Bambi's Revenge

Bella · October 12, 2014, 04:23 PM

This morning I went bird hunting on a friends ranch. Its a large spread, but only half of it is being used for alfalfa. The other half hasn't been worked on in years, its reverting back to a wild stage,great hunting.

My dog and I are walking on a dirt path along a dried out irrigation ditch. The vegetation is is not too thick.

We are near the end of the ditch when my dog goes birdie for something on the other side of it. I found a easy to cross point and went across, my dog was a step ahead of me. As I came up the other side my dog took off to the right into some heavy brush. I was standing in moderate brush, too thick too see very far, but not so thick to move around.

A few seconds pass and my dog lets out a sort bark-yelp type sound, something I never heard from her before. Then I heard the sound of a large animal crashing through the brush towards me.

I brought my shotgun up to just before shouldering it and took the safety off. I went into self-preservation mode. The problem was that my shotgun was loaded with birdshot. I had a sidearm, but it was a Ruger Single Six, not much better.

Then at about twenty feet from me a young doe emerged from the brush. Apparently my dog bumped her.

The funny thing was that the deer was heading straight at me and did not look like she was going to alter her course to avoid me. I started waving my gun and yelling. That did the trick, she took a sharp right and kept going.

A few questions now.

Lets say, God forbid, that instead of a deer it had been bear or mountain lion, creatures that are seen in this area. Would having fired a load of birdshot into its face have detered it? Would just firing a shot in the air been better? Should I carry a more substantial handgun?

I suppose I could put a couple of rounds of buckshot or slugs in my vest, but in this situation I would not have time to load any round into my gun.

Next time I might just fire a shot into the air when I start the hunt to try and scare anything off.

One more thing. Do you think that the deer would have eventually veered off or was there the possibility that she was going to bowl me over? As I said, she was heading towards me as if she didn't know I was there. Imagine if it was a buck with large pointy antlers!

armoredman · October 12, 2014, 09:53 PM

I'm no great experienced hunter, but I would hazard a guess that the sudden stinging pain of the bird shot, chance of being blinded, and the sudden roar of the gun might deter a predator or two...and then they run or become enraged. I don't know, but blinding them if they are attacking can't be a bad thing.

Snyper · October 12, 2014, 10:54 PM

I wouldn't suggest shooting any animal that you aren't 100% SURE is attacking you

Making a bear angry is the last (literally) thing you'd want to do by unloading on him with birdshot.

If you're truly afraid, carry a bigger handgun (44 mag)

Yell at the deer next time and they won't run over you

bird_dog · October 13, 2014, 07:08 AM

I agree with the other two posters, however if it were a large predator and you had only seconds to do something, a load of bird shot can cause a tremendous amount of damage at point-blank range. And if it's not point blank range, you probably should not be shooting.

Glad you didn't get mauled by that doe

riverratt · October 13, 2014, 08:39 AM

I had something simular happen to me a few years ago. I was bow hunting in an area that there was a report of a mt lion a few weeks earlier and i was walking in before day. The old 4-weeler trail had a tangled thicket to the left and 6ft tall grass to the right. I herd heavy foot fall followed by grass rustling. When i turned to look i saw the grass splitting and whatever it was, was commin straight at me. I drew my sidearm, pointed it in the direction of the "attack" and prepaired for a fight. When the grass parted at the trail i saw... a visious doe that was just as scaired as i was. She locked up all fours, fell on her side and slid into the tangle below.... whew, think my heart skiped a beat.

To answer the question i would say a load of birdshot at PB to the face would stop or atleast stun nearly any animal. If you hit it in the eye or eyes i wouldnt think the attack would continue.

buck460XVR · October 13, 2014, 09:01 AM

At zero yards a shot cup of birdshot will act much like a slug, with just a tad less penetration. It's still better than a pointy stick if you have nuttin' else. A dog at their heels will keep most bear and cougars moving as long a you get outta their way. As for ever hearing a mountain lion before it attacks......ain't gonna happen.

