shooting on the exhale???
 

Although in warm weather it is next to impossible to do this, i've learned recently that if you shoot a deer (or any animal for that matter) while it is exhaling it will pass out and drop due to not having any oxygen in it's lungs and not being capable of breathing any in after it's hit. have you guys/gals ever heard of this??

RE: shooting on the exhale???
 

The only time ive heard of shooting on the exhale is for the person doing the shooting. exhale and hold its your stillest moment.

RE: shooting on the exhale???
 

yes, i realize this but it is also best to shoot a deer while it is exhaling. try it sometime.

RE: shooting on the exhale???
 

It does work I had a big doe bust me while I was aiming at her and she huffed at me about the time I shot and she dropped in her tracks , during field dressing I found that I had only hit her in one lung but she still dropped at the spot. So I try to shoot em on the exhale if possible. This doe was 170lbs dressed.

RE: shooting on the exhale???
 

at 150 yards away, how can you tell if they're on an exhale?? also, most shots Ive had, I didnt have time to watch and see for exhale, or inhale for that matter.

RE: shooting on the exhale???
 

I never heard of this, however if its cold outside and you can see there breathe then i would say that would be the time to trip the release or squeeze the trigger! I shoot when i exhale, thats how the Marines taught us.

RE: shooting on the exhale???
 

[quote]ORIGINAL: TURKEY FAN

Yep, right at the end of your exhale.;)

RE: shooting on the exhale???
 

well obviously at 150 yards it's going to be hard to tell and in warm weather forget about it. basically if it's cold outside (which 9 out of 10 seasons around here it is 20 degrees or lower) then you can see by their breath when they are exhaling. i shoot the majority of my deer at 75 yards or below because i hunt thick terrain in small openings. i'm just trying to make a point that if you can tell, then try to hit em' when they are exhaling, the results are unbelievable!!!

RE: shooting on the exhale???
 

Man, you guys are cooler (I mean in the patient, under control sense) than me! I'd have a hard time waiting and observing such subtle sign once I had the gun on target. My first thought is that if you're looking at the balance sheet of good things and bad things, the potential for bad because of the thing moving or spooking while you're waiting for that exhale far out weigh the good of a potentially quicker drop. Both are potential effects and I just don't see an over riding reason to wait, once you have a good shot.

RE: shooting on the exhale???
 

I've seen video of animals shot thru both lungs and even after they go down, some of them keep breathing. blowing fountains of blood into the air. I think it's just the luck of the draw. And I'd rather make sure I actually hit it where I intend to.

David

RE: shooting on the exhale???
 

yes, i've seen videos like that too, infact i've had personal experience seeing deer keep breathing after being shot in both lungs. that's my exact point.

This is how it works:

When a bullet hits the lungs while an animal is exhaling, all of the oxygen is being let out of the lungs. as the bullet passes through the lungs, it prevents the animal from inhaling anymore oxygen and causes the animal to instantly pass out. This is not an instant kill, it prevents the animal from suffering for one thing and it also prevents an animal from running after the hit. just because an animal is breathing doesn't mean it's not down for the count. i realize that it takes a lot of patience to be able to wait for the animal to exhale. and as far as "making sure" that you get a good shot, isn't this really the best way??? i think that any form of patience in harvesting an animal is a good thing.

RE: shooting on the exhale???
 

It's not true that there is no oxygen in the lungs on exhale. Yes, there is less, but the lungs never empty of air or oxygen, at least with normal breathing. Therefore I don't believe it's an absolute given that the deer will drop any quicker if shot on exhale than any other part of the breathing cycle. Although I remain skeptical, for the sake of arguement, I'll grant that it may TEND to drop a LITTLE faster, and TEND to have a greater percentage of dropping on the spot. But I don't believe it will be an absolute night and day difference with a shot taken at any other point of the breathing cycle. Any difference in the deer's response to the fatal wound will be marginal at best.

But I've never done it, so all of my opinion is theoretical, based on my knowledge of respiratory anatomy and physoilogy. - So the real question is: what is the field experience on this? Has it been done by reliable experts so many times that they can say that it works a LOT better than just shooting it? Does it work ALL THE TIME? I remain skeptical but will be interested to be proven wrong.

I stick to my point: Assuming you have a GOOD SIGHT on the animal and a good shot set up (notice I'm not talking about not being patient - patience and making a good shot is absolutely a given), I believe your best bet is to shoot when you're ready. I believe the benefit of "shooting on the exhale" if there is indeed any benefit, is counteracted by too many chances that the deer will startle (from yourself or something else), will move and/or run off. Also, the longer you try to hold a good aim, the more chance something will cause you to become unsteady. Just one example is your own breathing, or lack of breathing. Other examples are a breeze coming on and moving your stand or a branch moving into the path of your bullet or arrow - you can think of many others, I'm sure.

I think it's best to carefully set up a good shot and take it at the point you're confident you're on the kill zone. Waiting for exhale has more POTENTIAL risk than POTENTIAL benefit, imho.

RE: shooting on the exhale???
 

I have never heard of this. To me, if I put an arrow or my bullet thru both lungs, it ain't gonna matter much if that deer was taking in air or letting it out.

RE: shooting on the exhale???
 

the only time i seen deer drop on its tracks is with neck shots or head shots which i personally dont like.....try to shoot for the neck some time