I shot him I had several people ask if I was going to mount him and some people thought I was crazy when I said no. I've shot over 50+ coyotes on running shots after shooting the first one so why not do it with a deer when it has been so productive with me coyote hunting?

[Harps]

............I said it is a neck or nothing shot.............. I've shot over 50+ coyotes on running shots after shooting the first one so why not do it with a deer when it has been so productive with me coyote hunting?

The neck shot doesn't really make sense to me.

If you're comfortable with running shots, that's up to you. I'm not comfortable with them, too many things can go wrong.

[Harps]

Well sometimes you make the wrong choice and I certainly did last Saturday. Based on wind direction both of my bow stands were a little marginal so I picked what seemed the less of two evils. Only deer I saw were ones being chased by dogs. These dogs are about to chap my a$$ a little too much. These same two dogs have been running the deer out there all fall.

But that's not why I'm saying I made the wrong choice. Pulled and switched the cards on my cameras and I about choked when I looked at the card from the stand I DIDN'T sit. One of the biggest bucks I've ever got on camera. This beast walked by at 10 yards. A chip shot. Such is my life story of bowhunting.

[Justin Spencer]

At least you know he's out there!

[Blazerman]

I haven’t hunted for a few years but back when I rifled hunted up north the landowner would get aggravated if we didn’t kill enough deer off his place by the end of the season. So we always saved the last two days for doing deer drives. We would have pushers and standers based on who had filled their tags.

During these drives the standers were always positioned on a corner or crossing where you could see a long way and it was pretty much a given you would be shooting at a running deer.

We killed many deer this way and on some occasions it took a couple shots. The deer would pop out from the woods into an open field or pasture and sometimes you could see them out to a couple hundred yards before they made it to another set of woods or somewhere else before they disappeared.

It was actually a blast and I killed plenty of deer this way with running shots. The position of the standers were always set up so that they were usually shooting downhill and we always knew where the other hunters were.

Keep in mind there is way more open spaces in northern Missouri and big open fields and pastures with creeks and fence lines where deer hide out is the norm.

[Jeff Olson]

very nice buck Harps! hope you get a crack at him!

[Harps]

Pretty good for an Ozarks deer for sure — he impressed me. I was getting a few pics of two giants last year, 1 typical about 155 inches, 1 non-typical about 180 inches, and I haven't gotten either of them so far this year. Kind of hard to see in the pics but I've got the camera set to take 5 frames when triggered so I can analyze them better. Hope they're still around.

[ciRe]

Harps wanna do some muzzleloader? Lol. Kinda would be hard to keep your mouth shut on that non-typical.

[Harps]

Well he showed up yesterday. Neck shot (irony of that with the discussion above) was caused by my arrow hitting a vine and deflecting. I was just darn lucky it hit him instead of flying into neverland. Definitely not what I was aiming for but it happened and it dropped him on the spot, no tracking. He's a true Ozarks giant.