What is the aversion some people have to cutting an animals throat to finish it? Just wondering for reasons as I was taught to save the bullet if I could. If I can't safely use a knife then I will put one in the spine behind the ear. Either way I am not letting them suffer.
Finishing shots, follow up shots.
- Thread starter BIGREDD
- Start date
I saw that happen with 2 moose. The guys that voted "shoot 'til it's down" should take note. There is nothing wrong with that choice, just remember to use restraint in tight bush.
For the poll I voted #4. If I see I made a fatal shot I stop shooting but if I hear it suffering I will end it asap.
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
Surprisingly, cutting the throat of an animal that is pumped up with adrenalin, you can still wait a good ten minutes for it to die.
I'll relate a road kill incident here to elaborate.
I was on my way to hunting camp, from my cottage. It was the night before the season opener.
I passed one of those deer crossing signs. Thought to myself 'Funny, I never see deer near those signs'. I drove around the bend, and suddenly the road was filled with frozen deer statues. There had to be at least eight of them, all frozen in my lights.
I hit the brakes, and weaved through them, getting safely to the other side of the group, and glancing in my mirror, just in time to see one of them jump into the side of my trailer.
Aw ####!
i drove away, found a spot to turn around, and came back, using the headlights to find the deer on the road side. It couldn't get up.
I could see nothing wrong with the animal, so I gave in ten minutes to see if it would recover. It didn't, just laid there. I had the rifles buried in the back, but, how do you shoot a deer out of season, with no outside visible injuries at 2AM or so? Could be a hard story to prove.
I decided to slit it's throat, and did so. Now slitting the throat of a live deer, is a sickening process, and dangerous. It's still breathing, and you make a sucking wound in the throat. I cut deep, damned near cut it's head clean off. But not before it's back legs gave me a hell of a swat, and a bruise that stayed for weeks. I went back to the Jeep to wait. I gave it ten, and went back. It was still alive!
I gave it another ten (On my watch each time).
It was still living.
I took my knife, and made a stab for the heart, being sure that it was thoroughly holed.
In ten more minutes, it had expired.
I took the deer to camp, and hung it, getting one of the guys to pick up the appropriate permit for a road kill from the MNR.
In the headlights, I was unaware that I was being sprayed with blood during this whole procedure, and must have made quite a sight when I stopped in Bancroft for Gas, soaked in blood from the knees down.
Likely a safety concern. Straddling a 150 lb plus wild animal could get quite exciting. Plus you also have to get close enough to do it. Some may still be on the move.
In our hunt camp the other members had one of their sons shoot his first moose and he was a, keep shooting until it dropped hunter? The bull kept walking away and he put 5 shots into the rear end, now thats a bright move? Makes for good eating?
As for cutting a throat try that on a wounded bear or moose?
Yes Crowca I remember that Harvey shot?
As for cutting a throat try that on a wounded bear or moose?
Yes Crowca I remember that Harvey shot?
If I feel good about the shot (heart/lungs) then I won't follow up with another, I have shot deer, had them drop and then lift their head, those got an immediate follow up.
With my bear this year, I knew I had hit it well, but had a real hard time picking up the trail. I looked until after dark but couldn't find it. I was worried about messing up the trail so I went home and came back before daylight with my lab pup, 15 minutes later we found the bear in the middle of a thicket. It had been cold over night so I wasn't worried about the meat.
With my bear this year, I knew I had hit it well, but had a real hard time picking up the trail. I looked until after dark but couldn't find it. I was worried about messing up the trail so I went home and came back before daylight with my lab pup, 15 minutes later we found the bear in the middle of a thicket. It had been cold over night so I wasn't worried about the meat.
No flame or finger pointing intended but I am still amazed at the number of people who think that head shots are acceptable.
I also am stunned at those that claim to be seasoned hunters who will take a shot at an animal and then stand there and admire that shot regardless if the animal is still standing or walking or even running!
Maybe I should be less critical... or maybe some others should learn the fundamentals of hunter ethics.
Respect the animal, you have chosen to take its life once that decision has been made you have the obligation to do it quickly and cleanly.
Shoot it in the vitals, if it does not drop at the shot shoot it again and don't stop shooting until the animal is dead or it is no longer safe or logical to keep shooting.
JBRO jusbigredsopinion.
I also am stunned at those that claim to be seasoned hunters who will take a shot at an animal and then stand there and admire that shot regardless if the animal is still standing or walking or even running!
Maybe I should be less critical... or maybe some others should learn the fundamentals of hunter ethics.
Respect the animal, you have chosen to take its life once that decision has been made you have the obligation to do it quickly and cleanly.
Shoot it in the vitals, if it does not drop at the shot shoot it again and don't stop shooting until the animal is dead or it is no longer safe or logical to keep shooting.
JBRO jusbigredsopinion.
If I place a shot in the vitals, it isn't logical to shoot again. The animal may be up but it's dead on it's feet. Shooting again only puts another bullet into it, causing more wasted meat and pain for the animal.
To each their own, but to me it doesn't make sense.
Not meant as a flame just an observation.
I am amazed at the people who think head shots are not acceptable yet will blaze away at a deer running through the bush. There is no doubt the running shot is one of the highest risk to wound shot there is in a hunting situation. How far is the animal away? How fast is the animal running? How far do I lead them? How much hold over do I allow? Are there any obstructions between myself and my departing quarry? Am I sure of my target and beyond? These are but a few factors one must crunch is a split second and the answer is a best guess to say the least.
