I dont understand

[Guest wdenike]

One other thing, for the bold statements made by those that never set foot in some of these places. You have appeared to talk this nonsense based on T.V. and the wild internet. And you are probably well deserving to hunt from the couch, and computer. As neither has taught you very much. :P Sorry but I don't coddle fools well!!!!

 

 

 

Take care, Willie

[WampusCat]

On the original topic, for me, shot placement is a big factor in the animal dropping or running a bit. And to that, there are factors that effect where I aim. What I mean is my aiming point is different for specific situations.

 

I grew up hunting whitetails in Kansas. There, my normal point of aim is just behind the front leg. I am hoping to puncture both lungs and maybe get a piece of heart while messing up the smallest amount of delicious corn fed venison. A mortal wound no doubt but if he doesn't do the flop, it is likely the deer will run somewhere inside of 150 yds (maybe more, almost always less). This is no worry to me as it will normally be easy to drag him a short distance to a place where I can access him in a vehicle. Minimum meat wasted, and ease of recovery are deciding factors.

 

On the other hand, in beautiful AZ I seam to always find myself in an extremely rugged locale, an incredible distance from my truck. Here the order of the day is to drop the animal where he stands in order to prevent him from running up over the ridge, or off the edge in some cases. Essentially aiming for a high shoulder shot. These hard hitting shots seem to transfer a lot more shock/energy to the animal resulting in the proverbial "sack-o-potatoes" drop. I am willing to sacrifice a bit of shoulder meat with a different aiming point in hopes that I will not have have to chase him down into the next canyon and carry him back out that much further or risk a tumble down a slope that could damage antlers. When the terrain is cooperating the first option is the preferred.

 

That is the biggest difference in animals running after the shot when talk east vs west for me. Not saying this is what everyone does or what anyone must do. Just my observations and your mileage may vary.

[mattys281]

Hunting by definition is the pursuit of prey. I do that every chance I get. Hiking, glassing, trail cams, etc. Youve got all year to do that. When hunting season arrives the mission is to get close and get a shot, and I've employed different tactics to accomplish that with varying degrees of success. Regardless of the method I use to get the shot, the hunt was the entire process. Ive killed deer via spot and stalk and also via ambush. Believe it or not the clouds did not part showering me in sunlight with white doves fluttering down from heaven onto my shoulders when killing one by one method or the other. The only thing that usually happens is the deer falls down and I pack him out.

 

Anybody that thinks any successful DIY hunter any where consistently scores without busting their butt is just trying to fluff their own ego. And most of the people like that that I've had the pleasure to know are most often just bashing others to soothe their own pride since they cant kill anything on their own.

[Havasuhunter]

One, muzzleloaders rarely dump an animal on the spot. If using a rifle, I can say that I've had more eastern white tails run a distance with perfect shots from a 30-06 with good bullets. I think it's because eastern white tails have about 10 gallons of adrenaline in them so they run a lot even when they are dead, but just don't know it. I shot a doe at 60ish yards double lung and clipped the heart, huge exit hole with chunks of tissue mixed in the blood trail. She ran 75yards! My best buck did the same. Shot at 175 yards, perfect hit. He went a good 150 yards and I barely found him.

They also jump the string like crazy when bow hunting. Quiet bow is always important, but especially with a jumpy whitetail. I know Coues are even more jumpy, but the desert absorbs sound much better than eastern woods. Close in woods with no wind, they jump 5' in the air when a squirrel farts.

 

I totally agree with neck shots too. A neck shot with a ballistic tip from either my 6.5 or the 06 was a DRT deer every time. I was in TN 7 years and killed 1-2 bucks and 5-6 does every year so I got to experiment a lot. I killed them with the bow, muzzleloaders, 44 mag super RedHawk and a variety of rifles. Farthest a deer went was about 300 yards. Double lung with the muzzleloader using a sabot and the same 44 caliber 240 gr hornady XTP I use in the 44 mag. Just slightly back in the lungs and she went that far. Tough animals for sure.

[Guest akaspecials]

I've hunted stands in a east Texas that had drive in "garages" under the stand for your ATV. I started to give them crap until I sat in the lazy boy and had a cold beer from the fridge at 6 am... It may not be "hunting", but its still time with freinds and family in the wood that counts for more an any baravdo you get get for hiking in 10 miles to shoot a deer in the middle of the desert.

 

I woud be more proud of a spot and stalk coues spike than a boone and crockett in Texas, but there aint no awards for having a good time with friends and family. Stop worrying about how other folks hunt and enjoy your own experiences.

[naturegirl]

My recommendation is you should try hunting back east before bashing it too bad.

