Stop him first or not?
 

I don't have a great deal of experience so keep that in mind as you answer my question. In fact, I've only takenone 6 pointer with a bow.

Anyway, the situation is you have a slow foraging buck (or doe for that matter) approaching at less than 1mph but never totally stopping. Do you not think twice and just shoot or do you stop the animal completely? Reason I ask is 'cause in the situation, I'd be afraid of string jump and might just let that arrow fly. My thinking is that if the animal is already slow enough and calm to boot, why give it a reason to put up its natural defenses? In other words, why stop it so that it could ready itself to bolt resulting in possible string jump or worse yet a bad hit?

What would you do and why? I suppose the answers will vary with experience and comfort levels but I'm just interested in what you all have to say. Oh, keep in mind I said 1 mph... that's about the speed of a slow waddling duck.

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

What's the distance?

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

if it was 20 yards, heck yea, even at 30 id prolly say yes but the closer the better for a moving animal.

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

If he was fairly close, say around 20 yds he would not know I was there to the arrow hit the spot. If hewas farther out it is hard to saydepends on the circumstances.

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

20 yards.

And since you brought that up, what distances would you do what?

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

So are you saying that at 20 you'd stop him because he can't jump the string at that distance?

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

ooops... disregard this particular post.

more answers please

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

He'd have to be inside 20 for me to think about it......WELL inside.....more like 10.

Just a deer......another will come along.;)

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

I've had a buck about 25 yds out, jump my string. Granted that was a few yrs ago w/a much older, slower, louder bow. He was stand'n broadside, & I ended up shishkabobing him thru the back side of his inside rear leg, thru his jewels & into the other rear leg. Lucky I caught his femoral artery & he bled out. Man I felt sorry for him. With a new bow that is fast & quiet I would take a moving shot. Hold for him to come into the arrow, then shoot. It's whatever your comfort level is. I've even heard of a guy take a, deer on the run shot,& nail him.

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

This is a good question. If it was a clear shot with little or no branches or brush to worry about, I would probably take theshot out to 20 yards withoutstopping him if he waswalking that slowly.On the other hand, if I was in the thick woods like the area I hunt, I would most likely stop him no matter what because of all of thenasty stuff that could get in the way.

I'm not sure that I understand this. When a deer "jumps the string", they duck straight down about 12 inches which means you will either hit higher than you aimed, or you will miss. Hitting one in the back leg means that you were off your mark. Your shot would have wounded a3-D target.

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

I would take the shot with out bothering him, beyond that it would depend can not really say, shot one about 5 years ago at a steady walk trailing a doe, he was about 15 yds out. hit good he ran about 100 yds.

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

I always stop them. At my second pin...30 yardsor more I always aim a bit low to compensate for him gathering in reaction to the sound of your bow going off... he has time at 30 or more to really gather before your arrow gets there.. speed of sound versus your bow speed..

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

I don't care if hes a foot or a mile, I'm stopping him, or at least waiting for him to stop on his own.

I'll take my chances with jump. I cannot help what the deer is going to do, but I can help when I do or do not release that arrow. I don't have any way of practicing moving shots, nay have I ever taken one. So for me.... I'd rather have a good solid shot, and a still target, than a so-so shot at a moving one.

Not to mention that every deer I have ever had react to my shot (which has only been about 5 of the near 50 I have taken) has been calm and relaxed, and just stopped on their own. One was feeding.... got spined.

When I stop a deer, I make a quick sucking noise like a squirrel barking... I'm usually letting go as soon as the deer stops.

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

I am not alerting any deer to my presence if it isn't absolutely necessary.


I have shot a small deer at 34 yards walking broadside and made a clean hit.You just put your pin on the spot you want to hit and keep it there by turning your hips with the animal.(don't try and time the spot of release.)


Deer are more likely to jump a string inside 20 yards than they are outside of 30.If they took off running everytime they heard a noiseoutside 30 yards,they would always be running.A bow makes alot of noise to a deer when fired withing 20 yards.It is the boo factor as many call it.If I jump out from across the street and yell boo,you will just look at me funny but if I jump from a few feet away from behind some bushes,you will react much differently.

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

never heard that before, but excellent analogy, it only makes sense.

i think ill take a slow walking animal, if its close and i feel confident i will smoke em, otherwise im waitin for him to stop on his own.

as a last resort ill make a subtle sound to get a shot opportunity.

