head on shots

[Curtiss Cardinal]

No offense tim roberts but this is like the arguements for political correctness.
We, as a group, don't do enough to promote ourselves and our past time in the eyes of the none hunting members of our society. The anti hunting monority speand millions and gets people out there to protest and write letters to senators and reps and govenors and mayors and just anyone they can think of. We just make up rules for ourselves so we won't "look bad" to them. Just the fact that we kill things is all they have to see to see us in a bad light.
I think it's too little too late. I said there were tight constraints on when I would take the shot, just like any shot on any animal, Those tight constraints on exactly when I would take the shot are ALL the ethics I need. My knowing that it's only when EVERYTHING is perfect for the shot,that I take it. So let's say it is a 1% of the time shot. That 1% situation has little likelihood of happening but if it does I will be ready to take advantahe of it. By the way you shoot to sever the aorta and vena cava at the top of the heart. A 1.5 inch margin of error. Like I said 1%. I guess all I am saying is that I don't believe it's a never take shot.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

On a perfectly healthy big game animal, I'd never consider it. I rank head-on as a notch below straight down between the shoulder blades -- not for me. When trying to finish off a wounded animal though, all bets are off.

[RC]

Deer and big hogs broadside only , Turkeys any way I can get them and small pigs the same. If I get to hunt western or northern critters they would be broadside. but then again the small pigs...

 

[tradtusker]

wow i was suprised to see too shorts answer, a bit full on!

[Curtiss Cardinal]

let me be sure I'm clear I am not talking about head shots with trad bows. I'm talking about hitting a apricot sized target from the ground at ten yards or less with a bow over 50# in draw weight and an arrow at least 12 grains per pound And a big heavy Snuffer or Landshark up front so sharp it would make aged cheddar shed tears of envy.

[dorris]

I believe that 1 percent is so small of a chance to get that i wouldnt even attempt to judge weather it was it or the other 99% it isnt a very good judge of character to take a front on shot to many things can go the wrong way  to quickly.

too short I beleieve you have over reacted a little . this guy asked a question for a answer of weather its a good judgement . now why would that make you need to puke? get real my freind and i am not trying to stir up a argument I am just stateing what i believe is why alot of bad situations get started because of over reactions .

[Danny Rowan]

Me thinks Paul is just funnin a little.However, not a shot I would take.

Danny

[John 4]

The first deer I ever shot with a bow was dead on at 15 yards.
I already knew I could split a deers brisket with a knife,with ease.
So I shot her straight through the top of the brisket.
The arrow stopped at the fletches and took out both lungs and the liver.
She went about 30 yards and I'd take the same shot again if it's ever presented.
All the cheap insults in the world won't alter the fact that the brisket won't even come close to stopping an arrow.
Fact is I've gotten worse penetration shooting an old boar through the sheild but nobody gets all "ethical" over that.

[Bonebuster]

As we all know, the path to wounded and not recovered animals starts with low percentage shots. Head on is low percentage no matter how you say it.

Consider yourself lucky if you have gotten away with it. If you have never done it when the opportunity presented itself, I applaud you.

[Pete Patterson]

"ok now .......... double lunged with a head on shot???????"

The arrow entered to the right of the sternum (elk's left chest side) between the sternum and shoulder and the elk was angled enough that the arrow crossed to the opposite side of the vitals (elks right side).  That's how both lungs were hit.

[tim roberts]

C2,
It seems that far to often in the hunting community we as hunters get a tag, and we feel that we are owed an animal because we bought a tag.
Hypathecal situtation:  
You make this shot, someone else comes along and sees this and they try it, and it goes south,  The animal lives and is recovered by a gun hunter a few weeks later with an arrow in it. Your actions led to a bad situtation for bowhunting.  Now while you didn't force this other person to take the shot, the fact that you did it shored up his confidence into making him think it was an easier shot than it really is.  
If it is a shot that you are going to take I guess the responsible thing would be not to talk about it.  If you were to talk about it, do so in a manner that would steer others away from doing it themselves.  
One last thing, Fred Bear, and others who led the way for us to do this took a lot of shots and made a lot of shots that are considered low percentage shots.  Those were the learning days of bowhunting.  While we all need to learn lets try to learn from the mistakes and successes of others rather than repeating the mistakes and making it harder for our kids to be bowhunters.

