Deer Hunting question

[Newindian]

Not like a bow is the most proven weapon in human history or anything 

[Lee Lobbestael]

Anti hunters are usually anti hunters because they don't really understand hunting. I shot two deer this year with primitive equipment and both were down with one shot within seconds. An arrow through the vitals is a arrow through the vitals no matter how fast it is moving.

[JW_Halverson]

That and apparently yesterday some guys shot a sacred albino moose in nova scotia.   

Sacred to a small part of a larger population.  A genetic anamoly, but not unknown to a biologist or geneticist.  A unique trophy to yet another subset of the population.  Fact is, the animal was legally harvested in a fair chase hunt.  The hunters issued a written apology and surrendered the animal to the people that claimed offence. 

Do they now issue an apology to PETA and surrender whatever hunting tags they have left?  This defines the idea of a slippery slope in many ways. 

[bubbles]

Yeah, I totally agree with you JW. And all of you guys.  Maybe Ill get a deer to stand infront of me this season.  Here's hopin'

[BowEd]

You will bubbles.Deers' senses are at least 10 times more sensitive than ours.Wind direction is a major concern and practice practice practice shooting from a stand and the ground.Fine tune your equipment.Shoot from different positions of holding your bow in your bow hand.Shoot the bow enough so that it is like an extension of your arm as one pointing right at the deer.The one thing predictable about deer is that they will be unpredictable.It's way different than just target shooting.
99% of the bleeding hearts out there that oppose hunting have never had a family of skunks or ground hogs living under their home believe me.They've never subsistance lived or really understood the natural rythum of life in my opinion.It's a charge and a humble thankful feeling type result taking game for my benefit.Pitting your wits against a fine tuned wild deer with primitive equipment homemade equipment is the ultimate until something better comes along.

[Marks]

I've only ever finished off one animal with a knife. It was a young doe that had been gutshot (by someone else who couldn't finish it themselves) with a 30-06. Even with a big rifle its all about shot placement.

Somewhat sarcastically I'm impressed that he is able to shoot deer with any regularity that require a knife to finish off. With my experience you either find them dead or you don't find them. Sounds to me like misinformation heard by an uneducated person that was twisted to prove their point. No offense to her of course. Hit the deer in the right spot and everything should work itself out. I shot a doe last year that never made it 20yds.

[mullet]

 I had to finish one off with a hammer but never a knife. I hit a big doe with my Flintlock in the neck and thought she was done for untill I started to load here in my Gator. Halfway up she found some life and went to kicking the ever living crap out of me. I finally got my hands on a claw hammer I had in the back and stopped that nonsense. I still have scars on both forearms where she worked me over. And I've never figured out why someone would cut a deer's throat after the heart quit pumping?

[JW_Halverson]

I had to finish one off with a hammer but never a knife. I hit a big doe with my Flintlock in the neck and thought she was done for untill I started to load here in my Gator. Halfway up she found some life and went to kicking the ever living crap out of me. I finally got my hands on a claw hammer I had in the back and stopped that nonsense. I still have scars on both forearms where she worked me over. And I've never figured out why someone would cut a deer's throat after the heart quit pumping?

Same reason his wife cuts the legs off the turkey and puts them in another pan to roast in the oven at Thanksgiving.  Momma done it that way.  She asks Momma, and is told Granny done it that way.  She asks Gran' and finds out Gran's roaster was tiny and the dad-gum turkey won't fit, so she whacks off the legs and roasts 'em separately.  This is called Tradition! Folks have all kinds of goofy traditions surrounding hunting and processing game.  I've had guys literally screaming at me that I was ruining good antelope by not skinning immediately.  After a dozen or so times of leaving the hide on both bucks and does, I have yet to eat a bite of strong flavored antelope.  More folks claim you gotta cut off certain glands on legs, some claim you gotta hang by the head end or the butt end, and all kinds of silly superstitious claims. 

I think that is where the throat cutting stuff comes from.  Either someone once saw a deer get it's throat cut to finish it off or somebody's family passes down a silly tradition based on a misunderstanding.

My personal silly tradition is to get the critter's body cooled AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, and that is not negotiable.

Shoot the bow enough so that it is like an extension of your arm as one pointing right at the deer.

Ed just etched a real fact in stone right there!

Pitting your wits against a fine tuned wild deer with primitive equipment homemade equipment is the ultimate until something better comes along.

I started out with modern guns, progressed to a caplock muzzleloader and then a flintlock.  Along came bows.  I am eyeing atlatls even as we speak.  Lord help me I am de-evolving!  Some day I might just wander the plains nekkid as an ape, following big predators around hoping to snatch a mouthful of something left over after they have hunted!!!

[Marks]

I believe they used to cut hogs throats and bleed em out. When I killed my first boar many years ago I called my dad to come help get it out. It was in the 300# range. He told me they used to do that when they butchered hogs growing up so I did. I just did like I was told. I agree with you, old traditions get passed along and sometimes transferred over to different situations (from butchering farm hogs to deer hunting).

[PEARL DRUMS]

Hogs have to bleed out to make good pork, its white meat. Chickens get their noodles cut off for the same reason. Beef on the other hand needs all its blood for good beef, as its a red meat. That's why hogs get slit and beef get a prong to the forehead swirl!

[artcher1]

I had to finish one off with a hammer but never a knife. I hit a big doe with my Flintlock in the neck and thought she was done for untill I started to load here in my Gator. Halfway up she found some life and went to kicking the ever living crap out of me. I finally got my hands on a claw hammer I had in the back and stopped that nonsense. I still have scars on both forearms where she worked me over. And I've never figured out why someone would cut a deer's throat after the heart quit pumping?

That's hilarious Eddie!

About as bad as this fellow that hit a bear with his car, loaded it into his trunk, took it to a conservation officer, and when they opened the trunk, the bear 'bout ate 'em both up!

My boy found out the hard way that you don't gut a live deer ! It kicked him clear over the mountain when he stuck her with his knife. I may have been a little derelict in my duties in mentioning that little tidbit!  But in the end, he got his first deer!

[JW_Halverson]

Chickens get their noodles cut off for the same reason.

Now you are pulling our legs, Pearlie!  They don't do that or else they couldn't make chicken noodle soup!

[crooketarrow]

  Beadman I can see where your comeing from.
 But I'm still a bit harder driven for now when it comes to gobblers and bucks.
But I'm slowly leaning towards your ways.

[PAHunter]

Yes no reasonable person is chasing living deer with a knife, at least twice.  haha  By all means get the heck out there and hunt em with your bow.  I strongly 2nd the suggestion to find a mentor to lessen the learning curve.  Practice hard, hunt smart, and be patient.  Only take perfect shots and be willing to pass up less than ideal ones.  having said that let's be realistic, if you hunt enough you will wound deer.  it sucks but we all go through it usually more earlier in our hunting education.  understand it will happen and learn from it.  Sometimes you do everything as perfectly as possible but it happens.  Best not to mention those times to your wife.    Best of luck man!