How much do you "look" at a deer before taking the shot?

Discuss deer hunting tactics, Deer behavior. Post your Hunting Stories, Pictures, and Questions/Answers.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


Brad
Status: Offline

How much do you "look" at a deer before taking the shot?

Unread postby Brad » Mon Dec 12, 2011 7:27 am

I have always judged my bucks right away after seeing them, I seldom ever look at them for more than a few seconds before taking a shot. My reasons have always been I think looking to much can lead to buck fever, kind of a counting your chickens before they hatch kind of thing. I have always liked the feeling of knowing I just killed a buck, but don't know for sure what he is yet, until I get my hands on him. I cant recall a single buck I have killed where I knew how many points he had, normally just the width and color of his horns. Kind of similar to opening a present etc. I also think this leads to less ground shrinkage for me, because normally they tend to be bigger than I originally thought.
My other thought was if I have time to be counting points, I have time to be preparing for the shot, getting the range, etc. This does not mean I shoot just any buck without knowing for sure he qualifies for my standards, but at this point in my hunting career 16" wide or better is a shooter, so that is generally pretty easy to decide right away if I want him or not. In fact my biggest buck I ever shot, I had zero clue how big he really was, I did a super fast glance at him (he was in brush big time and staring right at me and ready to bolt), and I saw he would be the biggest I ever killed, provided I got him. I shot him and as I approached him I realized he was a 150" class buck, and I shot him for roughly a 100" 13 or 14 inch wide buck. As I kill larger deer more often, I might start looking for different things that take longer to see clearly before deciding to shoot or not, but as for now this is my system. How much do the rest of you guys look before killing a deer or letting him walk, and are you counting points, going for spread, mass etc.


dan
Site Owner
Posts: 41588
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: How much do you "look" at a deer before taking the shot?

Unread postby dan » Mon Dec 12, 2011 8:13 am

I usually decide if Im going to shoot fairly fast... But as deer slowly make there way to range I study them pretty close and have talked myself out of shooting a few bucks. I to get ready for the shot, but my eyes never leave the buck. I watch his every move and make my moves at the proper times. I am always thinking about where he is headed and where the shot will present itself. I am always ready to shoot at anytime while he is in range.
User avatar
BigHunt
Posts: 12159
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2011 9:50 am
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: How much do you "look" at a deer before taking the shot?

Unread postby BigHunt » Mon Dec 12, 2011 9:35 am

no ido not i just look at the deer see that its a buck and if he getts me going thats the one ......

but if im hunting a particular buck then ill get out by range finder and try to study the rack as much as posible if its not him i have no problem passing him ......but there are on occasions were i through that out the window ..im young and havent shot many big ones like most of the guys on here so a big buck is a big buck to me if he getts me going hes done ...so i think :lol:
HUNT LIKE A BEAST
JV NC
500 Club
Posts: 607
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 2:25 am
Status: Offline

Re: How much do you "look" at a deer before taking the shot?

Unread postby JV NC » Mon Dec 12, 2011 9:43 am

Well.....I still haven't killed one and wish I hadn't. But, I did talk myself into killing the 1st buck I took this year (as he was coming in). And, I'd have given good money for another buck tag, around 11/9.

From here on out, I'll make my decision in an instant. He either is or isn't a shooter. And, based on the bigger (relative) bucks I've taken in the past, I didn't have to talk myself into shooting them. I hope I don't go through a spell where I don't kill a buck. But, I'm OK if that happens, now.
Lateral Bowhunter
User avatar
Schultzy
500 Club
Posts: 3138
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2010 3:46 pm
Location: Minnesota
Status: Offline

Re: How much do you "look" at a deer before taking the shot?

Unread postby Schultzy » Mon Dec 12, 2011 10:33 am

But as deer slowly make there way to range I study them pretty close and have talked myself out of shooting a few bucks
I can't remember what DVD It was of yours but you let a nice looking buck walk by while you were turned to the camera saying something like "he's young" and something else, I don't remember exactly what else you said. I thought that was pretty cool.

As for myself I let a mid 130's by at 12 yards once. I didn't mean to either. When I 1st saw him I thought he was the same 3.5 year old mid 120's 8 point I had let pass the night before. I didn't even grab my bow thinking It was him again. Once he came by broadside I saw that It wasn't him but rather a 10 point I had never saw before. From now on I'm ready just In case with bow In hand. If a shooter buck Is out of range or not In my shooting spot I do look at the buck pretty closely when I know It's one I want. Antlers fascinate me. When or prior to the shot I'm burning a hole where I want my arrow to go.
User avatar
Sauk Beast
Posts: 50
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2011 2:37 pm
Location: God's Country, WI
Status: Offline

Re: How much do you "look" at a deer before taking the shot?

