Deer Hunting question

[bubbles]

Hi Guys,
I've never gone deer hunting before, but I'm looking to go for my first time this year, with a bow and set of arrows I made myself.  50# at 26".   
Anyways, my wife (who is desperately trying to get me not to hunt) says she was talking to her friend whose dad makes and hunts with traditional bows.  For him, apparently most of the time a traditional bow isn't enough to kill a deer and he has to finish the job with a knife. 
Does this sound right? As far as I understood, if you're putting an arrow in the heart/lung area, that should be enough to do the job. Obviously you have to give the time (1/2 hour - 1hour) after you shoot.  I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.

Mike.     
 

 

[Danzn Bar]

Fact is............. a hole in both lungs...........leads to not breathing therefore,  meat in the freezer.

Sorry for being so blunt.....but if you have never deer hunted (gun or bow) understand shot placement is everything.  learn where the heart lung area is looking at every angle of the critter your after.  If you put an arrow through that area ..... you will have meat in the freezer.
DBar

[lostarrow]

If you've never done it before, I can't emphasise how important it is that you find someone to go with you that knows what they are doing. From scouting to  butchering ,there is a lot to know in between.  If the other guy is "Finishing things off with a knife",  I would guess why he is chasing around an animal that is still alive? A well placed shot is the only one to take. If it is a good shot the animal will die in very short order ,before you go after it (1 hour later)  They should be dying within 100 yards of where you shoot it. If the shot doesn't go as planned , you need to know what and where to look. A book could be written on the subject and not give you the insight that a few informative outings will with  a mentor. Don't make the hunting world look bad with a poorly planned ,or uneducated  hunt that ends badly for the animal ,and possibly you. Most of the work comes after the shot. Surely there are some friends or co- workers that hunt. Talk to her friends Dad. Maybe he was misinterpreted?.?.? Maybe his experienced small talk was falling on inexperienced ears? Couldn't hurt to talk to him. 

[Pat B]

Every animal in the world has been killed by a wood bow at one time or another. If the archer/hunter is good his wood bow will be as effective as any other hunting weapon. If you can get the arrow where it is supposed to go the deer is dead in a few seconds.

[Pappy]

Well said lostarrow,couldn't agree more,as for the knife thing,I have killed a bunch with a stick and never needed a knife except to field dress one, I have needed another arrow a few times    but 1 arrow in the heart lung area will do it I assure you. Unless I have made a questionable shot I never give them an hour either. They are dead in a few seconds.  I have heard this from others from time to time and I will tell them, just think about it, nothing can live without lungs or a heart so your job is to eliminate them, if you do that then you got no problems.     
Pappy

[bubbles]

Yeah, you guys have re-confirmed what I thought before.   I don't know the guy in question, so I'm not sure how well he shoots and what kind of shots he is taking.   I am going out with someone with many years of deer hunting experience (not the guys who is chasing deer with knives), and I have made every effort to learn and practice as much as I can beforehand.  That is why some guy saying "with a traditional bow most of the time I need to finish them off with a knife" really went against everything I've read and seen on this site -  in regards to proper shot placement and shooting withing your comfortable accuracy range, etc.  Also, it led to a big argument since this has now made my wife even more against hunting.  That and apparently yesterday some guys shot a sacred albino moose in nova scotia.    Oh well, such is life.   

[osage outlaw]

Check out my post in the 2013 hunting pictures page.  That buck was "stone" dead in well under a minute.  It didn't go 50 yards after the shot. 

[PEARL DRUMS]

No way in the world do I approach a wounded deer with a knife. Those animals are crazy powerful, even hurt. Ive never had to finish a deer off, they have all been dead when I got there. If I had to? Another arrow is heading his way from 20 feet, not a knife from arms length.

[Olanigw (Pekane)]

No way in the world do I approach a wounded deer with a knife. Those animals are crazy powerful, even hurt. Ive never had to finish a deer off, they have all been dead when I got there. If I had to? Another arrow is heading his way from 20 feet, not a knife from arms length.

Amen to that.  Buddy had a bad spine shot on a doe years ago.  Long story short he lost the knife and had the ever living crap beat out of him before she finally bled out.  Called my old man for help dragging it out.

[Bryce]

Same same. I used stone points for the first time this year with a yew selfbow. Shot was at 25 yards. Both lungs popped. The elk coughed a mist of blood into the air and collapsed 40 yards from the shot.

Every animal in the world has been killed by a wood bow at one time or another. If the archer/hunter is good his wood bow will be as effective as any other hunting weapon. If you can get the arrow where it is supposed to go the deer is dead in a few seconds.

100% fact

Lots of ppl think that the bigger the hole the faster the animal goes down. I see em out there with there 30-06's blowing holes in there meat. When a 223 or a .22 is all you need.
Shot placement is key. The only time an animal took 30 mins to die was when my arrow was just a hair too far back and punched the liver... Still died but it didn't take no hour.

[RyanR]

That is more than enough draw weight. Just shot one last week with a 42# selfbow. Go get em!

[crooketarrow]

  Native people live by the bow for 1000's of years.

  I guess that says it all.

 

[Pat B]

...and primitive people have lived by the bow for at least 12,000 years!

[BowEd]

All that's said here is true.Been hunting since I was 5 with something or another.Since getting into making natural material bows 4 years ago I've shot 7 deer.No record but a lot of fun anyway.I'll add one thng to this conversation.Enjoy the goings on out there while your hunting.Slow down listen,take notice of things.It's their world.Conform to it.That's what it's all about too because successful hunts happen a small percentage of the time put into one.
I used to campaign coonhounds in the hunts and it was a blast for 25 years.A life style.Gone 250 nights a year in Iowa.40,000 miles a year.It was like a job on top of my day job.Been in the woods most my life.It caused me to about get burned out from hunting my hounds.
I now deer hunt when I feel like it when I have an open window of time.I don't pressure myself all that much in the notion that I've got to get a deer,I've got to get a deer.Although I relish the chance......LOL.Then at the end of the season if I get one I'm relieved that I got one.No No No.For me I won't pressure myelf into disappointment.If it happens it happens.Learn from the animals.Be selective of your shots.

[BowEd]

Also it could be you may have misinterperated your friends intention of using a kinife.Bleeding out good does let the meat taste better.Although there is a bucket of blood inside the diaphram area after a well placed shot anyway.I never in my life have came to a deer after it is down and cut it's throat.There is'nt any sense to it.