MD DEERHUNTER

Here in Southern Maryland I was hunting on public hunting grounds during Muzzleloader (Doe Only Week). I heard a deer walking towards me and then seconds later I see a young 4-point buck walk to the right of me. This deer was about 15-yards from me. The deer was moving very slowly and cautiously, smelling the ground where had walked to my stand. I don't think the deer picked up my scent from where I was sitting in my stand. The deer never bolted, just walked off slowly.
So, here's my question, let's say the buck that you've been watching and wanting to take for months walks behind and off to your right at close range. Are you going to rotate your body in your stand to get off a right-handed shot and take the risk of making noise and spooking the deer? Or will you take a left-handed shot?

timbercruiser

I have shot a few deer left handed, kinda awkward for me, but I had practiced a few shots at the range in the past and didn't have any problems. You start trying to spin around in a stand on a deer at that close of range and most likely you will spook it out of there.

bt4264

I've shot a few left handed also....as long as you get a solid hold with the crosshairs where they belong, the deer don't care how you're holding it.

oldshedhunter35

I would move

trevorpt

i would shoot left-handed... ive practiced shooting left-handed multiple times just in case i came to this kind of situation... if you can shoot with the opposite hand, then it is way easier than turning your entire body

itsslow98

Without practice with my non dominant hand id rotate and shoot right handed. I was actually thinking about this two days ago when the stand i was in gave me a tough time if a deer came to my right so im gonna practice left handed tomorrow.

UncleNorby

I've shot a few left handed. All close shots, like less than 40 yds. I don't have any difficulty shooting lefty, but I don't practice it. If the needs arises and it is a chip shot I'll do it.

Duckbutter48

I think it depends on a lot of things but most likely in this case I would let the deer walk off and move to then take the shot. Of course I don't know your stand set up so you may be able to let him walk 50 yards then move or he may be gone in 20yards into a thicket so its hard to answer for sure.

Usually at the point when "I heard a deer walking towards me" I will usually stand up if I think where the direction they are coming will present a problem for my shot. At the same time I usually go a minimum of 25' up in a tree so I can move a bit easier without being seen then if I was in a 15' stand.

Again though there are a ton of reasons/combinations without seeing your exact set up that it would be hard to answer. However I doubt I would take a left handed shot just because Im not comfortable taking them. If someone is good at shooting either way by all means go for it.

ADVWannabee

I shot my first deer ever left handed. And for many years after that, it was the only time I had every shot left handed. I attempted to do it again last year as I had a buck come up on the right side of my blind while I was sitting in a camp chair. I couldn't spin around so I shifted the rifle but I think he heard or saw me and ran. This year I have a bucket with a rotating lid so I can spin around at will.

I guess it depends on the situation, If I thought I could move to take a right-handed shot, I would do it. If I thought I couldn't and couldn't wait until I could, I would take a left handed shot. With a scope, shooting with the opposite hand at close range isn't that hard.

Valentine

Everyone should know after they get up in a tree stand, how agile they are; how mobile they are; how much of the 360 degrees from the tree stand, they can actually use for a shot.
And getting the shot off timely, depends on how aware you stay of your situation. No one is perfect. And it's impossible to make comparisons.

If you weren't ready for a possible shot, you weren't ready. If you didn't know a shot was impossible for a certain position, you weren't ready.