Wild Game ignore shots

LuckyStrike said:
I will say that migratory birds(who likely get shot at a lot) flare quickly and get outta dodge as soon as the 1st shot(s) are fired. But from the air, they also see the shooter and have a pretty good sense of the direction of the noise!
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We use shotgun noise all the time when duck hunting, to scare them up. One spot in particular, we fire a 3" down a basin and just wait. It will bring all the buffleheads in there over our heads.

On the other hand, the first deer I shot, I shot at three times and hit twice (both good shots) and he still didn't run off until the third shot. I don't believe he saw me until then. I was furiously pumping my jammed Savage 170, so he saw plenty of movement. I do think this is one advantage of hunting with a semi-auto - less movement for animals to pick up on.
 
On the range at CFB Edmonton we need to call cease fire if deer walk along the backstop... a common occurance. If they are on the backstop of the next range over the RSO will often leave the range active with the deer completely unphased by the shooting. If the range is on green flag sometimes they will have a troop run up to the berm and try to chase them away but technically the range orders call for them to be left alone until the leave.
The range in Chilliwack has a resident black bear that we need to watch out for wandering into the down range area (or the firing line) while shooting.
I am guessing that deer that have been around other deers when they are shot might flee from the sound of shots, but most just don't seem to equate it with danger.
 
The first deer I ever shot at (didn't get it) just stood still as I put about 4 rounds over his shoulder. Just walked a few steps now and then and continued eating. Only when I hit the tree right behind him was it "tails up" time and booked it.
 
John Y Cannuck said:
Some so called experts will tell you that a bear for example isn't serious about a charge unless he does this, or that. I feel that each animal like each human, has it's own set of rules. Each encounter will be different.
Continuous exposure to a specific game animal may give you some knowledge of that species generalities, but don't bet your life on it.
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I think there is one thing about bears that always seems to be correct. When a bear ges spooked and takes off on a dead gallop, they go in a straight line. I think these runs are often mistaken for a charge, if they happen to be aimed somewhere toward the person(s) involved, but in fact the bear is scared and is just getting to hell out of there. Bears have very poor eyesight, so in the second he takes to panic and go, there is no chance he saw you, maybe hundred yards away, and goes for you.
If the run is not exactly toward you, just stand and watch him roar by.
I agree that game is not frightened by shooting. Have seen lots of examples of it.
 
I moose hunted for many years on a lake and river system from canoe's with small motors. The moose were never bothered by the motor unless you changed the throttle setting. Change the sound of the motor by 1 rpm and they were gone.

I think the moose are used to hearing the steady drone of engine noise either by H4831's plane, out boards, or logging equipment. But any change in engine rpm and the alarm bells went off.

We never had an issue getting within 40yds of any moose by just keeping the motor rpm constant and our mouth's shut.
 
I agree. If an animal doesn't see you or see the bullet kick up dirt near them, the noise doesn't faze them.
A few years ago I shot at a broadside deer, but had misjudged the range. The bullet dropped and went underneath the deer. The beast just stood there, didn't even twitch. I didn't miss the second shot.:D
 
We had a coyote come within 10 yards of us at work. We blew the airhorn that the laborers carry to scare away bears, the coyote didn't flinch. Not until I threw a big stick at him...LOL
 
Shot a buck right over the back of a doe this fall, doe wasn't fazed till she heard the buck go crashing away or posssibly smelled the blood as she was down wind. The gun shot noise didnt bother her in the least
 
many years ago while rabbit hunting I had a big cow moose walk out of the woods no more than fifty feet away from me, she saw me and just stopped in her tracks and stared at me to the point where she was really making me nervous so I shot three times in the air, the moose didn't as much as blink, I waved my arms and yelled and she still didn't move, I have to be honest I was getting scared ####less until my dog finally took after her and drove her off. So no they don't give a crap about gunshots or much else.
 
I would agree that shooting doesn't bother game very much.
We have a 410 yard range over a swamp on our property and to the side of the backstop is another small pond.
I went in one day and lifted some geese at the firing line, they flew down the length of the swamp and landed in the pond next to the backstop. They didn't even flinch while I was ringing the gong and they couldn't have been more than 30 yds from it.
 
i was on a lav 3 25 mm gun shoot here in gagetown. after shooting all morning we stoped for lunch. about 300 meters from the muzzles of the 25 mm guns a moose stands up and walks away.
 
I have found that it depends where they live. If in farm country where they're never far from roads, houses, heavy equipment and people, then they'll often just pause, look up, and if you hit a deer near them, seem to wonder, what's wrong with him/her/mom, etc. I've seen them hang around the dead body until I'm walking towards it. If they live farther from the above sources of noise, they'll often run off a few yards and stop, or sometmes run off and not return.
 
John Y Cannuck said:
Some so called experts will tell you that a bear for example isn't serious about a charge unless he does this, or that. I feel that each animal like each human, has it's own set of rules. Each encounter will be different.
Continuous exposure to a specific game animal may give you some knowledge of that species generalities, but don't bet your life on it.
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The only time you know for certain of a bluff charge is after the fact. My experiences with animals over the years has been that they will generally pick flight over fight unless you surprise them and consequently invade their safety zone or they have no method of retreat. This can be said for something as seemingly harmless as a Beaver up to large creatures like Bison and even some "docile" cattle.

In regard to shooting over top of animals, I've observed they will often stand there for a short time, but then run or move off a few seconds after the shot. While the shot doesn't necessarily frighten the crap out of them, I do think they realize something isn't right.
 
This year on the Monday of my muzzleloader hunt, about 2:30 in the afternoon, drove my rhino (with aftermarket dual exhaust) back into a section of small fields and gullies to help another guy put up an old wooden ladder stand that he had decided to relocate. We were far from stealthy, having a few laughs as we did this.

He decided that he was going to sit in that stand till dark, I parked the rhino on the edge of the field and was going to walk into another stand on the opposite end of the property. As I walked along the edge of the field, about 300 yards from where we were just working, looking down into the gully I heard something. Leaves rustling and antlers smacking. I dropped down to my knees and crept up behind a fallen tree, to see 2 small bucks squaring off. I watched them for about 2 mins, then decided I was going to shoot the bigger one, fully expecting the smaller one to vanish. They locked horns and the bigger one pushed until he left me with a perfect broadside shot at around 50 yards. I pulled the trigger and after the smoke cleared I watched him drop about 20 yards from where he originally stood. If the story ended here it would have been a great story, but the other one just stood there, looking proud as a peacock that he just bested his sparring partner. I scrambled to reload and, of course, my primer got stuck... After demolishing the blade on my knife, I pried it out, replaced it, and dropped the other one damn near beside his partner.

By the time I could get my heart rate back down and get composed, my buddy had made his way to me, because he could see the smoke. We did all the high 5's laughed because we couldn't believe all that noise, plus a gunshot and still 2 deer down. Awesome day! Not the biggest deer I've shot but one of the best stories, and pictures, I've got.
 
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