As an outdoor enthusiast, I find myself watching all too much of the sportsman’s channel. However, shortly after getting the outdoor package added to my TV subscription I noticed that most of what is offered is about as real as most peoples Christmas trees. I don't know about you, but on top of not wanting to watch people shoot any kind of bird or reel in a fish, I more than anything else despise watching some rich guy pay someone to walk him onto a private ranch to kill what is basically a farm animal. Now that I got that out of the way, I want to address something else that I hope for my own sake is also a TV hunting illusion.
From what I have watched it appears that hunters have about a 97% success rate at recovering their animals. Now I will admit that a lot more people are willing to show the world their “complete miss” blunders. It seems that almost every show will unashamedly air some clean misses. Just this year I personally took part in a “complete miss” that was so bad that if you had been there you might have guessed that I was shooting a bow for the first time. When was the last time that you watched a hunting show that actually let you know when they hit a deer and didn't recover it. Maybe my friends and I are just bad shots. I don't want to guess at a percentage but I will guarantee that our numbers are not near as impressive as those of the glamorous Hollywood recovery rate.
More specifically I want to talk to bow hunters who's shots may only be inches off their mark but still result in grief. The area of a deer from the top of it's back to the top of it's lungs. On the diagram I posted the area appears small and you might think that an arrow placed there would certainly result in a spined deer. I've been bow hunting for a short five years and have unfortunately placed more than one arrow right in this spot. The blood from hit like this is dark, sparse and usually dries up within 100 yards. Not that its the biggest of your worries but it is usually also the end of another 10 dollar arrow and a 10 dollar broadhead. The most insulting part of this scenario is that you were literally just inches from a nice double lung shot or from dropping the deer in it's tracks. And meanwhile Mr. Hollywood can stick a deer in the back leg, feet away from the desired vitals” and he'll catch an artery and get his trophy. Honestly for the deers sake any recovery no matter what the shot placement, is always a good thing. But lets be honest with each other 97% isn't happening. But it is most defiantly something we can all aim for. Let us know what you think your recovery rate is, be honest there really aren't many people looking at this anyway. Also feel free to share a story.
Only a couple weeks left for us Michigan bow hunters, good luck to you all and..... aim low.
14 comments:
I believe I hit one above the lungs this year. It was the first animal in 12 years that I have shot at and not recovered. In those 12 years, I have shot at 13 deer, 92%, knock on wood. It's a bad feeling, knowing you hit one and you haven't found it. Sleepless night for sure. Side note: in the last 12 years, I have shot at zero deer with a gun, so I'm 0% there.
PS: I trust you will not mention my hunting spot on your blog. I have plenty of visitors.
Thanks. BK
Your secret is safe with us. Our Hunting spot is pretty much a public park and we consider it a good night if we don't see someone. Maybe we should pull all posts that mention where we are. BTW 92% is much better than mine. This year I shot at 5 deer. Completely missed one and hit another that I'm sure survived. The two bow kills were perfectly placed shots. But the buck I took with the shotgun was....... humbling.
Also "BK" when are you going to start your hunting blog?
thanks for the diagram. i hit above the spine on mine, not below
success rate
gun 100% 3 for 3
bow shamefully 33%, 1 for 3
Here is my hunting blog:
October: nothing
November: Missouri-decent 8 point-bow.
Late November: Crappy shot, no recovery. Kicking self.
December: Nothing
Summary: I have seen less deer this year than any other year in the past decade.
My blog isn't very interesting, I think I'll retire and just follow yours.
BK
PS I think BK's brother and Chad's cousin are the same person.
just for fun,
chad's cousin's squirrel success rate is 100% with a bow, 1 for 1 and it was hit in the vitals. no squirrel fever to throw off the shot
impressive the vitals on a squirrel are hard to hit even without the fever.
I must shamefully say I hit a squirel this year and could only find some guts and a three foot section of intestines. I followed blood for a little while but never found the squirel. How's that for sad?
As far as deer go, I am in the same boat as Chad. I have at least one deer every year that I do not recover, but I try to get at least 4 deer each year. So if I get 4 out of 5 each year that would be 80%.
Like BK, I usually only hunt with bow.
By the way, nice post.
Oh, and by the way. When I lose an arrow its more like thirty dollars. Ten for the broad head, ten for the shaft, and ten for the lumenok.
And when BK loses and Dad lose an arrow its like fifty. Ten for the shaft and thirty for the broad head. Gotta love Rage:)
I`ve shot three bucks that I would have considered wall hanger worthy (keep in mind I'm a little lenient when it comes to mounting deer) that hit in the dead zone of no vitals and no spine. I never found any of them. Like Chad said it was dark blood and the trail stopped after 100 yards.
I hate to correct BK's brother's (chad's cousin's) blog entry, but he has shot at least two squirrels with a bow. The first I believe was a standard broadside angle, the second was an impressive "head to sphincter remaining in a seated nut eating postion" shish-kabobing.
also, there was a "staple a squirrel 20 feet up in a tree wrapped in poison ivy that i had to climb and get my arrow back and then go quickly take a shower" shot.
I think this is a record number of comments on a post, right?
anonymous sure can paint a good word picture, can't he?
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