Just watched another .....
 

great white hunter spook a deer with his Maaa.... Maaaa.... Maaa trying to stop the thing. I swear, the more I watch these guys the more I'm turned off by this practice. Wait and you'll get a shot. Deer, especially BIG deer, don't run blindly through the woods. They take a step or few and stop and look and listen and smell... and then they do it again. This deer was walking at what looked to be no more than 20-25 yards. The first Maaaaaaaa.... put him in a hunch and high stepping out of the country. He finally stopped by at a crappy angle and obviously outside the guys comfort range. He shot right over the top of the antlers. LOL Rookies.

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All the deer that ive shot with my bow I have stopped...none of them have spooked.

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All the ones I killed have been stopped too, by me. The deer that spook at the first maaaa are deer that have heard it before IMO.

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I've NEVER stopped a deer...NEVER. I have shot several walking though.

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I've stopped several deer, but I'm sure quite a bitless than 50%. Most will stop for a shot if you are patient.

There are times that call for extreme measures though. I was once at full draw and a Buck wasn't going to stop. So....................................

Since I was already on him I just yelled "Hey" He froze, arrow whacked him, dead deer, end of story;)

Dan

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Really? This may be true 11 months out of the year and x% of the time during the rut, BUT this is certainly not an absolute for a mature buck in the rut.

Not only in the chase phase, but also in the seek phase, I have had numerous (I don't know the exact count but more than I could count on two hands) bucks over the years move so stinking fast through an area that if you waited for them to stop......well you would still be waiting.


I don't stop a buck as a rule but I have before and will again if the situation calls for it. Is it possible that is is overused by some hunters? Probably so, but to say to never implement the strategy is just as flawed logic as saying to always do it, at least in my opinion.

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I have mixed feelings on this as well. I have successfully stopped deer and have successfully spooked them without getting a shot!

I prefer not to stop them if I don't have to.

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I hate to stop deer but I do not feel real confident shooting at a walking deer over about 15 yards. I have stopped deer succesfully with low "uuuuurp" sounds.

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Maaa......Maaa.....

Got you stop and read it, didn't it?


Sorry David. I couldn't resist. ;)

...never used it myself. I get too focused on everything else to even remember trying to do that.

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Yeah.... I thought this was a Mathews bash at first! .....

I've never stopped a deer to shoot that I recall.

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Stopped 1st buckI ever killed with a Maa. Will surely do it again if needed. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose...

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I've used either that or a small gruntcall on several occasions to stop one.If you have a small window, you don't have many other options. NEVER had one spook.

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I am not against stopping one if needed. I stopped two of the does I shot this year, waited them out as long as I could but had to stop em. I would rather let one stop on its own though.

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Whatever Greg says is the gospel for me ! Have you seen the deer hes took !

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all of the deer that i have encountered wil keep walking and i will do the Maaa but they look right in my direction and turn the other way automaticly

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Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad. Given the opportunity at a walking deer you have 2 choices, If you feel he will NOT stop by himself. If this is a deer from the area and you will get another crack at him, let him walk. If this is the first time he has been in the area as far as you know, better to chance the spook than hit him in a bad place from walking too fast and never finding him. Split second decisions happen all the time, usually nothing goes as planned!
Dandbuck

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Doing the maa.... is an absolute LAST, LAST resort! I'd rather have a deer stop on his own and be calm then stop one and have it be skittish!

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I did the "maaa" thing in my first couple years of bowhunting a couple years back but no longer if i don't have to. This year it's 5 for 5 with no "maaa"

Why give them a heads up if you don't have to?

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I practice just as much at moving targets as I do stationary ones. Ive scared several deer in previous years trying to stop them, so I figured Id just shoot em walking if I have to. Anyone that thinks its hard to shoot a moving target would really be surprised that its not as hard as youd think. The one thing that would surprise most people is how far in front of the target or deer you really hafta aim. Just throw moving targets into your regular practice routine and you dont need to worry bout spooking em anymore.

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No offense, but I never shoot at a moving deer. Too many uncertainties!

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If you hunt thick woods like I do you only have so many opportunities. Half the people who say dont stop them, theyll stop on their own, are the guys who can sit on the edge of a field and have them walk in the wide open. My woods you dont have that luxury, so when they come into a shooting LANE you need to stop them. Otherwise you might not be offered another shot.

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Guys it is all about the body language, obviusly you would'nt maaa at him if he wasacting spooky but if he is just casually walking a trail and it looks like he might not stop a soft little maa would suffice just fine, if he's hauling assafter a doe during the rut do whatever you can whistle whatever to get a shot, odds are you might not ever see him again. you have to be able to judge body language.

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I peffer not to stop them as well. I hunt in the thick woods up here and every once in a while I will let a small whistle out of me to get his attention. If it surprises him he will stop for a quick shot, if not he will keep on moving anyways..

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X2 No way!! If I can't stop'em I'll spook'em trying if it comes to that[8D]

In Bowhunting Never and Always are words that Rarely exist.

Do I Always have to stop a deer for a shot? No!

Do I Never attempt to stop a Deer for fear of spooking it? No!

Bowhunters need to learn to be flexible, to be effecient in most situations.;)

Dan

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To each his own opinion. Im not talking about a deer running balls to the wall like its being chased obviously, just a casual walk. Really its no different than the guys you watch on tv shooting a walking elk its just a smaller target. Regardless of the target size you have to be confident in your shooting abilities. There are alot of variables with shooting a deer thats walking but theres just as many as one thats feeding. The only shot that you can guarantee the deer wont duck/jump/spin or any other way affect your shot is to either 1) shoot it while its bedded or 2) hope for one the big boys thats lived even though hes blind and deaf.
Im not saying I never try to stop a deer thats walking, thats not the case. Isometimes attempt to stop themwith a soft doe grunt. Statistically my shots are at deer that are standing still. Of the 7 or 8 does I took this year only one was walking. I just placed my stand in the only oak along a thick hillside of pines and generally you get enough opportunities for a shot. We all know our personallimitations and I by no means tiptoe the line. If I have any doubt what-so-ever than I just dont shoot.

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Many people feel completely comfortable shooting a walking deer with shotguns. Heres some figures. At 20 yds (comfortable forbowhunters)an arrow moving at 300 fps will hit the deer in 0.2 seconds. At 75 yds
(a comfortable range for many hunters) a shotgun slug moving 1000 fps will hit the deer in 0.225 seconds. At a walking deer the projectile reaches the deer with my bow in my comfort zone around the same as with a shotgun. My bow is just a tad quieter than my 12guage though. FPS isnt exact but around the same ballpark

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And a deer walking at3 mphwill move 10.5" in the .2 seconds it takes for that arrow to make impact on thetarget.. Personally thats way to much movement for me..

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wow 10.5" is alot no wonder all them guys on tv hit them far back when there walking

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I haven't stopped a deer yet. I've shot a good share of deer walking with positive results.

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Best answer so far ... I have had bucks coming at a steady pace ... and I am not talking slow ... the only way I got the shot was to make some sort of noise ....other times was just a waiting game ... Like Dan said, you need to be flexible ..

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I stop them sometimes. I am always at full draw and ready to release before I stop them. Iaimlower when I stop them. Everyone I have stopped has ducked when I release. That is why I don't like to do it. If they are walking along and I need to shoot thru a shooting lane I like to draw in the opening and let the deer walk into my arrow. I like to shoot them when they are relaxed.