Unread postby Sauk Beast » Mon Dec 12, 2011 12:26 pm

Generally I decide pretty quick if its a shooter. When I see the buck I see examine him pretty closely and if I have to think about whether he is a shooter to hard I generally don't shoot. I have only talked myself out of shooting 2 times. 1 time I wish I would've shot. I guess in summary if I have to think about it, I know I will be disappointed when its on the ground.
tim
500 Club
Posts: 2731
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 8:43 am
Status: Offline

Re: How much do you "look" at a deer before taking the shot?

Unread postby tim » Mon Dec 12, 2011 12:46 pm

i decide fairly quick if its framed big im going to try and kill him whether he has long or short tines. if its mature i doubt im passing either cause most mature deer have great racks even if smaller thier massive.
User avatar
UPbowhunter
Posts: 1041
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 8:52 am
Facebook: todd freeman
Location: 25'up a tree
Status: Offline

Re: How much do you "look" at a deer before taking the shot?

Unread postby UPbowhunter » Mon Dec 12, 2011 1:40 pm

I dont get the buck fever like I used too. I work my off all year for the few sighting I get at the big bucks, Im prepairing for the shot, and now filming, but I want to see every second of each encounter. The encounter is where its at for me, the kill is just cream. I had an encounter with a 3 1/2 yr old 8 pointer this year that gave me more of the post encounter shakes then most of my last few buck kills.
Go Go Epic Stuff, Seek Wilderness
User avatar
Stanley
Honorary Moderator
Posts: 18734
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:18 am
Facebook: None
Location: Iowa
Status: Offline

Re: How much do you "look" at a deer before taking the shot?

Unread postby Stanley » Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:59 pm

If I have to decide if the buck is big enough to kill I usually pass on it. Sometimes you do get fooled both ways.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
User avatar
Liberty-Hunt
500 Club
Posts: 1783
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 9:31 pm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liberty.hunt.188
Location: FRANCE
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: How much do you "look" at a deer before taking the shot?

Unread postby Liberty-Hunt » Mon Dec 12, 2011 11:28 pm

Like the most of comments I try to be quick on the judgment...it's more important when you bow hunt...
"Huntingly",
L-H

GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!
User avatar
Rutnstrut
500 Club
Posts: 775
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 3:54 pm
Location: West Central Wi.
Status: Offline

Re: How much do you "look" at a deer before taking the shot?

Unread postby Rutnstrut » Tue Dec 13, 2011 4:13 am

Didn't this thread have more replies earlier, I know I had one in here and now it's gone.
User avatar
Stanley
Honorary Moderator
Posts: 18734
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:18 am
Facebook: None
Location: Iowa
Status: Offline

Re: How much do you "look" at a deer before taking the shot?

Unread postby Stanley » Tue Dec 13, 2011 9:04 am

Rutnstrut wrote:Didn't this thread have more replies earlier, I know I had one in here and now it's gone.

Were you naughty?
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
dan
Site Owner
Posts: 41588
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: How much do you "look" at a deer before taking the shot?

Unread postby dan » Tue Dec 13, 2011 11:00 am

Rutnstrut wrote:Didn't this thread have more replies earlier, I know I had one in here and now it's gone.

I didn't see any dissapear? There have been some glitches in the past though... Just re-post.
User avatar
Casper
500 Club
Posts: 974
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 10:20 am
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/casper.kohlnhofer
Location: South Central WI
Status: Offline

Re: How much do you "look" at a deer before taking the shot?

Unread postby Casper » Tue Dec 13, 2011 11:10 am

I learned a bad lesson this year, I hunt a 140" ten point that I was after come in while I just strapped my safety harness on and my bow was hanging 20 feet below me. Well I ended up getting my bow up once he bedded down at less than 20 yards and waited and waited, and waited. The wind swirled just for a second and it was amazing how fast he snapped up and starred in the direction the wind swirled from. Well after about 20-25 minutes I'd say, he started to settle back down and milled around. I ended up hitting the shoulder (saw him over a month later alive). I basically starred at him the entire time he was there waiting for him to stand up to give me a shot. Looking back at it now, I should have just glanced over at him once in a while. He was a dead deer (should have been) regardless of any direction he went unless he ran. Here is a video if anyone is interested (it wouldn't let me rotate it, sorry!). I can write up something to where the buck was bedded and have photos of him standing at 20 yards before he bedded. He was actually going against any wind tunnel advantage and was basing his bed off of the people that hunt the property (excluding me, I wont hunt it with a west wind unless its rut). On Nov 11 when I shot my buck, once I saw which deer it was I quit looking at the rack and concentrated on the shot.

Image
The Healthy Herd Pro Staff
User avatar
Buckfever
500 Club
Posts: 1029
Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2011 3:19 pm
Location: NE, IL
Status: Offline

Re: How much do you "look" at a deer before taking the shot?

Unread postby Buckfever » Tue Dec 13, 2011 12:20 pm

I don't need a lot of time on the antlers, but I do spend a little more time on the age structure. We have some really young deer here that'll do 130 and we have some really old deer that will do 130. Sometimes it's harder to get a good look at the body.


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 114 guests