David....

While I agree with just about everything you just wrote....I sometimes use harvest i.l.o. kill. But....that's for other PEOPLE....and not the animals. I thinkthe animalsget the picture

I also find I use the word less and less as I go.......

In the end, people will take shots every way possible. Im not going to tell anyone what shot they need to take, I just say that a bad shot is a bad shot, spade a spade. Davidmil is right, tracking jobs are where we lose most deer, with that said, however, track jobs would be less painful with a HIGH % shot. Killer primate, you have to do it your way, I understand that you have gone "outside the box" with your hunting. I don't know hoow long you have been hunting, but I can promise you this, there will come a time when you will say, "I wish I would have waited a little longer for a better shot." It is something every bowhunter has said by the time his/her career is done, you can bet on it, and if they say they haven't said it, they would be lying.

To each his own, thats what 'ethics' are....For me, I took that shot once and will not do so again untill I become a MUCH better archer, so for the forseable future, it is an unethical shot. For me.

NO

I have no disagreement with how you see the animal. I also hate all the political correctness and "harvesting" and what not as well, unless "political correctness" encompasses the fact that bowhunters should wait for a broadside or quartering away shot in order to dramatically increase the probability of a lethal shot and recoverable animal, in which recoverable is defined as finding the animal in time as to be to consume the carcass.

If that "belief" system makes me "politically correct", then I plead guilty as charged, and you can accuse me of "drinking the kool-aid'"

I agree 100% and that is the whole point I am attempting to make.

I have no question that the shot originally discussed in this thread is a high percent lethal shot, but I am not sure how recoverable it is as it would most likely result in 1 lung as compared to 2, and most likely will leave only one wound which may or may not coagulate and seal off fairly quickly. If in fact the deer is one lungedand the deer runs a LONG way with little to no blood, the tracking job will be difficult at best even for an experienced hunter.

A gut shot is a lethal shot and with an experienced hunter, he can probablly find most of them if he has enough time and the weather is cold enough to and to keep the meat from ruining. Is that shot okay as long as I am confident in my abilities to hit the "vitals" and in my tracking ability?

I have laughed at this whole notion that "as long as the hunter is confident in his abilities.....blah blah blah." Surely, you guys don't take shots while you are saying to yourself "I doubt this is going to hit the vitals, but I think I'll try anyway."


One other common idea that has been brought up in this thread that I agree with, and that at the end of the day, nobody has to answer to any "etchics police" or justify anything to anybody but themselves and the good lord above. Integrity is doing the right thing when nobody is watching.

Having said that, could I be tempted again someday to take a low percentage shot such as a frontal or quarterting towards? I hope the answer is no, but if a 350 class bull only presents that kind of shot to me on the last evening of elk season, who knows for sure, beacause after all I am just flesh and bones.

But I do know this. If I did, and whether or not I was successful in killing and recovering the animal, the fact would be that I took a low percentage, high risk shot that was irresponsible,careless, and yes unethical. No sense trying to "justify" my actions to myself or anyone else. It is what it is, as they say.

If a hunter has hunted any length of time at all, we have all had animals within our "comfort zone" but that never presented the right shot. That is what makes it challenging and fun. If one does not have the patience for that kind of scenario and be content to wait for another day rather than take a low percent shot, he probably needs to choose another weapon, but thats just my opinion.

The first deer I ever killed was with a Hoyt recurve, PO cedar arrow and a Fred Bear broadhead. As I peeked over a ridge, the forky buck was facing me at ten yards. I aimed just where the neck met the chest. The buck jumped when hit. The arrow was in 3 pieces and the entry hole was the size of a fifty cent piece. The deer ran 15 yards and piled up. He was gushing blood from his chest as he went. I kept that 6 inch section of arrow with broadhead an mounted it on my wall.

If I had the same chance again at 10 yards with my Liberty 65 pound bow, carbon arrow and Montec head would I shoot? I have to be honest and say yes I would. I have confidence in my ability to hit my target in a vital spot and with equipement that would humanely put the deer down. At ranges longer than about 15 yards I would not shoot.

I would not ever take that shot because I know my ability and my equipment. I try not to pass judgement on others, but I do not see a need for that type of shot.

No way, to risky, But I guess it's do-able.

I'll tend to disagree. I've killed quite a few deer (somewhere near 30 I'd guess), and lost a 3. The deer I've killed, I've found within 18-220yds from the shot, one gut shot, one bad hit, femoral artery severed (NOT BAD HIT, my fault, LUCKY OUTCOME), and a bunch of heart lung shots. Those that I've lost I've tracked for a minimum of 350-400 yds. before the blood trail all but disappeared. I've tracked acouple ofanimals (none of my own)literally for over a mile, and never did find them, and this was after a few hour wait, not taking up the trail immediately. I think BAR NONE, poor shot placement w/ a gun or a bow would ABSOLUTELY be the NUMBER 1 reason for lost animals.

I agree with you 100%. With good shot placement typically your tracking will be at most 100-150 yards. It is when you take questionable shots that leads to long and difficult tracking and this leads to lost deer. And a straight on shot is a questionable shot.