AllenJ · October 13, 2014, 09:52 AM

A shotgun, even with "bird shot", should be more than enough to deter a mountain lion. At 20 yards it's going to cause at least serious pain and at 10 yards serious damage.

TimSr · October 13, 2014, 10:59 AM

Similar thing happened to me but it was a wild hog. The most constructive thing you did was yell. If they know you are there, wild animals will almost always change course or run in another direction AWAY from you.

Blindstitch · October 13, 2014, 05:02 PM

A bird hunter and his dog last year in Wisconsin was attacked by a bear and the hunter killed it with birdshot.

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/...-bear-birdshot

eastbank · October 13, 2014, 05:31 PM

i know a old man who said he killed a large doe at about 20-25 feet with a full side head shot with 1-1/4 oz #4 shot right after ww-2 for food, he was 15 years old then and said times were hard for his familey then. eastbank.

Mainah · October 13, 2014, 05:54 PM

Years ago my German Shepherd jumped a doe on my property while I was heading down the driveway to get the morning paper. That deer beat the crap out of him, and gave my Border Collie a kick to the face just for being there. Meanwhile I'm jumping and yelling in my boxers and a t-shirt.

Ran the doe off with an axe handle, only we had a few seconds of eye contact. The dogs were humbled, but fine. The Maine Warden that took my call said she may have been protecting a fawn. Most importantly he told me that I would have been prosecuted for poaching if I'd shot her.

tahoe2 · October 13, 2014, 09:09 PM

Bigger Handgun !! 357 mag, 41 mag , 44 mag , or 45 Colt ought to do it !!

T. O'Heir · October 14, 2014, 02:01 PM

Bambi is a buck. The dog bothered Bambi's mom.
"...If you're truly afraid,..." Stay home.
"...a load of birdshot into its face..." Likely get you arrested and a very PO'd CO who has to go find the wounded Yogi and kill him because of your actions.
"...bird hunter and his dog..." Everything has been killed with stuff that shouldn't. Doesn't mean you a should use the same thing.
"...had been bear or mountain lion..." If Yogi is within 100 yards and coming for you, you're fornicated. He can cover 100 yards in under 6 seconds. No handgun cartridge will stop anything in its tracks. Kitty comes from above and behind. Both will go out of their way to avoid you. Unless you do something to annoy either.

armoredman · October 14, 2014, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Likely get you arrested and a very PO'd CO who has to go find the wounded Yogi and kill him because of your actions.

Don't really care, because in THIS state I have the right to use deadly physical force to protect myself against human and animal attacks, regardless if the animal is protected or not.

Quote:

He can cover 100 yards in under 6 seconds. No handgun cartridge will stop anything in its tracks.

One individual out walking his dog point shot an attacking bear who actually slid past him, one round from a 454 Casull, in Alaska. Charge was reportedly from 20 yards. Another individual allegedly killed a bear with a Tanfoglio 9mm, but used every dadgum round to do it. I would certainly be hesitant to use 9mm on a bear, but not if he was charging me - I'll use everything on me that I can get to. I'll go down, but not without a fight.
Big cats attack from above/behind, land on the back and reach around to tears the throat out - medieval neck armor would be the handiest there...

Colorado Redneck · October 14, 2014, 08:33 PM

Buddy and I were dove hunting one fall on his Gramma's farm. We were using the cheapest dove loads we could buy---probably #8 shot, maybe one ounce load, around 1976 or so. We were walking separately around a big patch of sunflowers, when I hear him shoot, something yelped and there were two more follow up shots. Then I saw a coyote hauling down the hill. My buddy and I watched that coyote run for maybe a mile before it went over a hill on the other side of the valley.

The shooter is one heck of a shot, and he said he was about 25 feet from the animal when he spotted it and shot him in the ribs. He said the coyote rolled once and came up running full speed. He put the 2nd and 3rd loads in the coyotes rear axle, but even though the shots came fast they were probably 50 feet and 100 feet as the animal accelerated. Anyway, bird shot is dicey if you are shooting something with any size at more than point blank range---IMHO.

