Animal behavior prior to the shot

[skydiver386]

How many of you have noticed the difference in how alert an animal is before the shot, and the reaction to the shot? How effective a heart shot is when an animal has no clue you are there vs one that is staring straight at you stomping and snorting?

We talk endlessly about calibers, bullet brands and types, optics and dozens of other things, but in my experience the thing that will determine whether I score a quick kill or have a long tracking job seems to be the animals state of alertness prior to the shot.

I've anchored animals right on the spot with shots that weren't textbook perfect, but also seen Deer that were stomping and snorting at me run over 150 yards after I put a huge hole in their heart and lungs. As many of you know, adrenaline is the most powerful drug on the planet Earth.

If possible, I prefer to pull the trigger when the animal has its head down feeding or drinking. I'm 100% confident in a clean kill when the trigger breaks under those conditions. I also prefer a 100-150 yard shot with a rifle, and 30-40 yard shot with a crossbow. Longer shots and I feel I should stalk closer. Shots closer than this and the animals seem to be on edge, tuned in to danger even if they don't know where the danger is.

What have you experienced, and is there a consensus of when the shot should be taken, or possibly not taken because the the animal is spooked? Of course we are talking about the first shot at unwounded game

 

[BRICKBURN]

My goal is always to place the best killing shot possible. Heart/lung.

If the critter knows you are there it will certainly react differently than one that has no clue you are there.
It makes a huge difference with bow hunting. A rifle, not as much.
"Jumping the bullet" is not something you hear!

Animals looking away, head down feeding/drinking or other distraction allows you to draw the bow.

Closer is better in my experience.

With a rifle, I take the shot when the vitals are available for a clear shot.
Taking the shot within 3 seconds of lining up if I can.

With a bow, more like your preference.

 

[skydiver386]

My goal is always to place the best killing shot possible. Heart/lung.

If the critter knows you are there it will certainly react differently than one that has no clue you are there.
It makes a huge difference with bow hunting. A rifle, not as much.
"Jumping the bullet" is not something you hear!

Animals looking away, head down feeding/drinking or other distraction allows you to draw the bow.

Closer is better in my experience.

With a rifle, I take the shot when the vitals are available for a clear shot.
Taking the shot within 3 seconds of lining up if I can.

With a bow, more like your preference.

Good point. If I'm hunting with any archery gear, and the animal is spooked, I'll often stay still and not take the shot, especially if it's getting dark. Years ago I had to blood trail countless Deer when friends or relatives made poor shots late in the evening, or Deer thirty as we call it. Nearly every time when I asked, they told me the Deer was spooked and often looking right at them when they released the shot. At that point I knew it was time for a sandwich and a cup of coffee, because I had a long night ahead of me.

With firearms I'll take the shot, but know I'd better be ready to put another one in it if possible.

Other than ethics and marksmanship, the best thing to teach new hunters is to be quiet, move slow and not spook game.

 

[BeeMaa]

I've seen a big difference when an animal is aware of something vs completely unaware.

When they are aware, they always seem to run some distance. Obviously depending on the shot location, but I've only seen one that knew we were there and dropped in its tracks. That was a shot by my wife to a kudu at 100 yards and she hit the off switch to the CNS with a high neck bullseye. Other than that, they always run...at least a little bit.

Unaware animals I've seen dropped several times with both frontal and broadside shots, but they have always included a proper shot to the heart, not just the lungs.

Given the choice, I'd get as close as possible without disturbing the animal to line up on a shot to the vitals. Not sure how I want to vote, but any shot to the heart and lungs will bring them down eventually.

 

[mdwest]

I PREFER to take a shot when I know the animal is relaxed.. if theyre feeding or drinking, not really paying much attention to whats going on, etc.. my experience is that they pretty much drop in their tracks and expire very quickly..

but... I'll pretty much take any obvious "kill" shot that is offered.. if the animal is broadside (to include quartering broadside) and I know I can hit heart/lungs.. I wont hesitate or wait for something "better" to present itself..

If an alert animal takes a solid double lung hit, my experience is that it is very likely going to run a bit.. but they wont get super far.. maybe 100 yards at most when youre talking deer/pigs.. and theyre going to lay down, assess their situation, and never get back up again...

If I take a shot on an alert animal, I just remind myself to be patient.. give it a good 15+ minutes before I move.. and just let the animal die in peace.. I dont really mind tracking to find it.. and as long as I did my part and put the bullet where it belongs, Ive never had much of a problem.. they dont go far..

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Boiler room. Standing broadside or facing. Or running broadside close range. I have made other shot placements work (e.g. two bull elk going away shot in the head) but those are my preferences. Thinking back about it now, I don't recall ever shooting an animal while it was feeding or drinking. Shot several in their sleep though. I suspect this is because I'm almost exclusively a stalker not an ambusher hiding in a stand or blind.

Edit: I should clarify the above. I can recall many instances where I stalked animals and got the drop on them while they were feeding. But none were shooters.

 

[BryceM]

I’m not sure how to vote, but I always prefer shooting at an unaware animal. A big factor is that the shot doesn’t need to be rushed, and my marksmanship is likely to be better.

 

[skydiver386]

One of my favorite ways to hunt Whitetails is just as the corn is drying ready for harvest, and the Deer are helping themselves to it just a week or two before the Combines cut it down. Green belts of soft grass make it easy to move through the fields without making much noise, yet big Bucks can be heard for some distance using their antlers to schuck ears of corn still on the stalk.