 

It's hunting - just a lot different than how we do it here.

[Guest wdenike]

One, muzzleloaders rarely dump an animal on the spot. If using a rifle, I can say that I've had more eastern white tails run a distance with perfect shots from a 30-06 with good bullets. I think it's because eastern white tails have about 10 gallons of adrenaline in them so they run a lot even when they are dead, but just don't know it. I shot a doe at 60ish yards double lung and clipped the heart, huge exit hole with chunks of tissue mixed in the blood trail. She ran 75yards! My best buck did the same. Shot at 175 yards, perfect hit. He went a good 150 yards and I barely found him.

They also jump the string like crazy when bow hunting. Quiet bow is always important, but especially with a jumpy whitetail. I know Coues are even more jumpy, but the desert absorbs sound much better than eastern woods. Close in woods with no wind, they jump 5' in the air when a squirrel farts.

 

I totally agree with neck shots too. A neck shot with a ballistic tip from either my 6.5 or the 06 was a DRT deer every time. I was in TN 7 years and killed 1-2 bucks and 5-6 does every year so I got to experiment a lot. I killed them with the bow, muzzleloaders, 44 mag super RedHawk and a variety of rifles. Farthest a deer went was about 300 yards. Double lung with the muzzleloader using a sabot and the same 44 caliber 240 gr hornady XTP I use in the 44 mag. Just slightly back in the lungs and she went that far. Tough animals for sure.

 

 

 

This gentleman knows of what which he speaks!!! Adrenaline is the reason. Big difference in an animal that is completely on high alert. And one that is completely relaxed and feeding, or just getting up from a nap. The latter will afford a multitude of calibers. From the smallest to the largest to drop them like ya stole their bones. But ya have to kill more than one every one to ten years to acquire that knowledge.

 

 

Take care, Willie

[Bandido243]

 

I agree back east isnt much of hunting. More like sitting and shooting. But hey if it makes them happy then what the heck.

I actually agree with you, I was asking 300 why he thought that to build off my comment made in the post about spot and stalk or blind and tree stand sitting. I say that because it takes absolutely zero skill set to sit on your a$$ in a ground blind or in a tree stand over water and kill something. Someone actually tried to say that it's not easy finding a spot to put a ground blind or tree stand, any numb skull could figure out to set it next to water or near a large game trail.

Anyways, I agree, back east "hunting" isn't really hunting. It's waiting and killing. My favorite part is when they get dressed up in all the camo and all the scent cover sprays and then go sit in an elevated blind over a corn field with windows and a heater. Go get 'em! Haha

 

Oh oh. That's gonna start some stuff. Hahahaha.

[NYAZHunter]

My $.02 : being from New York , owning a share in 1500 acres in the Catskills and my property being about a half an hour away from oneshots.

Hunters are: stewards of the land , trashers of the land ; ethical , unethical ; good shots , terrible shots ; hunters , trigger men.

I have killed bucks in New York with .30.30 , .308 , .270, 30.06 and .44 mag . Most dropped where shot or went a very short distance . Shot placement . We do have stands , used to be 2x4 platforms with cut tree branch steps , now they are metal ladders stands that we can move and not worry about the safety every year. We do ' drives' , slow walks to a location to move deer to 'standers'. Back in the 60's a deer drive was done with hoot'in and holler'in by the drivers , meant to scare the deer out of their hidey holes , now it is more like still hunting your way to a spot , stopping , going through the laurel , just trying to get them nervous enough to move. We have on our property mountain laurel ( Kalmia latifolia ) that is 6' 8' tall that the deer will slide through and just disappear into.

Just thought a dumb country boy (old man) from New York should be heard from.

[elkaholic]

all I can say is you've been real lucky -average joe -- unfortunately I've seen bull elk take 3-4 rounds from mag gun and never recovered - tracked several miles - even a mortaly wounded animal can run a long ways - I've seen piggys take a 300 grain muzzleloader round and run flat out for several hundred yrds - had I not been sitting glassing the hunters and seeing the pig run off - recovery would have been impossible .

 

 

second the deer back east have a 100+ pounds on the little whiteys we see -

 

as far as hey back east aint hunting - here we are blessed with public land hunting which ranges in 10 of thousands of square miles for us to go where we want - most is wide open - you have to sit and glass for hrs to find the game before you can even think of making a stalk - remember the spot part. I know ive spent many hrs a day "sitting " and glassing looking for an animal to shoot.

