Bad shots

[beachbunny]

i go for these afternoon hikes,build a fire,cook some water for coffee and glass a marsh.id been watching a 7ptr for a few days, got to know him.found him dead 20 yds off a trail with a horrible bow shot. its a qualifying hunt area, meaning shooter has to have tested skill.
just had another 8ptr walk by with a bad shoulder hit, he,ll live i know but got me wondering just how many critters die in a given season cause of lame shots.
i have bow hunted for half a century and culled for 20.
rhetorical post,just a rant i figure.
thats why i liked working in glacier,animals just did their thing

 

[BadEarth]

My neighbor told me he had seen a big bull at 80 yards and he shot just hoping to get an arrow in it, because of how good broadhead technology is it shouldn’t matter much

 

[49ereric]

I watch a couple of old guys with a crossbow trying to track a wounded deer during rifle season opener here last week. They started at dawn and ruined my morning but it was clear to me there was not enough blood to track but they kept at It finding a speck of blood @every 15 minutes until I left my stand.
probably more wounded deer by rifles though simply cuz more rifle hunters.

 

[Mtns2hunt]

Lack of shooting practice, nerves and excitement are probably big triggers in poor shooting. Precision shooters by which I mean guys that like to tinker and hand load are probably the best at taking game.

The ones that only hunt a couple weekends a year and seldom spend time at the range, if ever, are the worst.

I have also found that predators hunters are very good game getters. Probably because they spend so much time shooting small critters. Nothing can be more frustrating than putting in the time and energy to hunt and only wound an animal.

I shoot a lot, most do not, there will always be those out for a free ride without putting in the work. JMO.

 

[DenimChicken]

Even the best can make a bad shot. Animals can move, you can get a case of nerves, bad shooting position, etc. It’s all about doing as much as possible to try and prevent it beforehand. Thankfully I’ve never lost an animal but I’ve made a few subpar shots.

 

[Roadhunter69]

What is a qualifying hunt area? Is that in certain states or to gain access on private property? Never heard of it and am fascinated by it.


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[beachbunny]

What is a qualifying hunt area? Is that in certain states or to gain access on private property? Never heard of it and am fascinated by it.


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urban archery hunts, where the hunters have a strict set of rules to follow and have to demonstarte shooting skils

 

[Jpsmith1]

i go for these afternoon hikes,build a fire,cook some water for coffee and glass a marsh.id been watching a 7ptr for a few days, got to know him.found him dead 20 yds off a trail with a horrible bow shot. its a qualifying hunt area, meaning shooter has to have tested skill.
just had another 8ptr walk by with a bad shoulder hit, he,ll live i know but got me wondering just how many critters die in a given season cause of lame shots.
i have bow hunted for half a century and culled for 20.
rhetorical post,just a rant i figure.
thats why i liked working in glacier,animals just did their thing

Out of curiosity, what does the skills test look like?

I ask because I'm a pretty good archer. I can group inside of 8" at 80 yards. I shoot 3D regularly to practice aiming at something that doesn't have a "dot" to aim at and I practice shooting under stress and with an elevated heart rate.

I missed a buck at 27 yards last night.

Man, it's one thing to shoot foam or to shoot at a bag, it's a WORLD difference shooting at fur

 

[Rich M]

With a bow the animal has time to move at the shot.

Im deaf - used to bow hunt - got tired of em spooking to little noises i couldnt hear and jumping the string.

Could hit a nickel at 40 yds consistently but couldnt keep the deer from jumping the string.

Never met an archer who didnt have a big one that got away story.

 

[Steve300xcw]

probably more wounded deer by rifles though simply cuz more rifle hunters.

Interesting.

If one was to scroll through this forum. The amount of lost animals due to pointy sticks is quite a bit higher than rifle.

 

[49ereric]

Interesting.

If one was to scroll through this forum. The amount of lost animals due to pointy sticks is quite a bit higher than rifle.

i’ve seen more wounded deer from rifles than bows but it is debatable for certain.
popular around here to blame bow hunters for wounded deer but no one talks about wounded or dead deer from rifles. This year was the first I saw of tracking a lost deer to bow hunting but that could be cuz fewer bow hunters here.
different topic but I have found more dead deer in the woods from rifles.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Interesting.

If one was to scroll through this forum. The amount of lost animals due to pointy sticks is quite a bit higher than rifle.

I’ve found way more rifle killed dead animals than bow in Colorado. It’s not even close. That said, there are a lot more rifle hunters…