ok shooters..share your technique for a walking deer

[Ben Woodring]

Do we want to stop the deer before the shot, or let them amble along with no reason to be on alert and take the shot?  I've shot a few that way under 20 yards with good results.  However last night I took a shot a bit longer than that and ended up in the femoral artery.  I'm very lucky to have killed the animal.  My question is did my arrow really take that long to get there with the deer walking to be 18" behind the goodies or did I just miss?

[vermonster13]

The deer can easily move that far, especially when shooting over twenty five yards.

[longbowben]

Grunt softly with your mouth.

[mark land]

I always bleat to stop a deer no matter what the range, but of course the grunt I used to try and stop the 140" 9pt in IL a few weeks ago did not work very well and actually sped him up, but better to not take a shot then risk shooting a moving animal.  Mark

[madness522]

I like to softly mew to get them to stop. Or whistle softly.  either way do it softly to get their attention but not loud enough to give yourself away.

[wtpops]

How long is a bit longer. If say 5 more yards and deer was not alert and did not take off at sound of shot then you just missed. But with that said wee all know how fast deer can react and move!

[Ben Woodring]

I'm a little embarrassed to say, I preach not to shoot over 25, I plain didn't realize how far this deer was out.  40 steps from the tree I was in, elevation was perfect, that computer we have on our shoulders is amazing, I just went on auto pilot, drilled a hole with my eyes and let it go.  Neither the deer or I knew he was hit..walked off and tipped over.

I just got to thinking..if a walking deer moves a step and a half at 40 yds. then he's moving 8 inches or so at 20 yds....maybe I need to start trying to stop them.

[vermonster13]

OL has posted the numbers a deer moves in a single step in the time it takes for a trad arrow to reach in a thread here somewhere. I do remember it was close to 18" at 30 yards on average.

[Onestringer]

Whistle, mouth grunt, or I have had to yell at some bucks that are really on the move.

[ChuckC]

18" to the back end of the "goodies".  On a nice buck even more than that if you are aiming above the elbow.   Yes they move that much and they can change direction or speed.  Ever get to thinking how long your arrow is airborne for 40 yards ?   I have seen javelina, shot at from less than 15 yards, be totally to the other side of the sendero before the arrow hit.. where they used to be.
ChuckC

[Fritz]

I have enough problems trying to hit them where I want when they are still.  I personally wouldn't try shooting one when walking.  I usually mouth bleat real soft to get them to stop.

[bawana bowman]

I shot at an 8 point back in 1987, he was chasing a group of does and moving along at a little slower  than a trot. He was about 28 yards out and in an open field.
Just to let you know back then I practiced by shooting at 2" orange rifle dots, and did this daily. I could consistently hit these dots and milk jug caps out to 35 yards. Enough said.
I figured the shot on this buck was in the bag. I lead him by an entire body length and released. If he hadn't flipped his tail that arrow would probably have cut it off! I had no idea it would cover that much distance in such a short time span.
Two weeks later I shot a doe from the same stand at 37 yards walking from a marsh pond to a scrub oak patch. Lead her by a body length, released, and she kept walking. Thought I had missed . She made it to the scrub oaks jumped in and collapsed. I went to retrieve her and found that she was double lunged low just behind the heart.
After these experiences I have tried to stop them just before releasing. A grunt will normally work, although sometimes they just pick up their pace. It really all depends on how they feel.  

[ChuckC]

bwana,  was that orange dot walking ?

Shooting at moving targets is not something I am good at and I tend not to try it.  I am a failure... sorry.  
ChuckC  

[eidsvolling]

A deer moving at 2 mph (a slow walk) moves ((5280 x 2)/60)/60 = 2.93 feet per second.  An arrow leaving a bow at 175 feet per second takes (20 x 3)/175 = .34 seconds to cover twenty yards, IF it maintains that speed throughout its flight.  
Assume that you have perfect flight and that you take absolutely no time in deciding to release and then actually releasing.  The deer will have still moved 2.93 x .34 = .9962 foot while the arrow was moving.  Nobody takes zero time in deciding to release and in releasing.  And I suspect that few arrows maintain 175 fps all the way to the deer over twenty yards.  
So, you're probably off your aiming point by a foot or more if the deer is moving and you haven't led properly for the shot.
Yeah, I'll be grunting if the question arises.

[Jerry Jeffer]

Can't say I never took a walking shot. Took my biggest buck that way. However it isn't a very good shot. Too many things can go wrong. I have to feel pretty confident for that one.

[Ben Woodring]

I don' want to ruffle feathers but their is a trade off, a deer walking is not "on alert" which in my experience is when they do that blow up in a quarter second thing.  I think I will continue to take a walking shot under 20 yds...that lead is manageable. Eidsvolling great explanation!  Over 20..I don't have the skill to do it.

We could get into a discussion about shooting at a spot in front of the animal...taking a lead maintaining said lead and releasing or come in from the back of the target, move through the target and release...I think a moving target to experiment on is in my future.

[Doc Nock]

GREAT thread! I saw all the videos the Primos boys did where they bleat or even yell or whistle to stop them: Word of caution. Keep it soft.  

I had a situation years back.. on stand all day, not talked to anyone for 9 hrs...and along comes a beautiful big based 8pt...local hero deer.

It was walking slowly...really plodding up hill. 12 yards from my tree... I decided to "bleat" softly...  

Having not said a word aloud for that many hours, it came out a bit loud and even startled me...that ole boy froze with his legs kinda splayed in mid stride..when I dumped the string, I swear his brisket made a 2" deep dent in the dirt! I watched my feathers fold up as they barely creased his back..never cut a hair!

On another occassion, having practiced shooting at slow moving targets for the year, I dumped one at 12 yards and it was a perfect hit and a dead deer immediately.

I've varied the situation using the stop method if they're moving too fast or farther out...but indeed...they're on a "quiet alert" when they hear a sound and stop... aim lower.    They tend to drop when the bow's released.

[Plug]

I've never had any problem shooting slow walking deer by swinging with the deer and making an instictive lead.  It's not hard and as has been said, a relaxed, walking deer does not jump the string.

[SteveB]

Its easier to time the shot by running along side of them.

Steve

[Walt Francis]

I do not like to alert a deer of my presence in side of twenty yards, so I just pick a spot and let the computer between the ears figure the lead.  I rarely shoot farther then twenty yards at an animal with my selfbows, so they have to be stopped and totally relaxed for me to extend beyond that range.