Dead Deer Walking

[onewhohasfun]

Just wondering how many of you guys and gals try and stop a moving deer before shooting. I have never tried to stop one, as I prefer to shoot them on the walk, as they seem a little preoccupied and less likely to jump the string. On most of the videos I've seen when stopping the deer (grunt, whistle, sing the star spangled banner) said deer will look right at the shooter. Dont think I would want to shoot a critter that knew I was there. Seems to add to the experience that they know nothing until that arrow touches them. What do YOU think?

[John3]

I agee.. If it is a slow walk I don't try to stop them..

[Doug S]

Have stopped some but prefer the walk shot as well.

[Otto]

Where I hunt we have this dreaded stuff called Asian Honeysuckle.  At 7 yds there's no such thing as a wide open shot.  All kinds of little limbs and branches in the way.  If they're moving, I try to stop em in a hole to shoot through.

[leatherneck]

I'm with ya Otto. Too thick in these parts as well. If I have to, I'll stop them with a mouth grunt. Only after I'm at full draw. Then it's too late for them. Then I "Snufferize" them!!!

[Onehair]

I like the walking shot as it improves my odds. The deer could stumble into my line of fire.

[Roy Steele]

I always use a sent bottle,dip a Qtip in some deer pee a little fox urine.In that certin spot.Works like a charm use the correct sent and you may even pull that deer into your shooting lane.I always try to put it into a bottle of some kind so I can take it when I leave.

[KSdan]

slowly walking. . . 20 years of trad hunting, never had a deer jump the string that I can tell.

[Curtiss Cardinal]

I've done both, stopped them with a whistle and made the shot at the slowly walking deer. Hold low if you whistle as they will likely jump the string if you don't drop the string right at the end of the soft little whistle.
I've also used scent to stop them in a shooting lane.I use a smear of peanut butter on a limb over 5' off the ground, distraction, curiosity, aggrevation when they have trouble reaching it.

[Mo. Huntin]

I am glad you brought this up I had not really considered the ducking the string thing since I switched to trad.  I wonder how much you would have to lead a deer that was walking slowly at 20 yards. Might be something to practice on the old rolling 3D target.  Thanks

[Tom Leemans]

I prefer to just let them be, but I have stopped a buck that was chasing a doe. I blew at him and he slammed on the brakes and looked around. A second later, he was bleeding...a lot! Now had he been walking slowly and I blew at him like that, I'm sure he would have known where it came from.

[James Wrenn]

Just depends on how they are acting.A lone deer I don't stop unless I have to to get a shot.If I see there is not going to be a shot I try and stop them and hope for the best.If they look wired and real alert I don't even bother.If more than one moving through together it seems stopping them works fine.

[Don Stokes]

Otto, if that "Asian honeysuckle" is the same as our Japanese honeysuckle, you're blessed. It's great high-protein deer browse, and provides cover too. Fertilize a patch and it's as good as a food plot.

I try not to take a shot on a deer that's been alerted, for any reason. I might try to stop a rutting buck on the run, but not a walking deer. When they're on edge, it's really hard to make a killing shot. When they're walking, they don't hear the bow as easily, and they have to reposition themselves a bit to jump, which give me a slight advantage. I'll take any help I can get!

[trapperDave]

I stop em. works for me. IME, they dont usually know where the sound came from exactly.

[Herdbull]

It depends on how close the animal is. A lot of guys using compound bows will come to full draw and then try to stop the deer. A lot of times ithe deer will stop and turn to look directly at the hunter on high alert. This is a tough shot with trad gear when drawing and shooting become fluid.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

It really depends on the situation.

[Brian Krebs]

C2- you put peanut butter on a branch 5 inches off the ground; and the deer can't reach it ?  Peromyscus maniculatus ???   LOL    

[Guru]

my experience mirrors Mike's(herdbull)....

[Otto]

Don

I wish Asian Honeysuckle was of any value at all.  It's not.  It starts out as a small sprout and in a few years will have a trunk as big around as your forearm, be 25 feet tall and crowd out anything else.  Underneath the forest floor will be absolutely barren of any other plant.  It has a red seed that gets eaten by every bird in the forest, yet it has no nutritional value and it gets passed through virtually whole.  It drops to the forest floor and germinates and the cycle repeats.  Honestly there are woods in Ohio where the stuff is so blasted thick that it is impossible to even walk through the woods.  It is nasty nasty stuff.

Kind of the "Kudzoo of the North".

[FrozenFew]

Well I mouth grunted a real beauty on a solid moving walk at 23 yards and stopped dead in his tracks he watched me finish my draw and made me look foolish as he jumped it clean and was already starting his turn to head out, the arrow went over his back and under his chin luckily!!  Ever since I have  put a scent bottle right where I plan to do my shooting, also I carry a small squirt bottle of scent in my pocket and carry a arrow with a small piece of moleskin at the nockend so I can make quick adjustment especially from a tree. dab some on moleskin and send the arrow where I want the deer to stop.  This trick is also handy if you are hunting from a tree and get a wind shift which changes the situation.  I've only used this trick successfully so far to try and steer does away from my wind and its a clever little trick to have in your bag.