Stopping a Deer

[RedRidge]

Gang, looking for some perspective on whether not you make a sound to stop a deer thats entering a shooting lane. I had a nice buck already tending some does as he walked through my shooting lane this weekend. I decided not to make any noises. Long story short he moved to my next shooting lane which was at my comfort limit on range. My arrow deflected off a branch for those wandering  . When he entered my first lane I had him at 13 yards. I was in a treestand about 18'. Would you have stopped him? Any experiences you all have had in this kind of scenario? Awesome weekend in the woods nonetheless.

[Possum Head]

I usually draw and lockem up

[pavan]

A couple of years ago there was a very very large 12 pointer in the area i hunt.  i saw him across an alfalfa field.  i did a little sexy doe grunt on my deer call.  That big boy could really run, he must have been gay, because he was running straight away from me.  Another one, I heard a deer snort  from about 200 yards away and then a young woman ripping her husband a new one.  Apparently he whistled to get a doe to stop, instead it dang near plowed over his wife getting away.  In some over hunted areas deer are spooky and ready run from anything.

[Chain2]

Where I hunt it’s thick, ugly stuff. I’ve got pretty good at a grunt with my mouth but you have to be ready to rock and roll as soon as you do it because they are close. It doesn’t have to be pitch perfect but if you want them to stop in bow range it needs to be quick and curt if you will. But they zero in on you quick. I’ve done it while drawing. Good Luck.

[dnovo]

I prefer to stop them if I can. I’ve never had one that spooked before I could shoot. I have had several I couldn’t get to stop even at a ridiculously close range. I shot them walking.

[goingoldskool]

I try to stop them just as I'm getting to anchor...  sometimes it works, sometime it doesn't.  Depends on the deer's disposition,  as well.

Good luck,  shoot straight and God bless,
Rodd

[GCook]

I prefer them stopped.  I will grunt or bleat.  Normally it works.  Some will bust out.  Depends on if that trick has been tried on them before maybe?

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[OkKeith]

The age old question... to bleat or not to bleat!

I have done it and sometimes it works. EVERY time I have done it the deer looked straight at me. If they know where you are, they know which way to bolt. We have already established that deer can move quicker than we can get an arrow from us to them (do a search here on TradGang for "ducking the arrow", get a full cup of coffee first. You are gonna be a while). I know in my modern brain that a deer standing still is preferred. I also know in my modern brain the whole "arrow is slower than the deer" argument. The problem I have is that at the last moment when it looks like a good shot at a standing deer might not happen my cave man brain takes over thinking... "Meat escaping! Do sumpting fast!" and I try it. Like I said, sometimes it works, but every time the deer busts me and has a head start on bailing out, fast.

One of these days maybe I can conquer my inner cave man and let a walking deer just walk away. What I never want to happen is for my attempt to get the deer to stop compromise a good, clean shot.

OkKeith

[Tom1958]

Im from the Uncle Barry camp...shoot em while they are walking, but only close shots and slow walking.

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[Mark R]

If there moving to fast for me and there close I've made a bleat sound but it's a toss up when it works, when it works great when it does'nt no big deal, I'd rather shoot at a calm unaware animal, and if I do bleat I better be ready to shoot, chances are they won't be around and unaware anymore after.

[jonsimoneau]

I don’t stop them. They are more likely to jump the string as they are now listening for sound. I prefer to shoot them walking. I only do it on deer 15 yards or less and on a slow walk. If I have to stop them I will but you have to be able to read his body language to determine his level of awareness or he will jump the string and does even more so.

[KAZ]

I don’t stop them. They are more likely to jump the string as they are now listening for sound. I prefer to shoot them walking. I only do it on deer 15 yards or less and on a slow walk. If I have to stop them I will but you have to be able to read his body language to determine his level of awareness or he will jump the string and does even more so.

x2

[Overspined]

Let em keep walking. Shoot or pass based on distance and circumstances. Especially later in the season.

[RedRidge]

Thanks for all the feedback. Trust me it was super hard to pass on the close shot, but I thought he was moving too fast. Hindsight I shouldn't have taken the second opportunity, but I learned a lot in this encounter.

 I practiced some tonight with making a noise before shooting. Harder than it sounds when your anchor is deep into your face haha. Definitely something worth practicing.

[KentuckyWolf]

Learned along time ago to never try to “stop” deer. People that “stop” deer by mouth grunting or whistling, like they do on the “outhouse “ channel, must be hunting a completely different species of white-tailed deer. Try that foolishness with any deer I have ever been around an 99.9999% of the time they will turn themselves inside out and be showing you nothing but tails flagging as they run off at 100mph to the next county, and will do so faster than you imagine.

[GCook]

I think a lot of it has to do with the amount of hunting pressure they have.  I seldom have one bolt or peg me in Texas or bbn our place in Missouri.

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[Tom1958]

Learned along time ago to never try to “stop” deer. People that “stop” deer by mouth grunting or whistling, like they do on the “outhouse “ channel, must be hunting a completely different species of white-tailed deer. Try that foolishness with any deer I have ever been around an 99.9999% of the time they will turn themselves inside out and be showing you nothing but tails flagging as they run off at 100mph to the next county, and will do so faster than you imagine.

The 1st time I tried to stop a deer was a 140 class buck in Ohio 15 years ago. He locked eyes on me and bolted faster than the blink of an eye.
I never stopped a deer again.

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[Bisch]

I wait for them to stop on their own. If they don’t stop on their own, they don’t get shot at that day!

Bisch

[soap creek]

I've only tried stopping them one time. Then I waited till the buck started to walk again before I shot. I don't want them to know I'm there. I keep my shots under 20yrds preferably 15yrds.

[Gun]

I’ve done it both ways. When they used to come to rattling I’ve had to stop them. Sometimes they would come on a run. I just do a deep burp w my voice. I set up for close shots. I do prefer walking tho.