nolanspawn Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 I have been a rifle hunter all my life. I started hunting when I was probably barely 3 shooting rabbits with a .22. Then when I was 4.5 I took my first whitetail with a 22-250. I have always wanted to maybe give bow hunting a chance. One thing that is always held me back was that the deer doesn't die right away. When I shoot a deer I always aim to break its neck, I like the deer to die instantly and not feel any pain. Its not that I think bow hunting is immoral in any sense, but before I just thought it wasn't for me. Now I am thinking about giving it a try. Thing holding me back now is that my ranch is only 200 acres. It just doesn't seem big enough to me that if I placed a bad shot that the deer would stay on the property and I really don't like trailing onto neighbors ranches. What do you guys think I should do to deal with this dilema? Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michiganbowhunter_SQ2 Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 200 acres is PLENTY of land to bowhunt...i have hunted on pieces of land as small as 30 acres,and pieces of land as big as 200+...with the right setup, PRACTICE, and a well placed shot, the deer shouldn't go farther than 100 yards, if that. now, don't get me wrong, there will be times it will go farther, the key is to give it enough time to expire without pushing it...but 200 acres...heck, i'd LOVE to have 200 acres to hunt around here on regular basis...good luck, once you start bowhunting, you won't want to stop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 200 acres is huge. There are few deer shot in the right place with an arrow, that go more than 100-150 yards. It happens at times, but they are usually down within 40 to 60 yards. Waiting after the shot is very important(a must). I like to wait 1/2 hr before pursuing the trail, unless I see the deer go down, and even then I'll sit for 15 minutes, just to be sure. The one thing an arrow lacks, is the knock-down power of a bullet, and the loud blast that comes with it, but it doesn't lack at all in killing power. Most of the time, when a deer gets struck by an arrow, to them, it is like getting stung by a bee. It's just like when you cut yourself really bad, and don't feel it for a while, until you start running your cut under cold water or try to stop the bleeding. I've had many deer run 30 yards and stop and turn around, trying to figure out what happened, and then, just fall over, like they never even knew what just happened. The beauty of bow-hunting to me, is the one on one, close up and personal interaction and contact, between the game and I. The silence of the shot, is also something I love, because you haven't ruined the silence of the woods with a blast from the ol' rifle, that has everything within a few hundred yards on red alert. I love the silence. That's one thing I go to the woods for. I just wish I had of picked the bow up years before I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTbowman Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 I hear ya on dropping a deer dead via gun hunting. No pain nor tracking. Bow hunting can be almost as quick. A well placed shot can dispatch a deer within 20 to 30 seconds. It will be more like 2 to 3 minutes if given the time to bed down. I have 100 acres I hunt on and I have yet to track one over the boards. 200 would be sweet. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeNRA Posted June 24, 2007 Report Share Posted June 24, 2007 I have 125 acres to hunt on, so 200 is plently! Been hunting 32 years, bowhunting this year will be my third year. I wished I would have started way sooner!!! But I would stay away from neck shots! You would be better getting them in the heart and lungs. Never tracked any of the deer I have shot with the rifle more than 20 yards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bowhuntr_15 Posted June 24, 2007 Report Share Posted June 24, 2007 Yeah I think that would be plenty of acres!! Two of the deer I shot last year with my bow didnt go 20 yards and fell over dead. And every hunter hopes they dont, but hittin one bad is goin to happen. Just give the deer enough time to lay down and die and it will be plenty of room. Good luck on the season and shoot straight!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildside Posted June 24, 2007 Report Share Posted June 24, 2007 The beauty of bow-hunting to me, is the one on one, close up and personal interaction and contact, between the game and I. The silence of the shot, is also something I love, because you haven't ruined the silence of the woods with a blast from the ol' rifle, that has everything within a few hundred yards on red alert. I love the silence. That's one thing I go to the woods for. Couldn't have said it better myself, Buckee. Yes, I've hunted with gun, but my absolute preference is sitting in the stand with my bow. All of the reasons you listed are great ones. To each his own, but there really is a special kind of experience with the bow. Not to mention that my new Exturkinator wraps will work far better on my arrows than on a