Running deer - Page 2

Nodak1858 · January 5, 2016, 10:51 AM

Where we hunt for the most part is open fields, we walk for our deer.
Standing shots are preffered, I but they are few and far between in my neck of the prairie.
Over the years I have taken multiple dozens of deer. Most of them have been running shots.
We don't shoot at anything, we each de idea if the shot is worth taking after judging distance and position of the deer. Like someone said , if I didn't take running shots I'd be a hungry fellow .
And that being said, the ONLY deer I ever hit and lost was standing when I shot it. It was at the end of the day and getting dark. I shouldn't have shot but I did, had blood and tracked it that night, and the morning. Lost the trail and never found it.

DennisCA · January 5, 2016, 11:23 AM

I've taken a few shots a running deer, most of them were complete misses (thankfully). That being said, I've only taken shots were I felt comfortable doing so. The only deer I've hit was one that was running straight away from me, (and it was close) I got lucky and hit it in the back of the neck - it was dead before it hit the ground.

gman3 · January 7, 2016, 07:20 PM

Best done with a shotgun. Hard to hit with a rifle unless really close. When I say hard to hit, I meant hit good. Not too hard to hit in the gut, leg, etc. with a rifle.

Shotgun is very goods odds for a good hit.

johnwilliamson062 · January 7, 2016, 08:48 PM

Squirrels are usually killed, incapacitated, or immobilized by almost any hit. A 22 on a squirrel is like hitting a deer with a cannon.

Gunplummer · January 8, 2016, 05:07 AM

Not the overall reaction I would have thought. Once and a while the subject comes up (Range, club, picnic, whatever) and there are usually some people really against it. The weird thing is they never really thought about it and don't know why. Usually they say they will shoot at other running animals with out a second thought.

kcub · January 8, 2016, 09:54 AM

Its a useful skill to have. The whole ethics question becomes a turned table if an animal is clearly wounded and getting away. Now you need to make a running shot to put the animal down. At this point the more velocity and power the better for a possibly farther 2nd poorly placed shot to stop or slow him down. I've seen this done well with 30-06, 257 Weatherby magnum, and 7mm Remington magnum on deer, warthog, and antelope.

I know 2 Alaskan guides who use 338 mag for grizzly wounded and getting away at long range.

Art Eatman · January 8, 2016, 10:24 AM

Bird hunters should find that running shots at Bambi are easily learned. Lead, and follow through as you shoot.

Example; numbers approximate: Bambi crossing at 100 yards. Probably 30 mph or 44 ft/sec. The bullet takes about 0.1 second to travel, as Bambi moves some 4.4 feet. Put the crosshairs about three feet in front of his nose. Don't forget the follow-through.

Not easy-peasy, but quite doable.

mwal · January 8, 2016, 01:28 PM

I have shot many running deer when I used to hunt with my brother and crew. All they do is drive deer. I always came from behind deer and when crosshairs passed the nose and follow thru. I have also snap shot some at close range with my peep sighted 30/30 while stalking. Given a choice standing is best but certain situations never present standing shots. And yes i have had to shot one more than once but not very often.

Mwal

Cleveland48 · January 8, 2016, 09:04 PM

I've killed alot of running deer. I grew up in a family of dog hunters. I know alot of people dont like dog hunting but it is a tradition in the deep south. We always used rifles I hardly know of anyone who used a shotgun. It Definetly takes alot of practice for sure. On a positive note if one is wounded it is caught very quickly by the dogs and is quickly dispatched. I only dog hunt with my old man once or twice a year now for ol times sake, mainly still hunt now. It does amazes me how many deer I see lost by people that were standing still in a green field. Honestly when you grow up shooting running game, one standing in a green field is quite an easy shot. But everyone wounds one eventually, if your lucky it's hopefully a clean miss.

Sure Shot Mc Gee · January 9, 2016, 01:15 AM

Easier to give a "Go free pass"_ and allow that un-molested quarry to show up at a later time or perhaps another day. But there are shooters (not hunters) who just can't do that. Its a necessity that they fire no mater what. Believers in: " Its not how you play the game. So long as you win"
I immediately know if I can make that running shot. Others may think they can and wound. If anyone wants to be a successful hunter they have to know when to squeeze that trigger and when not too.

Double Naught Spy · January 9, 2016, 09:52 AM

And now we are back to "If you don't hunt the way I think hunting should be done, then you aren't a hunter" business, LOL. If you are shooting at bambi, you are a hunter. You may or may not be a skilled hunter, but you are a hunter and you are hunting.

Art Eatman · January 9, 2016, 11:15 AM

Aw, DNS, I figure it's more a case of those who don't think they could make a running shot believe that since they can't, nobody should try it. Same sort of thinking about not taking neck shots, for instance: They say that Bambi doesn't keep his head still long enough for the shot.

johnwilliamson062 · January 10, 2016, 06:50 PM

I shot a running deer in the neck once during a drive. It was running behind a large felled tree trunk. The neck and head were all that was visible. It was a reactionary shot taken without thinking on my first hunt.