 

back east you may be limited to a couple hundred acres - go spot and stalking and most likely you'll hear a shot on the neighbors property and hear a "THANK YOU " after you spook it off your little piece of hunting ground. as far as public hunting areas some are as small as 1/4 mile square - woods so thick you are limited to seeing 20-30 yrads for your shooting lane- we watch the shows they usually hear them coming - before they ever see them in the thick woods-they will hear you first -- go try a spot and stalk in that kind of woods - bet you a dollar to a dime you may never see them . I can't count the times I've herd deer-elk running off while stalking up north here in Az where wooded areas are way more open then back east.

 

back east there they wait at food plots - they sit in blinds on edges of meadows and fields waiting for one to step out - they never see it till it steps out !

here we can sit by tanks and/or glass for hrs /days waiting to see something - then we make our stalk - often never seeing the animal agin

 

hunting is hunting no matter where you are - if you think hey - those guys got it easy - go take the offer and see if you even get close to a ny whitetail in his home - the deep woods . I know guys who stalk a square 1/4 mile of deep woods and hear a lot more deer than they ever see - they may not see a "buck" the whole season and spend 3-4 days all day in that one 1/4 square mile - go try that .

 

we have the PRIVALEDGE of hunting -in my opinion - greatest state in the southwest- enjoy it

 

you are a little ???? if you consider yourself a better hunter or sportsman than the guys on shows or from other states - for the way they hunt

[elkaholic]

on an added note - I will be going deer hunting back East this yr . our little spot is 1/4 mile of public hunting surrounded by private land - I could zig zag it and probably scare every animal off in less then a couple hrs or pick a spot on a travel route or edge of little meadow and wait - in either a tree or a blind - guess what i'll be doing - now we do have other areas of public land to hunt - most are about 1 square mile or less - I will not be alone - last time I heard hundreds of shots from dawn to dusk and saw one little forky slippin thru the woods.

 

I can't wait- just hopin it doesn't snow to much as the hunting options are greatly reduced as far as how to hunt and where to hunt.

[az_shooter]

Ok, I have stepped off the pedestal and retrieved my dunce hat. I made comments about hunting from blinds and tree stands even though I don't like to use them down here, I cannot speak on the use and methods of them back east because I don't know anything about hunting back east. To wdenike, you are correct, I was speaking solely on what I've seen on tv and the few stories I've heard from friends who have lived back east or gone and hunted back east. I do not consider myself a better hunter than anyone else, I was speaking on my thoughts of the use of blinds and stands here in AZ but I see that I should have just inserted foot into mouth before speaking about something I was completely unfamiliar with.

[Guest wdenike]

Ok, I have stepped off the pedestal and retrieved my dunce hat. I made comments about hunting from blinds and tree stands even though I don't like to use them down here, I cannot speak on the use and methods of them back east because I don't know anything about hunting back east. To wdenike, you are correct, I was speaking solely on what I've seen on tv and the few stories I've heard from friends who have lived back east or gone and hunted back east. I do not consider myself a better hunter than anyone else, I was speaking on my thoughts of the use of blinds and stands here in AZ but I see that I should have just inserted foot into mouth before speaking about something I was completely unfamiliar with.

 

 

 

A lot of good people here! Sometimes I and everyone runs with misinformation. And no one has been referred to as a jackazz more than I. But with age I sure try to correct such blunders that I could create. We are all hunters, and really need to protect what is dear to us.

 

 

 

Take care, Willie

[mattys281]

Ok, I have stepped off the pedestal and retrieved my dunce hat. I made comments about hunting from blinds and tree stands even though I don't like to use them down here, I cannot speak on the use and methods of them back east because I don't know anything about hunting back east. To wdenike, you are correct, I was speaking solely on what I've seen on tv and the few stories I've heard from friends who have lived back east or gone and hunted back east. I do not consider myself a better hunter than anyone else, I was speaking on my thoughts of the use of blinds and stands here in AZ but I see that I should have just inserted foot into mouth before speaking about something I was completely unfamiliar with.

Im a part owner of a small hunting forum, most of whom users are from back east. Some of them do really well and make it look easy. Others struggle and go lots of years with empty tags just like our hunters do out here. no matter where and no matter how, hunting has no gaurantee, unless your shooting farm raised critters out of a pen... thats a whole other can of worms!

 

Btw, if you're able you should take one shot up on his generous offer. I met him a couple years ago down south and this guy knows his deer.

[Guest 300ultramag.]

I think if you grew up hunting by the way of us az,nm,co and Utah folks

 

Going back east to reside and hunt would be a struggle.. I like to get out and wander and see whats on the other side of that hill.. Or what's in that back canyon... I like to explore the country and wear out boots if I'm not glassin..

 

 

Is this better than back east.. If you ask me I say yes.