Shoot or no?

D

DTP

Administrator
Jun 13, 2017
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You spotted this bedded bull from a few hundred yards out and were able to sneak as close as possible before running out of cover. You are at 27 yards with a bow, 78 yards with a muzzleloader, or 142 yards with a rifle. Regardless of your weapon of choice, you have the bull in your sights and are able to shoot at any point. However, a tree branch just snapped to the left of the bull, which has his attention now. Do you shoot? Why or why not?
 
Nope. Because I'm greedy?Curious? Not so good with the bird in the hand thing? Lol.
If this is early season when I generally hunt, there are still bachelor groups out and about and that noise could be another bull that I just might want to see. If this is the first day of the hunt, I am most likely passing on this bull anyway.  If this is the end of the hunt, different story. But this bull has no idea I'm there, so take a minute to see what else is making the racket and if it doesn't pan out, well this guy is in trouble.
 
All weapons-I?m gonna shoot.  That close with Archery and confidence in my equipment, ima gonna send 
 
I would wait for him to stand up with my bow. He would be a dead bull with either a muzzle loader or rifle.

Terry
 
With a bow I am waiting for the bigger bull to come in or this guy to stand up. I do not like the shot as presented. shooting behind that leg is getting in the questionable lung hit zone. I am not going there.

With a muzzy and knowing my equipment. I am going to let some smoke out  :-D
 
27?!  that is tough.  i think i am shooting. once he turns his head foward.
 
He'd have to be a sound sleeper for me to get as close as 178 yards unless I just accidentally stumble upon him while wander from place to place... No on foot of course.. :wink: :wink:
 
No way no how! From this angle, there?s no way to guarantee you?ll catch both lungs. Wait until he stands up and stretches, then drill him.
 
Bowhunter1 said:
With a bow I am waiting for the bigger bull to come in or this guy to stand up. I do not like the shot as presented. shooting behind that leg is getting in the questionable lung hit zone. I am not going there.

With a muzzy and knowing my equipment. I am going to let some smoke out  :-D
Click to expand...

Agree with both.  Need to wait for a bow shot, but with a rifle as soon as he turns his head, it's time to make it go boom.
 
i get it.
but isnt High lung a great option?  the lungs get punched and for lack of a better description, they fill with blood from a high hole and "drown" the animal?
 
That leg is back farther than I thought at first I'll wait...High lung can work but the farther you get from the heart and pulmonary arteries and veins your amount of trauma you can cause will drop off dramatically the farther away you get.
 
With archery no shot. They die from hemorrhagic shock, high lung shots my only cause small pneumo/hemothorax, i.e. not lethal to a large animal. As hunters with should choose the most lethal and ethical option. Even in that means leaving without punching a tag. Ive seen plenty of humans who've been shot high lung and have walked into the ER hours later. Big bulls are way tougher IMO.
 
I would like to say that I wouldn't take that shot with my bow.  I know that's the right answer.  Luckily I haven't been faced with the opportunity to take any ethically questionable shots.  I would hope that I'll be smart enough to hold out and wait for a shot I'm comfortable with, but I've also been around enough situations to see guys lose their minds and any ability to think rationally when you've got an animal in your sights.
 
No. I would wait until he stand up! Hopefully since the stick snapped off to the left. He would hopefully stand up facing to the left giving me a perfect broadside shot. But of course those are just my hopes and dreams most likely in reality he would just stand up and boogie and I would be left with my tag soup and wondering why the heck I didn?t shoot it sooner 🤦🏻‍♂️


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
chub25 said:
I would like to say that I wouldn't take that shot with my bow.  I know that's the right answer.  Luckily I haven't been faced with the opportunity to take any ethically questionable shots.  I would hope that I'll be smart enough to hold out and wait for a shot I'm comfortable with, but I've also been around enough situations to see guys lose their minds and any ability to think rationally when you've got an animal in your sights.
Click to expand...


Sounds to me like you know exactly what you would do...congrats! It's guys like you with a concience that I would only have in my hunting camp.
Know yourself, know your abilities as well as your limitations and honor the animal with a shot taken within that framework.
We all know that a picture is static and actual situations are dynamic and change by the second. If anyone ever questions the situation, wait, things change and have the skill set to put the odds in your favor.
 
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