If I was the OP and something truly dangerous was coming at me full blast, I would certainly give it whatever that shotgun was loaded with if possible. Better to do that than fold up and turn into bear doodoo.

October 12, 2014, 04:23 PM	#1
Bella Senior Member Join Date: July 6, 2009 Posts: 341	Bambi's Revenge This morning I went bird hunting on a friends ranch. Its a large spread, but only half of it is being used for alfalfa. The other half hasn't been worked on in years, its reverting back to a wild stage,great hunting. My dog and I are walking on a dirt path along a dried out irrigation ditch. The vegetation is is not too thick. We are near the end of the ditch when my dog goes birdie for something on the other side of it. I found a easy to cross point and went across, my dog was a step ahead of me. As I came up the other side my dog took off to the right into some heavy brush. I was standing in moderate brush, too thick too see very far, but not so thick to move around. A few seconds pass and my dog lets out a sort bark-yelp type sound, something I never heard from her before. Then I heard the sound of a large animal crashing through the brush towards me. I brought my shotgun up to just before shouldering it and took the safety off. I went into self-preservation mode. The problem was that my shotgun was loaded with birdshot. I had a sidearm, but it was a Ruger Single Six, not much better. Then at about twenty feet from me a young doe emerged from the brush. Apparently my dog bumped her. The funny thing was that the deer was heading straight at me and did not look like she was going to alter her course to avoid me. I started waving my gun and yelling. That did the trick, she took a sharp right and kept going. A few questions now. Lets say, God forbid, that instead of a deer it had been bear or mountain lion, creatures that are seen in this area. Would having fired a load of birdshot into its face have detered it? Would just firing a shot in the air been better? Should I carry a more substantial handgun? I suppose I could put a couple of rounds of buckshot or slugs in my vest, but in this situation I would not have time to load any round into my gun. Next time I might just fire a shot into the air when I start the hunt to try and scare anything off. One more thing. Do you think that the deer would have eventually veered off or was there the possibility that she was going to bowl me over? As I said, she was heading towards me as if she didn't know I was there. Imagine if it was a buck with large pointy antlers!

October 12, 2014, 10:54 PM	#3
Snyper Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2013 Location: Eastern NC Posts: 3,047	I wouldn't suggest shooting any animal that you aren't 100% SURE is attacking you Making a bear angry is the last (literally) thing you'd want to do by unloading on him with birdshot. If you're truly afraid, carry a bigger handgun (44 mag) Yell at the deer next time and they won't run over you __________________ One shot, one kill

October 14, 2014, 02:01 PM	#13
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Bambi is a buck. The dog bothered Bambi's mom. "...If you're truly afraid,..." Stay home. "...a load of birdshot into its face..." Likely get you arrested and a very PO'd CO who has to go find the wounded Yogi and kill him because of your actions. "...bird hunter and his dog..." Everything has been killed with stuff that shouldn't. Doesn't mean you a should use the same thing. "...had been bear or mountain lion..." If Yogi is within 100 yards and coming for you, you're fornicated. He can cover 100 yards in under 6 seconds. No handgun cartridge will stop anything in its tracks. Kitty comes from above and behind. Both will go out of their way to avoid you. Unless you do something to annoy either. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

October 14, 2014, 08:33 PM	#15
Colorado Redneck Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2008 Location: Northeast Colorado Posts: 1,993	Coyote and bird shot Buddy and I were dove hunting one fall on his Gramma's farm. We were using the cheapest dove loads we could buy---probably #8 shot, maybe one ounce load, around 1976 or so. We were walking separately around a big patch of sunflowers, when I hear him shoot, something yelped and there were two more follow up shots. Then I saw a coyote hauling down the hill. My buddy and I watched that coyote run for maybe a mile before it went over a hill on the other side of the valley. The shooter is one heck of a shot, and he said he was about 25 feet from the animal when he spotted it and shot him in the ribs. He said the coyote rolled once and came up running full speed. He put the 2nd and 3rd loads in the coyotes rear axle, but even though the shots came fast they were probably 50 feet and 100 feet as the animal accelerated. Anyway, bird shot is dicey if you are shooting something with any size at more than point blank range---IMHO. If I was the OP and something truly dangerous was coming at me full blast, I would certainly give it whatever that shotgun was loaded with if possible. Better to do that than fold up and turn into bear doodoo.

