Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

What is up with all the 2 shot kills I'm hearing?!

Smawgunner

Junior Member
223
61
Athens
Guess I'm too immersed in the old Marine Corps saying...."One shot one kill". Plus I want my venison in tact as much as possible. The double shots I hear are a second or two after the first which to me tells me the shooter didn't assess the effectiveness of the first shot, but followed up with an insurance shot. Just not the way I do things but to each his own.
 
I must just live in a different time period. Terms like bloodied his ass, got one hit but he's still going, both guys unloaded their guns, I ran out shells, I shot to turn him, got him on the 3rd shot, broke its leg, took a halo or hail Mary shot, shot at him on 3 different drives, got one wounded. commonly used language i hear used every year of shotgun...hardly anyone in my neighborhood gives two shits about ethical shots especially when antlers get involved just as long as they can slow it down to put one in its chest eventually.........
I'm with you brother. Without starting the war of the Century, this is why I don't like gun seasons. Too many guys who don't shoot all year long, get all jacked up to see deer and don't wait on the ethical shot. Orange army BS. I have neighbors who have taken shots and hit two deer this year cuz they're the same way, both have taken shots at moving deer, without regard to the animal. It pisses me off. I'm sorry, I hear every excuse in the book but, one shot, one kill. I know whitetails are wild animals but 98% of them can be stopped for an ethical shot and if not, that deer walks, no matter how big it is. Not to mention, most guys (not all) don't have the skill to shoot a moving deer. I'm glad gun season is over. Soap box over. Lol.
 
I agree that your “allowed” to shoot any deer, but not sure why you would want to shoot a spike unless it’s your first deer. If you need meat shoot a doe. That is how PA got where it was, guys shooting everything that moved and unmanaged land/forests. If you can’t manage our herd on our own the state will do it for us with law changes like PA has. Just my opinion.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smawgunner

jwiley77

Junior Member
45
19
Deer are a resilient creature, I once made the mistake of shooting one between the eyes with an arrow, that didn't end well, while I try to make my years as a marksmen in the ARMY count for something, it doesn't always happen with the one shot drop, and depending on your adjoining neighbors, you might not have the opportunity to retrieve your deer if it meanders off onto a less friendly farm.
Keep one thing in mind when you berate another Hunter, we are all on the same side and hating on our own gives the antis more fuel.
 
I'm with you brother. Without starting the war of the Century, this is why I don't like gun seasons. Too many guys who don't shoot all year long, get all jacked up to see deer and don't wait on the ethical shot. Orange army BS. I have neighbors who have taken shots and hit two deer this year cuz they're the same way, both have taken shots at moving deer, without regard to the animal. It pisses me off. I'm sorry, I hear every excuse in the book but, one shot, one kill. I know whitetails are wild animals but 98% of them can be stopped for an ethical shot and if not, that deer walks, no matter how big it is. Not to mention, most guys (not all) don't have the skill to shoot a moving deer. I'm glad gun season is over. Soap box over. Lol.

Then why do we see so many posts on Facebook from archery hunters asking for dog tracking services or asking for advice when they hit a deer poorly? LOL.

I think their are unethical shots taken regardless of the weapon. In my opinion hunters today take far more ethical shots on average than 30 years ago.

Another thought. Why do people get upset if someone takes a running shot at a whitetail, but shooting at a rabbit running is ok? If you hit a duck flying but it gets away no one seems to blink an eye, but if you hit a deer and it gets away then you should have taken a better shot. It is funny the way that us hunters have a double standard depending on the species. Not directing this at you Blue, but just something I have always wondered about.
 
I do agree with you 100% unethical shots are taken by inexperienced or unethical hunters regardless of weapons. And I'd agree with you, much better than years bbefor. I think in general it takes a lot more practice to hunt with a bow exception being a crossbow (not a dig on crossbow hunters) so, you do generally have less complacency with practice than the guy who only goes out during gun. Just a generalization I guess , I do know a lot of dedicated hunters who practice with their weapon of choice a lot before the season starts. I think it's better of me to blame the hunter and not the weapon choice.

And as far as running shots on deer vs. Rabbit or duck, I think the main issue is that ducks are always flying in or out, rabbits are running (though I have shot some rabbits standing still). Deer are meandering creatures in general, if the deer is running like hell, in my opinion, you wait til it stops or you let it beat you. Not saying it's right to wound any animal at all! I don't doubt some guys can take a well placed ethical shot on a running deer but, like I said before, I'd venture to say very few have ever practiced that shot. That makes it unethical in my books. Just my opinion.
 
I do agree with you 100% unethical shots are taken by inexperienced or unethical hunters regardless of weapons. And I'd agree with you, much better than years bbefor. I think in general it takes a lot more practice to hunt with a bow exception being a crossbow (not a dig on crossbow hunters) so, you do generally have less complacency with practice than the guy who only goes out during gun. Just a generalization I guess , I do know a lot of dedicated hunters who practice with their weapon of choice a lot before the season starts. I think it's better of me to blame the hunter and not the weapon choice.

And as far as running shots on deer vs. Rabbit or duck, I think the main issue is that ducks are always flying in or out, rabbits are running (though I have shot some rabbits standing still). Deer are meandering creatures in general, if the deer is running like hell, in my opinion, you wait til it stops or you let it beat you. Not saying it's right to wound any animal at all! I don't doubt some guys can take a well placed ethical shot on a running deer but, like I said before, I'd venture to say very few have ever practiced that shot. That makes it unethical in my books. Just my opinion.

Isn't' the only way to truly practice shooting at running deer is to shoot at running deer. LOL.
 
Deer are a resilient creature, I once made the mistake of shooting one between the eyes with an arrow, that didn't end well, while I try to make my years as a marksmen in the ARMY count for something, it doesn't always happen with the one shot drop, and depending on your adjoining neighbors, you might not have the opportunity to retrieve your deer if it meanders off onto a less friendly farm.
Keep one thing in mind when you berate another Hunter, we are all on the same side and hating on our own gives the antis more fuel.
All just friendly convo here. We're all hunters and I agree with ya. Standing together makes us stronger. But in the same token, holding everyone to a higher standard, makes us all better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smawgunner

BCamp

Junior Member
66
19
Dayton
I agree that your “allowed” to shoot any deer, but not sure why you would want to shoot a spike unless it’s your first deer. If you need meat shoot a doe. That is how PA got where it was, guys shooting everything that moved and unmanaged land/forests. If you can’t manage our herd on our own the state will do it for us with law changes like PA has. Just my opinion.
Some guys aren't fortunate enough to be able to hunt more than a day or two in a year and might go several years without even seeing one. To that guy any deer is a trophy and a doe, bb or spike is all the same for him. As long as it's a legal harvest I'm happy for anyone who gets a deer.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mike and Joel
Some guys aren't fortunate enough to be able to hunt more than a day or two in a year and might go several years without even seeing one. To that guy any deer is a trophy and a doe, bb or spike is all the same for him. As long as it's a legal harvest I'm happy for anyone who gets a deer.
That is a very good point, I just see guys near me where that’s not the case and hunt like idiots. I think another thing guys aren’t thinking about, and why there is a big difference in opinion here, is wether you own land or not. I spent the first 3/4 of my life not owning and doing everything I could to find private land to hunt or just going public. Now that I have private land my thought process is completely different than 10 years ago.