It's often hard to get a clear shot through the corn, but when they are more concerned with filling their belly than keeping quiet, a little patience pays off. Under these conditions I've had quite a number of Deer look straight at me just as the shot breaks. The reaction is more tripping over themselves than a graceful planned exit. Running into fences, running into trees, falling like they slipped on ice, etc.

I've had Deer shot from a tree stand that didn't move after the arrow passed through them, they just moved a few steps, laid down and died. Ones busted with their hand in the cookie jar so to speak acted completely different both before and after the shot.

Anybody else seen this almost drunken stumbling escape when an animal is totally unaware of you before the shot?

 

[RR 314]

Interesting. I have never noticed a difference either way. Then again, if alert and staring at me I put one in the center of the throat patch (on whitetail).

 

[Ontario Hunter]

One of my favorite ways to hunt Whitetails is just as the corn is drying ready for harvest, and the Deer are helping themselves to it just a week or two before the Combines cut it down. Green belts of soft grass make it easy to move through the fields without making much noise, yet big Bucks can be heard for some distance using their antlers to schuck ears of corn still on the stalk.

It's often hard to get a clear shot through the corn, but when they are more concerned with filling their belly than keeping quiet, a little patience pays off. Under these conditions I've had quite a number of Deer look straight at me just as the shot breaks. The reaction is more tripping over themselves than a graceful planned exit. Running into fences, running into trees, falling like they slipped on ice, etc.

I've had Deer shot from a tree stand that didn't move after the arrow passed through them, they just moved a few steps, laid down and died. Ones busted with their hand in the cookie jar so to speak acted completely different both before and after the shot.

Anybody else seen this almost drunken stumbling escape when an animal is totally unaware of you before the shot?

Two years ago I bumped into a HUGE black bear in standing corn while searching for a downed honker. I mean, we were face to face. Thankfully, the dogs were close by and came to me instantly when summoned ... with a tone of extraordinary urgency. That big fella did an about face and hustled out of there, barely making any noise. Really incredible a bear that size could depart so quietly so quickly. I always carry a couple of slugs in the chest pocket of my wading jacket but would not have helped me that day. After pulling the decoys I had set my gun down for a photo op and foolishly left it behind when charging off into the standing corn. Making a quick exit after the confrontation, I stepped into the open field and there lay the lost honker.

I know the bears are always in the corn and the noise from shooting geese does not dislodge the brassy buggers. On several occasions they have sneaked in while I'm looking for downed geese and stolen one from the pile. No question what happened. Tracks are there in the mud. A few years back a respectable bruin suddenly walked across the open field in front of me and the dogs where we were hiding, stopped and eyeballed my decoys, then walked on. Having control of hunting dogs at all times is essential! I have no interest in shooting bears. Thankfully so far none of the cornfield crowd have had much interest in me. We are each doing our thing. I'm getting rid of the excess goose population and the bears are getting rid of the farmer's corn. Man, do they make a mess. Not nearly as efficient as your whitetail bucks. One bear can flatten an area half the size of a football field. I think they just enjoy tearing up the place because hardly any corn is pulled off the downed stalks.

 

[analog_peninsula]

For dangerous game, the theory is that a shot animal is most likely to lunge forward in the direction it is facing when hit. At short ranges, this is obviously a serious consideration.

 

[steve white]

I think it matters more bow hunting. If they are ever going to jump the string, high alert will be the scenario. Although I saw a warthog arrowed while drinking, and it jumped so fast that it switched ends and had the arrow go through the boiler room on the opposite side it was facing when the string twanged!
There are lots of thing which we cannot know--had the animal just had a scare,had the animal just inhaled, or exhaled, what was the status of the heart....had it just taken a beat, did the bullet disintegrate and not affect the vitals as usual, was bone broken, was the bullet going fast enough for hydrostatic shock, was the bullet diameter enough for hydraulic shock, was the bullet too hard for the application and didn't open well, etc., etc. But a bullet in the right place will at some point take effect.

 

[Newboomer]

How many of you have noticed the difference in how alert an animal is before the shot, and the reaction to the shot? How effective a heart shot is when an animal has no clue you are there vs one that is staring straight at you stomping and snorting?

We talk endlessly about calibers, bullet brands and types, optics and dozens of other things, but in my experience the thing that will determine whether I score a quick kill or have a long tracking job seems to be the animals state of alertness prior to the shot.

I've anchored animals right on the spot with shots that weren't textbook perfect, but also seen Deer that were stomping and snorting at me run over 150 yards after I put a huge hole in their heart and lungs. As many of you know, adrenaline is the most powerful drug on the planet Earth.

If possible, I prefer to pull the trigger when the animal has its head down feeding or drinking. I'm 100% confident in a clean kill when the trigger breaks under those conditions. I also prefer a 100-150 yard shot with a rifle, and 30-40 yard shot with a crossbow. Longer shots and I feel I should stalk closer. Shots closer than this and the animals seem to be on edge, tuned in to danger even if they don't know where the danger is.

What have you experienced, and is there a consensus of when the shot should be taken, or possibly not taken because the the animal is spooked? Of course we are talking about the first shot at unwounded game

I'd say any of the above except the any broadside shot. That covers too much area from neck to tail and is too susceptible to a gut shot or hind quarter shot. I like a head on or about 1/3 up the side in line with or just behind a front leg.