Bulzeye

Ted Nugent wrote about a frontal bowshot opportunity he had like this in his book "God, Guns, and Rock and Roll".

He is a VERY good shot, the animal was in Ted's comfort zone range, and he would NOT take the shot. He only drew because he anticipated the animal turning broadside.

Everybody here makes good points. First of all, the target is very small, even at a short distance. David describes well the way the rib cage and shoulders provides nearly arrow-proof armor from the front.
The lungs are all but covered, the heart is not consistently a "stop'em and drop'em" shot, even the best placement and penetration will leave only a mediocre blood trail, and you're just asking to pucture the guts.

Wait for a better opportunity, or pass all together. I had 4 does facing me head-on one morning this season, and it broke my heart to let them go, but I felt good about not taking a bad shot.

Keep 'em all in the Bull.

Edited by - bulzeye on 01/24/2002 06:44:07

Edited by - bulzeye on 01/24/2002 06:45:35

RICHIE3

Don't take a frontal shot at all, stick to quatering and broadside shots.

stealthycat

MThunter - a frontal chest shot on deer is NOT a good shot, ever. Let the deer walk or wait for a better shot, theres no reason to risk a wounded animal. On elk - its just plain stupid.

BobCo19-65

I don't thin that I would ever take a direct chest shot on a deer. I have had the oportunity, but have passed it by. I have successfully taken deer however, quartering toward me from a stand.

BulletBob456

You can be very confident in your shooting ability, but how will the critter react to the shot. An amimal can move very quickly when it is shot at. Why risk a shot at a small target when you could shout at a target that is 4 times as large. If the animal doesn't give a lung shot it wasn't ment to be. I like to be able to sleep at night after a shot.

DaveH

Two years ago I passed up a 17 yard shot at one of the biggest bucks I saw all year--because I was offered only the frontal shot. He would'be been a great P&Y buck, he was in my comfort zone, I feel confident that I could've hit where I aimed, and he was less than 100 yards from my house. I passed because of the reasons that Matt so admirably listed. BTW--the buck was killed by poachers nearly 2 months later who lost him--his remains (minus the antlers) were found rotting in a stream.<img src=icon_smile_angry.gif border=0 align=middle>

Biteme/Paul Mohr

I have a friend that took a frontal shot like that, but the deer was very close. He was hunting on the ground and the deer walked right up to him and was sniffing him. He said it could not have been more than 3 or 4 feet a way. So he let the arrow go to see what would happen. The arrow went in up to the fletching and knocked the deer backwards on it's ass. It got back up and ran about 10 yards and piled up. It was not a very big deer either. He told me he does not reccommend it. He thinks he got lucky, but the thing was staring him right in the face and he could not pass it up.

And by the way, after the deer I shot this year I do not think heart shots are very effective. I took out one lung and and sliced the heart into three pieces and the deer still ran 400 yards never bedding down once. It just ran until it keeled over. I think double lung pass thrus are the way to go. This is based on other peoples experiences obviously, since I have only shot one deer.

Paul

kshunter

I agree this can be a risky shot. I've attempted it once and was successful. It was my first buck with a bow(14ptr). He was 15 yards faced towards me, but not looking at me. He was very calm, and the surroundings were noisy. The deer had that posture that I knew he wouldn't jump my bow, in the settings. I was able to put an arrow between it's collar bones and hit a major artery going to its heart. It ran 250 yards before it went down. And it was by far the best blood trail i've ever seen.

But I do not recommend taking this shot, maily because there isn't much room for error. If you hit on either side of the collar bone, it'll most likely be a flesh wound. Everything has to be just right and very confident on arrow placement, before I would even think about taking another shot like that one I took when I was younger.
Visit My Hunting Page

Bulzeye

Well said BulletBob. We should all sleep soundly.

The ethics of a man are defined by what he does when no one is looking.

Dave H, that was really a hard story to hear. Congrats on doing the right thing. Too bad he was taken by an uncaring fool.

Keep 'em all in the Bull.

buckmister

I personally wouldn't take the shot. But I would be ready for the animal to turn.