Big Buck Contest

[sdstroker]

"Cool" from an ignorant perspective.   Accidents do happen, I can reason with the idea sometimes.  But judging from the photo and entry wound, the deer would have to be standing almost directly below the tree stand.  What kind of "vital" area does that expose, at least ones they teach in bow hunter education courses?  Pretty risky, especially from that angle.  Why would you want to teach that to some of the young impressional minds that visit these sights.  Bad shot.....period.....and not one I would be bragging about accident or not!

[gunner]

I didn't see anybody bragging about it.  It was turned into a taxidermist and he was just showing some of his work.

[sdstroker]

He could have showed a more appropriate example of a european mount, like ones in the background of his pics.  I could respect that more.

[stumper]

For the most part I agree with your post Stroker,but I do disagree that it could have been accidental. I unfortunatly have had this happen to me a couple yrs ago. Gunner is 100% correct in that deer can and will "jump" the string. I have seen MANY videos of deer dropping below the shot at the sound of the bow. I have also seen deer spin  with their head down which is how I shot mine in the forhead.Definetly wasnt proud of it and actually considered my tag filled for the yr. I found out later he was seen the following year with part of the arrow still sticking out of his head just above his eye. Which amazes me since I figured he would have rubbed it and eiter fishished himself off or broke it off.Anyways,not proud of it,but it does happen.I myself am capable of shooting the eye on a target at 20 yds no problem and would NEVER consider takeing that shot no matter how close he is.To much chance of movment on a target that small.

[icefishin]

Hey Tyler, that is a sweet lookin blue goose mount in the one pic! May have to bring one of those into ya if i get a good one this spring.

[Slip Bobber]

Good work Tyler....some nice looking mounts.

Has your buddy (skull shot) taken any bowhunter education courses?  That was not a very responsible or ethical shot placement to say the least.

Please explain to me why it wasn't good shot placement, responsible or ethical? I really don't understand but then I've never bow hunted. Seems to me the deer would have felt nothing and just crumpled. From a firearms viewpoint it doesn't get any better than that. Particularly if you don't care about having it mounted.

Not being my usual smartass self either, I truly don't understand why it was a bad thing.

A broadside deer represents the best bow shot because it requires the least amount of penetration to reach the vital organs. The broadside shot is the best angle for accomplishing a heart or double lung hit, resulting in the collapse of both lungs.  The head shot is a non ethical shot due primarily to the liability involved.  The skull is heavily boned, a smaller target, and even considering penetration with an arrow- the results will be unknown - and highly risky.

As mentioned by several others here - ethics and sportsman like conduct are of the utmost importance to our sport.  Archers in particular should be highly aware of what an ethical shot is and is not. 

For further information regarding shot placement:

http://www.huntingnet.com/articles/hunting-shot-placement.aspx

[sdstroker]

Well said and nice link!

[fishnuts]

Thanks slip bobber!

I made this link a favorite. We hunt and fish alot with young kids. The articles and the pictures on this site will be a guide to these young guys for a life time. If you don't teach our youth hunters/fisherman ethics and conservation we lose our sport as we know it today.

Great site!

 

[TLA]

Lol, I agree, most people can't hit the broadside of a barn whether it be bow or firearm. Other than that I've always shot for the easiest kill on everything. Seems to me that a good head shot would be more merciful than a lung shot where the deer can still run for miles.

To me the shot taken depends more on the ability of the hunter to hit his target consistantly. As someone stated before the brain is a vital organ and thus a valid target. It is a legal shot so then it boils down to a matter of personal ethics just like keeping 10# walleyes does.

Heh, all the people that bitch about an arrow sticking out of an animal would be bitching one hell of a lot more if they could acually see the number of deer wounded by firearms. If every shot left a big circle of blaze orange on a deer there'd be one hell of a lot of deer running around with blaze orange spots. Arrows are a ton more noticable than a small gunshot hole.

One thing I hope kids learn here at this site is that "Legal isn't always ethical and ethical isn't always legal". Probably to advanced a concept for most kids but one they need to learn and understand.

As for out sport as we know it today. Our sport is not as we knew it 50 years ago and in another 50 most of us wouldn't recognize it. Everything changes. Somne aspects will be better, some will be worse.

While the primary body shot may be the overall best it's not the only kill shot.