Tips & Tactics

Stop That Deer!

Stop That Deer!

By Tim H. Martin

Avoid a common bowhunter’s mistake.

How many times have you watched a hunting show and seen this scenario?

A deer approaches a hunter, usually a bowhunter, and the shot is made as soon as the deer is in range, yet it’s still walking.

Nearly always, the hit will barely clip the back edge of the vital area or result in a gut shot.

Invariably, the hunter turns to the camera and says, "Good shot, but I hit a little further back than I wanted to."

We hear that all too often, not only on TV, but also from everyday hunters.

This happens because archers practice on stationary targets, training the arm to become motionless during the release. If the deer is walking, that conditioning becomes a problem.

Even though the finger reacted when the mind told it to — when the pin settles on the deer’s heart/lung area — a bad shot occurs.

A walking deer will travel farther than you think in the split-second the arm stops and the finger touches off the shot, even in this era of smoking-fast bows.

This fundamental tip will make most any deer stop in its tracks, alleviating the problem.

Simply wait until the deer has arrived in the clear, then utter a concise, yet audible, "Meh!" or "Baaaah!"

Strive to make it sound like a soft bleat or blat. A bleat imitation is closer to a deer's natural vocalization, so it will stop to investigate, not spook. Although, a rutting buck will often ignore you when it’s chasing a doe, so you might have to get louder.

On a side note, grunting will also stop an elk. I discovered this on a bowhunt many years ago. I hid behind an aspen while a big bull walked up a trail that brought it 22 yards from where I was squatting. I waited until it passed, drew my bow, stood and said, "Meh!"

The 6x6 stopped in its tracks and turned to look and see what the noise was. I sent an Easton ACC through both lungs, and the bull only went 8 yards after the shot!

Interestingly enough, bobcats have a completely opposite reaction to a grunt.

I learned this while attempting to stop several passing bobcats in a Texas sendero.

Each time a bobcat entered the opening, I would grunt, and they would take off like someone poured hot grease on them. The ranch owner told me to try whistling, so I did the next time one crossed. It worked! The whistle caused the bobcat to freeze smack in the middle of the sendero, and I easily reduced the turkey- and fawn-killer population by one.

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