was this the right thing to do
 

my g/f' s brother went out on state land last night and just before dark, a doe and an 8pt came running threw wide open, and he' s hunting with a slug gun he said it was about 30-40 yds out or more,he shot but he must of just grazed it or wounded it b/c they couldnt find the animal, i said you shouldnt have shot since it was wasnt a clean shot, which could put the animal down within 20-30 yards, i just wanted to know whether you would take a shot at something that was really movin right along, which may not provide quick clean results. i really think it was irresponsible

RE: was this the right thing to do
 

Irresponsible, hmmm, that is a tough one for me. If you can' t make the shot, it is, if you can, it isn' t. But everyone who has shot a running deer has to have a first time. I do alot of drives when I hunt back in Wisconsin, and have shot a fair amount of deer on the run. I know the shots I can make, and the ones that I hold off on.

RE: was this the right thing to do
 

Before I throw in my opinion, I have to say that I' ve never been deer hunting. My family doesn' t hunt too much, so I' m learning the ropes on my own (and with help from the nice folks here in the forum).

However, my belief is to wait until you have a perfect shot. We all have different skill levels, so that perfect shot might vary from hunter to hunter. But I dare say that for most, a running deer is not an good target. The least we can do for these noble creatures and for the sport is to make a clean kill.

I think often about how I' ll hold up next season when/if that first buck appears and I start to get the fever. But I believe that if I study and practice hard through the year, I' ll stay true to form and wait until the moment is just right. I love to just sit and soak up the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors. If I need to wait another year to get that buck, that' s OK with me. It' s the entire outdoor experience that makes it worthwhile. The trophy is just the icing on the cake.

I' m anxious to hear what you experienced hunters think about that topic!

RE: was this the right thing to do
 

IMO if there was even the least bit of doubt about it being a good shot opportunity, It SHOULD NOT have been taken.... we owe it to ourselves to our prey(the deer) and to every hunter out there to insure a clean shot/kill.
I know if i were the prey and some fast fingered buck took a pot shot at me as i was running just injuring me, possibly leading to a long painful infected miserable death, I' d be pissed:D but if the same buck knew he could make that shot no question,and he thumped me cold and killed me clean I' d be a happy camper albeit a dead one but happy!;)
You did the right thing its up to us to educate the hunters who make the rest of us and the sport look bad and inhumane!

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: was this the right thing to do
 

I think it would depend on the situation and also the ability of the hunter. If he was sure that the buck was an 8 pt, there must have been enough light in the woods and time to determine this. Therefore I would not consider him a poacher, it was most likely still during legal shooting times. (It gets alot darker in the woods than an open field with a scope). Also the main factor whether to shoot or not is his ability to shoot a moving target. I know if I was in the (legal) situation, I would have definately shot at a running deer. I feel confident in the amount of practice I have put in over the past that I can put a lethal shot on a running animal. It all depends on the hunter.

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: was this the right thing to do
 

he' s like 16, i dont think he' s got much practice shooting moving targets, im still p.o. about it, and i keep telling him that bucks dead somewhere' s becuase you were irresponsible and couldnt put a good kill shot on it, a 1oz slub at 40yds or so with a lung/heart shot shoulda put the deer down pretty quick i think, they looked last night, this morning and tonight and no deer, he' s lucky he' s not my offspring b/c he' d be done hunting for the year or longer

p.s. he tells me there was some deer on top of a hill when they were leaving the woods tonight and he lifted his gun up to see if it they had horns, irresponble again, another person coulda have been just beyond the deer, argg friggin kid
i mean im only 18 and have hunted less then him but i seem to have better ethics, wait for the right shot, practice practice practice, what' s beyond the target, etc. like he just screwed around and slept in H.E. class

RE: was this the right thing to do
 

Pse, i dont want this to sound off in any way, but like stated above in other respones its up to the hunter on weather or not to shoot, maybe he honestly thought he could have made the shot, in this case he messed up and didnt, but then again it might have been like you said and he just was being carelss,trigger happy over the buck, Im not sure, but if was me i wouldnt have shot if he was cooking right along. just b/c im not overly graet at really quick moving targets.

RE: was this the right thing to do
 

i think that he needs to know what his shooting ablities are, i try not to take running shots but at the antelope i shot this year i had to.it all happens so fast sometimes and you dont tend to think about all of that. and about him raising his gun to look at the deer on the ridge, was he actually going to shoot? did he have some binocs w/ him? if he didnt and he wasnt planning on shooting than i dont exactly see what the problem is?thats just me but ya.i can see both sides of the story here because ive been in both boats.

RE: was this the right thing to do
 

As said, it' s up to the individual hunters ability. Many people can barley hit a standing target, but many others can hit one running with one hand. It' s all what you practice. Most, and I mean the vast majority of hunters do not practice shooting enough. I shoot all year long, but then, I am a gun nut.

RE: was this the right thing to do
 

Amen, A5Mag12. One has to love not only the hunt, but also the tools of the hunt, in order succeed more often than not.

RE: was this the right thing to do
 

I wouldn' t think about it too much unless it becomes a habit. I don' t know his situation or how many deer he has harvested, but I' m sure we have all taken shots that we' re not proud of when we first started humting. I took two stupid shots at deer when I was younger before realizing the importance of a clean shot. I' ve only lost one deer in my life and I attribute that to waiting for just the right shot.

RE: was this the right thing to do
 

a 30-40 yds running shot should not be that difficult of a shot to make for many people to make. He didn' t make the shot but I don' t feel you can jump all over him for taking it.

RE: was this the right thing to do
 

maybe, but i know he tends to show off and act stupid, i just hope next time a shot like this presents itself to him, he' ll think about this experience and say ahh i didnt do to well on the last one better wait for a better shot

RE: was this the right thing to do
 

ive killed alot of deer running, i would take the shot

RE: was this the right thing to do
 

I wouldn' t hesitate a bit in the same situtiation.

Use it a learning experience and show/teach him how to make the shot instead of bashing his head in. He' s only 16 for Christ sakes.

RE: was this the right thing to do
 

I would have shot. I have shot a few while running. I have also seen a lot of guys shoot at standing deer and they lost those deer. So.....does that mean that it was irresponsible to shoot at standing deer?
Lay off the kid, give him a break. If he' s 16, how many of you never made a mistake when you were 16?

RE: was this the right thing to do
 

I personally don' t believe in shooting at a running deer. It' s just too hard to place a shot where it needs to be. You can always tell when someone is shooting at a running deer because they shoot 4 or 5 times in short succession. Just burns me up when I hear all those gunshots, knowing that whoever is doing the shooting is probably going to just wound the deer instead of put it down... [:' (]

Just my opinion, but I never shoot a deer when it' s running. Heck, I never shoot it when it' s just walking. I always whistle and make it stop before I shoot...

Thunder