Broke the neck and crumpled where I hit it. Still had to have its throat cut.

I shouldn't have taken it. I avoid involvement in drives b/c of things like that.

Everyone was mighty impressed though.

22-rimfire · January 10, 2016, 09:01 PM

The only time I take a shot at a running deer is if I have already hit it once. I'll shoot at them walking, but not running. I don't shoot at squirrels running either since I typically use a 22. It is a safety thing for me on the squirrels. Rabbits.... I have shot many running with my 22 rifle.

buck460XVR · January 11, 2016, 02:20 PM

In many of the areas I hunt here in Wisconsin, if you don't shoot at running deer during the regular gun season, you generally go home empty handed. You either get good at shooting at running deer or again....you go home empty handed. Most of theose running shots are under 50 yards tho, so you don't really need to lead, just follow thru as you shoot, no different than shooting pheasants with a shotgun. Folks tend to want to stop swinging when pulling the trigger, and this is what generally makes for a gut shot. Swing thru and shoot and you either miss forward or get a good hit.

johnwilliamson062 · January 12, 2016, 04:13 PM

Quote:

I don't shoot at squirrels running either since I typically use a 22.

I met some guys who tree squirrels with beagles, then unload their .22s on it until one hits the thing. 4-5 guys and apparently they regularly reload.

Erno86 · January 12, 2016, 04:21 PM

If you want to try a shot at a close-up running deer with a scoped rifle or shotgun...you'd better have it on the lowest magnification possible --- preferably 1 or 1.5x --- so you can better pick-out the deer in your scope.

samsmix · January 13, 2016, 02:45 PM

I do. I do if I know I can place my bullet in the ribs. I have probably taken a third of approx. 160 deer and antelope on the run. Distance is the primary factor. Much over 150 yards I would not attempt it, but for these closer shots...and especially under, say 75 yards, an animal running sideways is far easier to anchor (for me) than a long shot (say 500 yards) with no time for a rangefinder.

Other folks would feel the opposite to be true.

January 5, 2016, 10:51 AM	#26
Nodak1858 Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2009 Location: N. Dakota Posts: 435	Where we hunt for the most part is open fields, we walk for our deer. Standing shots are preffered, I but they are few and far between in my neck of the prairie. Over the years I have taken multiple dozens of deer. Most of them have been running shots. We don't shoot at anything, we each de idea if the shot is worth taking after judging distance and position of the deer. Like someone said , if I didn't take running shots I'd be a hungry fellow . And that being said, the ONLY deer I ever hit and lost was standing when I shot it. It was at the end of the day and getting dark. I shouldn't have shot but I did, had blood and tracked it that night, and the morning. Lost the trail and never found it. __________________ We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.

January 9, 2016, 09:52 AM	#36
Double Naught Spy Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2001 Location: Forestburg, Montague Cnty, TX Posts: 12,717	And now we are back to "If you don't hunt the way I think hunting should be done, then you aren't a hunter" business, LOL. If you are shooting at bambi, you are a hunter. You may or may not be a skilled hunter, but you are a hunter and you are hunting. __________________ "If you look through your scope and see your shoe, aim higher." -- said to me by my 11 year old daughter before going out for hogs 8/13/2011 My Hunting Videos https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange

January 12, 2016, 04:21 PM	#42
Erno86 Senior Member Join Date: September 22, 2012 Location: Marriottsville, Maryland Posts: 1,739	If you want to try a shot at a close-up running deer with a scoped rifle or shotgun...you'd better have it on the lowest magnification possible --- preferably 1 or 1.5x --- so you can better pick-out the deer in your scope. __________________ That rifle hanging on the wall of the working class flat or labourer's cottage is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there." --- George Orwell

January 13, 2016, 02:45 PM	#43
samsmix Senior Member Join Date: June 29, 2006 Location: Montana (Montucky?) Posts: 1,273	I do. I do if I know I can place my bullet in the ribs. I have probably taken a third of approx. 160 deer and antelope on the run. Distance is the primary factor. Much over 150 yards I would not attempt it, but for these closer shots...and especially under, say 75 yards, an animal running sideways is far easier to anchor (for me) than a long shot (say 500 yards) with no time for a rangefinder. Other folks would feel the opposite to be true. __________________ You'll probably never NEED a gun. I hope you never do. But IF you do, you will need it worse than anything you've ever needed in your life. IF we're not supposed to eat animals, howcome God made 'em outta meat?

January 5, 2016, 11:23 AM	#27
DennisCA Senior Member Join Date: June 3, 2012 Location: Union City CA (a.k.a. Poople's Republik of CA) Posts: 451	I've taken a few shots a running deer, most of them were complete misses (thankfully). That being said, I've only taken shots were I felt comfortable doing so. The only deer I've hit was one that was running straight away from me, (and it was close) I got lucky and hit it in the back of the neck - it was dead before it hit the ground.