When an animal is gut shot the animal may give no indication it has been hit. The gut pushes against the rib cage and seals the hole. The only time rumen is excreted is when the hole in the gut and the hole in the rib cage line up. This can be very infrequently and very little. The hunter concludes a miss yet the deer is subjected to a very long and painful death. A lot of the time the animal lays down, stiffens up and the coyotes come along and eat their life away. If the woods could talk I wonder how many animals crawled away suffering from a head shot wound as opposed to crawling away from being gut shot.
I think one had better remember that when pointing a finger there are always three pointing back at you. But if it makes a person feel better about themselves then hey, fill your boots.
I am amazed at the people who think head shots are not acceptable yet will blaze away at a deer running through the bush. There is no doubt the running shot is one of the highest risk to wound shot there is in a hunting situation. How far is the animal away? How fast is the animal running? How far do I lead them? How much hold over do I allow? Are there any obstructions between myself and my departing quarry? Am I sure of my target and beyond? These are but a few factors one must crunch is a split second and the answer is a best guess to say the least.
When an animal is gut shot the animal may give no indication it has been hit. The gut pushes against the rib cage and seals the hole. The only time rumen is excreted is when the hole in the gut and the hole in the rib cage line up. This can be very infrequently and very little. The hunter concludes a miss yet the deer is subjected to a very long and painful death. A lot of the time the animal lays down, stiffens up and the coyotes come along and eat their life away. If the woods could talk I wonder how many animals crawled away suffering from a head shot wound as opposed to crawling away from being gut shot.
I think one had better remember that when pointing a finger there are always three pointing back at you. But if it makes a person feel better about themselves then hey, fill your boots.
It makes perfect sense... unless your Clarke Kent and have X-Ray vision... or maybe Kreskin the Magnificent and can Psychic whether or not you have truly made a killing shot. Last time I checked there was not much meat damage when you shoot them in the lungs... one, two or ten shots in the lungs does not matter a tinkers damn regarding meat damage. And Pain is relative to how long it takes an animal to die.
Your argument is not logical at all.
I agree with most of your post except for the head shot part... I cannot find a quote from any hunting or shooting professional that would advocate using a head shot as a high percentage shot in any circumstance. It is now and always has been an unethical choice. And is without a doubt the most inhumane method of killing an animal cleanly.
Your understanding of the gut shot points to a basic understanding of the Physiology of big game, I simply cannot reconcile this with your thinking that a head shot is effective or ethical.
No flame Bro but you and I are never gonna agree on this one.
I picked 6. Each hunt is different. You may be able to take more than one shot at an animal on most occasions but sometimes you only get one chance. You have to make the best choices for the situation you find yourself in. Fortunately I have had to administer few kill shots.
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
I wonder how many head shot animals ran away with a broken jaw, and starved to death.
I would venture to say this is a fairly accurate conclusion.
It is a sad day indeed when one hasn't read it in a book there fore it is unethical. Most magazines don't mention the head shot because they are concerned it might spoil their precious rack. Many wild game cook books recommend a head or neck shot as it plants the animal and avoids a gut shot. Granted it takes practice and a well tuned rifle.
You don't have to be psychic; you watch the shot. If you can't see you should be using optics.
True that 1 or 10 to the lungs won't make a difference. But 2 in the lungs, 3 in the guts and 2 in each quarter doesn't leave much for the freezer. Telling guys that have never taken a running shot at anything to "shoot it again and don't stop shooting until the animal is dead or it is no longer safe or logical to keep shooting" is sure to lead to alot of wasted meat.
As with most hunting, one shot is often all you get and maybe all the hunter knows they need.
With practice comes confidence, by practice you know the rifle and what the shooter is capable of.
It's dead when pulling the trigger.
So I watch it stumble, then fall.
No follow up shots required cause I trust my first shot.
With practice comes confidence, by practice you know the rifle and what the shooter is capable of.
It's dead when pulling the trigger.
So I watch it stumble, then fall.
No follow up shots required cause I trust my first shot.
treebutcher
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
This may come across wrong but anyway. Any shot at a game animal can wound. I've seen a miss on a 800lb steer at 2 feet (not me I was holding the rope). Nobody is perfect, a unseen twig, bad wind call, the animal moves just as your trigger breaks, etc. The fact is if you hunt you will have a bad day.
There is nothing wrong with a follow up shot if you feel its needed. If you see your animal go down with a shot behind the front sholder then 30 sec or so to decide on shooting again is fine. If your animal is trying to get up then shoot! My brother hit a buck with a bow and it ran 200 feet before it hit the ground. Later we discovered he hit the heart and the deer was dead before it Knew it. I think more of a hunter who tells me how on a bad day how far and long they will go to recover a wounded animal.
There is nothing wrong with a follow up shot if you feel its needed. If you see your animal go down with a shot behind the front sholder then 30 sec or so to decide on shooting again is fine. If your animal is trying to get up then shoot! My brother hit a buck with a bow and it ran 200 feet before it hit the ground. Later we discovered he hit the heart and the deer was dead before it Knew it. I think more of a hunter who tells me how on a bad day how far and long they will go to recover a wounded animal.
Ain't that the truth!
Consider a head shot is only a killing shot if it's a brain shot! A much smaller target than the head itself! & I know from experience even a brain shot on a moose at 30', if the head it turned slightly it's quite possible for the bullet to glance & do nothing more than tear some hide!
Perhaps if you had shot again you could have recovered it sooner with-out having to worry all night about whether your shot was successful or other animals were going to get at it!
Perhaps above post is a perfect example why I try to put the animal DOWN, whether I know the first shot is good or not & especially considering I don't hunt fields where you can sit & watch them stagger back & forth till they go down!
