I for one feel an ethical shot is any shot that the shooter feels he or she can take an animal quickly and humanely.

If said shooter feels the odds are stacked against them and they still take the shot in a poke and hope mentality,THEN,it is not an ethical shot.IMO


I see it every year where the computer ethics mentality comes back to bite someone in the but.They scream and yell about certain shots being unethical but when they are confronted with those very shots in real life situations,they come back on here and say,well,I shouldn't have but I took so and so shot.Now what do I do?Or,I know I shouldn't have taken this shot BUT I got this nicedeer.


There are ALWAYS exceptions to the rules and the real life scenarios will always have slight variables which the shooter must make a QUICK REAL LIFE decision,do I shoot or not?
That shot should always have one question in the shooters mind,Do I think I can make a quick and humane kill shot(no,it isn't do I know,because we NEVER know)If the answer is no,or chances are I won't,then you don't shoot.PERIOD


This thread was brought on by the neck shot thread.NO,I have never taken a neck shot(with a bow)but would I if conditions dictate,I believe I would.Give me a 10 yard shot,deer completely covered except for the neck(and no chance,in my mind that the deer will offer a broadside lung shot)and he is facing me,there is a strong POSSIBILITY that I might.I must say that I have passed many neck shots in real life,some even with a pistol in hand at 20 yards on atleast 1 VERY NICE buck.BUT I didn't feel the odds were in my favor.

I personally feel that the neckshot is much better than the straight down shot that many bowhunters take every year.AND never find the animal.That is a shot I really don't see much of a reason to take,seems to me the deer has to walk out a few feet at some point,but there again,the real life situation will dictate said action.


I have taken the dreaded quarter to shot ONCE in my life with a bow but the situation dictated it was a good shot and the deer lay dead in less than 30 yards.


Now,of course,education of what is a good shot and how good said archer is will go a long way in determining what a good and ethical shot is.IMHO


I know some members on this forum that are regarded HIGHLY as bowhunters and archersand will not discuss what kind of shots they downed an animal with because they will be crucified by the shot selection but they have taken hundreds of game with a bow and lost very few if any animals.Are they ethical,unethical,skilled or just very lucky hunters?


I myself prefer to shoot at a walking animal.They are realtively calm and unalert.I can make that shot out to 35 yards or so VERY COMPETITANTLY.But many scream,unethical when it is discussed.



SO,to summarize,IMO,one should learn what a good shot is.They should be competent with their equipment.They should know what shots they feel they can make and take an animal quickly and humanely and stick only to shots they feel the odds are stacked in their favor to take an animal quickly and humanely.Then and only then are you an ethical hunter.


I will NEVER take a shot in HOPES to take an animal.I will only take shots that I am relatively sure I can make a quick clean kill on an animal.

To me,that is what makes a hunter ethical and what makes their shot selection ethical.The key is education of a kill shot and skill with their equipment.