October 12, 2014, 09:53 PM	#2
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,297	I'm no great experienced hunter, but I would hazard a guess that the sudden stinging pain of the bird shot, chance of being blinded, and the sudden roar of the gun might deter a predator or two...and then they run or become enraged. I don't know, but blinding them if they are attacking can't be a bad thing.

October 13, 2014, 07:08 AM	#4
bird_dog Senior Member Join Date: May 26, 2004 Posts: 225	I agree with the other two posters, however if it were a large predator and you had only seconds to do something, a load of bird shot can cause a tremendous amount of damage at point-blank range. And if it's not point blank range, you probably should not be shooting. Glad you didn't get mauled by that doe

October 13, 2014, 08:39 AM	#5
riverratt Senior Member Join Date: February 21, 2014 Posts: 314	I had something simular happen to me a few years ago. I was bow hunting in an area that there was a report of a mt lion a few weeks earlier and i was walking in before day. The old 4-weeler trail had a tangled thicket to the left and 6ft tall grass to the right. I herd heavy foot fall followed by grass rustling. When i turned to look i saw the grass splitting and whatever it was, was commin straight at me. I drew my sidearm, pointed it in the direction of the "attack" and prepaired for a fight. When the grass parted at the trail i saw... a visious doe that was just as scaired as i was. She locked up all fours, fell on her side and slid into the tangle below.... whew, think my heart skiped a beat. To answer the question i would say a load of birdshot at PB to the face would stop or atleast stun nearly any animal. If you hit it in the eye or eyes i wouldnt think the attack would continue.

October 13, 2014, 09:01 AM	#6
buck460XVR Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2006 Posts: 4,342	At zero yards a shot cup of birdshot will act much like a slug, with just a tad less penetration. It's still better than a pointy stick if you have nuttin' else. A dog at their heels will keep most bear and cougars moving as long a you get outta their way. As for ever hearing a mountain lion before it attacks......ain't gonna happen.

October 13, 2014, 09:52 AM	#7
AllenJ Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2009 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,766	A shotgun, even with "bird shot", should be more than enough to deter a mountain lion. At 20 yards it's going to cause at least serious pain and at 10 yards serious damage.

October 13, 2014, 10:59 AM	#8
TimSr Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2013 Location: Rittman, Ohio Posts: 2,074	Similar thing happened to me but it was a wild hog. The most constructive thing you did was yell. If they know you are there, wild animals will almost always change course or run in another direction AWAY from you.

October 13, 2014, 05:02 PM	#9
Blindstitch Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2013 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 2,692	A bird hunter and his dog last year in Wisconsin was attacked by a bear and the hunter killed it with birdshot. http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/...-bear-birdshot

October 13, 2014, 05:31 PM	#10
eastbank Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2008 Location: pa. Posts: 2,450	i know a old man who said he killed a large doe at about 20-25 feet with a full side head shot with 1-1/4 oz #4 shot right after ww-2 for food, he was 15 years old then and said times were hard for his familey then. eastbank.

October 13, 2014, 05:54 PM	#11
Mainah Senior Member Join Date: July 9, 2007 Posts: 1,119	Years ago my German Shepherd jumped a doe on my property while I was heading down the driveway to get the morning paper. That deer beat the crap out of him, and gave my Border Collie a kick to the face just for being there. Meanwhile I'm jumping and yelling in my boxers and a t-shirt. Ran the doe off with an axe handle, only we had a few seconds of eye contact. The dogs were humbled, but fine. The Maine Warden that took my call said she may have been protecting a fawn. Most importantly he told me that I would have been prosecuted for poaching if I'd shot her.

October 13, 2014, 09:09 PM	#12
tahoe2 Senior Member Join Date: August 13, 2011 Location: Seattle area Posts: 661	Bigger Handgun !! 357 mag, 41 mag , 44 mag , or 45 Colt ought to do it !!