ORIGINAL: Swamp Dawg
I''m probably going to step on some toes with this one. But I am alarmed at how many deer are not finished off with one arrow. I am nowhere near the perfect archer, however, I have never had a deer run more than 20 yards after the shot. And they all have died within 10-15 minutes max. Having said that, I also am the guy who puts alot of time and energy into this sport and practices year round. So when the season comes, I put myself in a position to make a perfect shot 9 times out of 10. IMO, the only reason these deer are not killed quicker is for bad shot placement. After reading all of these posts about wounded deer, there are obviously alot of shots that should have not been taken in the first place, and hunters who should practice more often than they do. We owe it to the animals we hunt.
Swamp, I'm sure some of what you say applies to some hunters. However, I would consider most on this site to take the killing of an animal seriously enough to put in the practice and effort worthy of the undertaking. In my case, the doe may have jumped a bit which caused the high shot. A few inches down and it would have been near perfect. On the other hand, the same night another hunter also got a doe (with a compound). Hit her mid section (liver?), but he was shooting for heart/lung. He has placed 2nd in state in longbow and is a year-round shooter. Even the best could have to confront finishing off a deer to no fault of their own. Also, I have lost count on the deer I have passed on due to yardage, angle, light, etc. These discussions are exactly why I visit this site daily. For everybody's valuable input, including yours. It's better to talk about different and real scenario's to help us all hunt safely and as humanely as possible.