[John Scifres]

The only time I take head-on shots is on tame P&Y wolves and only with mechanical broadheads from my 35# recurve and only while wearing my super stealthy Scent Lok camo and only at 40 yards or more and that's only because I have sight pins and use a release and hunt only behind a high fence over bait using dogs.

[Jerry Jeffer]

I have taken that shot, and have taken home the deer.  There have been many who have lost deer from broad side shots, 1/4 shots, you name it. Any one can make a bad shot. If I think I can put game down quick with my shot, I will take it.

[MI_Bowhunter]

Each hunter has to make decision that he/she can live with.  For every shot we take we have to ask ourselves if the reward is worth the risk.  No shot is a guarantee, but I just prefer to keep the odds in my favor.

I can't personally justify the risk vs. reward for a front on shot or a head shot.  If thats the only shot I have then I'd let the deer walk.

I will only take broadside and quartering away shots; I'll pass on all others.   This has caused me to pass on a lot of deer that some others might not have but thats the decision I have made and the one that I am comfortible with.

[Ray Hammond]

C2- just so you know Ed Ashby shoots CADAVERS. He doesn't take odd angled shots at live critters.

[8th Dwarf]

To set the record straight, I have NEVER taken a front on shot.  On the video, ARCHERY ELK, THE DREAM HUNT, I shot a bull in FRONT of the near front leg.  The bull was standing on a hill side, quartering towards me.  His near front leg was extended all the way back to his rear hoof.  I had the entire lung/heart area wide open at about 15 yards.  The target area was probably 20 inches long, by 12" up and down.  This is the same as waiting for the near leg to go forward to expose more lung area.

TRUST ME...this was NOT a front on shot.  I might add that I have never taken this shot before that or since that time.  It was an oddity in that it exposed as much rib cage/lung area as a normal broadside shot.

Enough said?

Too Short

[Deadsmple]

I personally have not taken this shot yet, but I'm with C2 on this. I don't believe this is a "never take shot"
Yes this is definitely a very low percentage shot at a mature Whitetail.
I can however imagine a situation in which I would take the shot. Would I take it at a P&Y or B&C? No! But if I was heading down the trail and I came across a fawn coming towards me at 15 yds? Yes! And I'll be happy for that little bit of meat.  
I think this shot really depends on the individual and the circumstance. For me, it would be a little fawn in the above described situation. A 5-6 month old fawn is not going anywhere after a 700+ gr arrow passes through its chest.

[8th Dwarf]

And yes, I can tone down a wee bit.  Play this one by the odds then...

The animal is looking at you.  I mean, that animal is WATCHING you!  BAD time to release an arrow to begin with, as that animal can move so much faster than your arrow that a miss or a wounding shot is almost guaranteed.

The target size is extremely small.  Are you that good, that you can hit an apple EVERY time at 15 yards?  How about if the apple moves quickly as you release?

The brisket is NOT easly penetrated!!!  Because from the front it is shaped like a triangle pointed TOWARDS you, it is very likely that the arrow will skid on the ribs and go between the brisket and the front leg...a wounded animal that will have some serious problems if the arrow does not exit his body.

My purpose in my original reply to this thread was to SHOCK!  I was shocked to see the question asked, but I do tend to forget that new bowhunters are coming up all the time and do not have all the answers.  The only stupid question is the one you are afraid to ask!  For the record, I have been bowhunting for fifty years as of this fall and I learn something EVERY day!

Now it is true that Smiling Chuckie wrote an entire article about shooting deer in the head...that is in the HEAD!  Aye-yii-yii!  

Too Short

[GR]

Paul, thanks this has been an interesting thread to follow.

[Buz-AL@work]

Why shoot unless you're trying to get BOTH lungs?