January 7, 2016, 07:20 PM	#28
gman3 Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2008 Posts: 408	Best done with a shotgun. Hard to hit with a rifle unless really close. When I say hard to hit, I meant hit good. Not too hard to hit in the gut, leg, etc. with a rifle. Shotgun is very goods odds for a good hit.

January 7, 2016, 08:48 PM	#29
johnwilliamson062 Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Posts: 9,995	Squirrels are usually killed, incapacitated, or immobilized by almost any hit. A 22 on a squirrel is like hitting a deer with a cannon.

January 8, 2016, 05:07 AM	#30
Gunplummer Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2010 Location: South East Pa. Posts: 3,364	Not the overall reaction I would have thought. Once and a while the subject comes up (Range, club, picnic, whatever) and there are usually some people really against it. The weird thing is they never really thought about it and don't know why. Usually they say they will shoot at other running animals with out a second thought.

January 8, 2016, 09:54 AM	#31
kcub Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2010 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 3,318	Its a useful skill to have. The whole ethics question becomes a turned table if an animal is clearly wounded and getting away. Now you need to make a running shot to put the animal down. At this point the more velocity and power the better for a possibly farther 2nd poorly placed shot to stop or slow him down. I've seen this done well with 30-06, 257 Weatherby magnum, and 7mm Remington magnum on deer, warthog, and antelope. I know 2 Alaskan guides who use 338 mag for grizzly wounded and getting away at long range.

January 8, 2016, 10:24 AM	#32
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Bird hunters should find that running shots at Bambi are easily learned. Lead, and follow through as you shoot. Example; numbers approximate: Bambi crossing at 100 yards. Probably 30 mph or 44 ft/sec. The bullet takes about 0.1 second to travel, as Bambi moves some 4.4 feet. Put the crosshairs about three feet in front of his nose. Don't forget the follow-through. Not easy-peasy, but quite doable.

January 8, 2016, 01:28 PM	#33
mwal Member Join Date: February 24, 2009 Posts: 91	I have shot many running deer when I used to hunt with my brother and crew. All they do is drive deer. I always came from behind deer and when crosshairs passed the nose and follow thru. I have also snap shot some at close range with my peep sighted 30/30 while stalking. Given a choice standing is best but certain situations never present standing shots. And yes i have had to shot one more than once but not very often. Mwal

January 8, 2016, 09:04 PM	#34
Cleveland48 Junior Member Join Date: August 21, 2015 Posts: 5	I've killed alot of running deer. I grew up in a family of dog hunters. I know alot of people dont like dog hunting but it is a tradition in the deep south. We always used rifles I hardly know of anyone who used a shotgun. It Definetly takes alot of practice for sure. On a positive note if one is wounded it is caught very quickly by the dogs and is quickly dispatched. I only dog hunt with my old man once or twice a year now for ol times sake, mainly still hunt now. It does amazes me how many deer I see lost by people that were standing still in a green field. Honestly when you grow up shooting running game, one standing in a green field is quite an easy shot. But everyone wounds one eventually, if your lucky it's hopefully a clean miss.

January 9, 2016, 01:15 AM	#35
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	Easier to give a "Go free pass"_ and allow that un-molested quarry to show up at a later time or perhaps another day. But there are shooters (not hunters) who just can't do that. Its a necessity that they fire no mater what. Believers in: " Its not how you play the game. So long as you win" I immediately know if I can make that running shot. Others may think they can and wound. If anyone wants to be a successful hunter they have to know when to squeeze that trigger and when not too.

January 9, 2016, 11:15 AM	#37
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Aw, DNS, I figure it's more a case of those who don't think they could make a running shot believe that since they can't, nobody should try it. Same sort of thinking about not taking neck shots, for instance: They say that Bambi doesn't keep his head still long enough for the shot.

January 10, 2016, 06:50 PM	#38
johnwilliamson062 Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Posts: 9,995	I shot a running deer in the neck once during a drive. It was running behind a large felled tree trunk. The neck and head were all that was visible. It was a reactionary shot taken without thinking on my first hunt. Broke the neck and crumpled where I hit it. Still had to have its throat cut. I shouldn't have taken it. I avoid involvement in drives b/c of things like that. Everyone was mighty impressed though.

January 10, 2016, 09:01 PM	#39
22-rimfire Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2005 Location: Tennessee Posts: 5,323	The only time I take a shot at a running deer is if I have already hit it once. I'll shoot at them walking, but not running. I don't shoot at squirrels running either since I typically use a 22. It is a safety thing for me on the squirrels. Rabbits.... I have shot many running with my 22 rifle.

January 11, 2016, 02:20 PM	#40
buck460XVR Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2006 Posts: 4,342	In many of the areas I hunt here in Wisconsin, if you don't shoot at running deer during the regular gun season, you generally go home empty handed. You either get good at shooting at running deer or again....you go home empty handed. Most of theose running shots are under 50 yards tho, so you don't really need to lead, just follow thru as you shoot, no different than shooting pheasants with a shotgun. Folks tend to want to stop swinging when pulling the trigger, and this is what generally makes for a gut shot. Swing thru and shoot and you either miss forward or get a good hit.