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

I would say take the shot, but only if it meets the following criteria:
1-you are honest with yourself and know you are shooting within your limits, and you can make the shot.
2-the deer is moving extremely slow (I.e. If it slows down any more it is stopped).
3-it doesn't seem spooked or fidgety already.

My thought process on this is that if you stop him with a grunt, whistle, etc. This will peak his senses and is more likely to bolt, "jump the string" or whatever. If the deer is calmly grazing and seems relaxed, then make a judgment call, but definitely follow my first thought. (I'm not saying this is a 100% accurate thought, personal experiences will be on both sides of the fence on this issue. Just my opinion here.)

If anyone has more requirements before the shot, please expand on this.

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

I have shot many animals with bow while they were moving...BUT the situation is key...Be sure of your distance and make sure the animal is not jumpy, I too believe the closer the better for a moving animal..As far as that goes it goes with any weapon of choise the closer the better chance for a quick human kill....

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

I usually don't stop a walking buck. Like mentioned just keep the bow moving with the deers pace. Now if he is on a mission going somewhere than I will stop him (her). Just casual browsing no need. IMHO

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

18 yrds on a walking doe last year. She ran 30 yards. I felt confident with the shot and knew I could make it. Squirrels are a lot harder to hit though.:D:D:D

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

That's about a foot and a third a second. Don't know if a whitetail can do that in slo-mo......but....

At 10 yds or less....I'll take my chances on a calm deer. I don't think htis is far-fetched, unethical or anything other than shooting a REALLY slow moving deer.

I, too, would caution people about taking moving shots (how do you practice)....but AS STATED......yeah....I'd shoot (at the distance I state).

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

At 10-20, I wouldn't stop the deer. Beyond that distance, and only after I was at full draw, i'd probably make a light bleet to see if the deer stopped. You have to be careful to not be so loud that the deer pinpoints you, yet stops just to check what the noise was.

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

last year i stopped a buck that was trotting. he was 18 or 22yds i cant recall. settled the top pin about the top of his heart...he hit my lane, i said BAH! the second he froze the arrow was loose. he ducked. hit high above the spine. poor penetration so im guessing backbone.

i felt that there was nothing i could/would do differently if given that shot again. i think he was actually jumped by my buddies that were squirrel hunting on the next farm over...(good 1/4 mile) which if i had known, i would never stopped him and shot at him. he was already alert and in danger mode. stopping him was a bad choice on my part i think. just the reaction of him. at the time i was set on firing the second he froze...which i did. but everytime i replay it i see his head swinging my way...looking right at me. i shouldnt have fired. it was my first year. i didnt know any different. i never heard of deer ducking before. i would have laughed if you told me that was possible before. thats roughly 1/4 of a second and he dropped what...6-8 inches...crazy....

definently taught me a lesson. im with GMMAT...its only a deer. theres lots more out there...and if you dont wound or miss him, chances are he may come back....definently going to be more selective of my shots now that i learned the hard way. i thought scent hanging would help and stop them...i had trails end hung and that evening i had 2 does come through twice and him come through behind them the second time...none seemed to care...which leads me to believe my friends jumped them squirrel hunting...and no...i didnt ask them to drive deer for me. they were just out squirrel hunting.

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

Stop him/her when that front leg is forward and release. better to shoot a standing deer than a moving deer.

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

I prefer not to shoot moving deer and have stopped many deer without issue. I did spine shoot a doe that I had stopped at 12 yards when she tried to jump the string. I guess if a deer is close and moving very slowly with its head down browsing it would be better to not put it on alert. A deer browsing stops and pauses as it walks anyway, so it should be just like shooting a stopped deer.

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

I will release on a casual deer, the only time im going to make a noise to stop a deer is if its ona mission to get somewhere quick.

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

If a deer is moving as slowly as you stated, then I would not stop them for any shot at or under 30 yards. Much beyond that and I would try to get them to stop.

RE: Stop him first or not?
 

I would take the shot if the deer was within 20 yards after that their starts to be to much time for error. Deer could jump the string or take a couple steps in the time you release to the time of impact. Anything after 20 yards I will stop them while I am at full draw and then give it to them. Had one deer jump the string once at 30 yards and luckily I got the artery that is up by the spine that runs the length of the deer. Bow limb hit the tree limb upon release and the deer didnt like that noise I was taking a shot behind my stand.