bullet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted June 24, 2007 Report Share Posted June 24, 2007 Great response buckee. Very well said. Although I hunt more than 200 acres here at home it's rare for me to have to track a deer I killed with a bow more than 150 yards. Sure some will go past the 150 yard line but the vast majority will go down inside that distance. I've seen some go down within sight of my stand too not even realizing they were hit. Like buckee said the key is not to alert the deer to your presence after the shot even if they lay down within sight of your stand. My advise is to give them at least 30 minutes to expire if you hit the deer in the vitals. If you think you had a questionable hit wait a lot longer. Even overnight at times. That way you don't risk pushing a wounded deer off of your property. I agree that deer shot with a gun don't go as far on average compared to a bowkill but if they are hit in the right place and left undisturbed they don't go far as you think. As far as neck shots go, they aren't always fatal either. A long time ago I neck shot a doe with a muzzleloader, knocked her down, she got up and took off and I never recovered the deer. After that bad experience, I look for shots at the vitals. About 25 years ago a friend of mine also neck shot a buck with his rifle but didn't break his neck. We recovered the buck but it was after a long search and he still had to finish it off when we finally found it. A chunk of flesh was blown away above the buck's neck bone from the first shot. I'm not an advocate of neck shots because if you're a little off the mark you won't break the deer's neck and kill him on the spot. Heart lung shots are the shot of choice IMHO no matter what weapon you choose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DaveGP Posted June 24, 2007 Report Share Posted June 24, 2007 yeah buddy, 200 acres is more than enough, i hunt on a 30 acre farm and in 14 acres of woods at another spot, plenty of land! just dont push the deer if your unsure of the sport, usually if not pushed they end up circling back around if they dont expire quickly. my dad just told me his friend just bought 200 acres and im holding my breath until i can ask, that would be heaven, you are one lucky guy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griz Posted June 24, 2007 Report Share Posted June 24, 2007 Your good to go...200 acres is great... I have a couple of pics for you to see of a buck I shot a few years back. The pics that you are about to see is only about 40 acres... Check it out... I took these pics from my treestand. The 2 trees that are close together is were I shot the buck at. He was 20 yards from me as he was walking through... I voice grunted at him and stopped him right between those to trees when I took my shot... After I made the shot the buck took off in a death run as they always do. He ran out about 20 yards and looped around and fell 5 yards from the tree I was hunting in... Here he is... And of course I had to have a pic with me in it. Yeah, he's not a biggun' by no means but it was still an awesome bowhunt... I have shot deer in some smaller patchs of woods then this. Practice is the key to a good shot placement... Good Luck to ya and I wish you nothing but the best... Griz... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 I think you might be giving too much credit to what a deer feels. I don't think anyone really knows what an animal feels when they get struck with an arrow, but certainly, deer don't have the mental capacity that a human does so to project what we feel onto an animal would be a mistake IMHO. Buckee gave a great answer. True, I've killed deer that have traveled for a long time after the shot, and I've hit deer that I didn't recover, but there have been a few times where a deer will be stone dead within seconds after the shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted June 26, 2007 Report Share Posted June 26, 2007 Only have 60 acres here and have sole permission on the 35 acres next to us. 200 acres is a decent size piece of land, but I can understand what you are getting at and it is a concern that deer will run off our property on to neighboring property even with a rifle, but that does not stop us from hunting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKE Posted June 26, 2007 Report Share Posted June 26, 2007 Three things here on my part. 1st, 200 acres and you are concerned about not having enough hunting area?? There's a lot of bowhunters (hunters in general) that are having to beg for property to hunt and are happy to get 5. 2nd, you sound as if you are just now taking up archery and if that is the case then PRACTICE/PRACTICE/PRACTICE and follow that up with DOUBLE LUNG/DOUBLE LUNG/DOUBLE LUNG. They won't go far . 3rd, the way I read your post is that all the deer you have with a firearm have been spine shot and dropped dead instantly. Every one of them? Not bashing on you here at all. #1 is just a fact and you should feel lucky, #2 is just sound advice and #3 is just a legitimate question. Enjoy the sunrise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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