# Number of deer shot with a bow lost?



## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

Any of you have any of your own stats about the number of deer that you have shot that you lose? Poor shot or too late in the day to track. I would like to convince my neighbor that his hunters need to move away from my fence line or get better at shooting or only take reasonable shots, i.e. not 45 yard shots. I don't like getting telephone calls asking to cross my fence and track a wounded deer into an area that I never go into as I use that area for a sanctuary for the deer.

I could say no and will after he and I have talked. I just wanted some statatics to justifiy saying no. 

Hopefully, by giving notice of NO, he will re-evaluate letting his hunters hunt close to my fence line, knowing that ,i.e. ??? percent of arrow shot deer are lost or run ??? yards.

I have not had the chance to survey my property line for his blinds and will next week.

I just makes me mad to have to be the "good" neighbor and let his hunters tramp all over an area that I don't even go into for the deer to have a safe sanctuary..

And yes, I know that NO goes both ways; however, no bow hunting on my place and my blinds and feeders are at least 500 yards from my fence.

B.D


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## RedAg (Apr 26, 2007)

*Question*

I have probably lost around 5 -8 animals over my bowhunting career (20 years) and every one of them have broke my heart and caused major stress / grief. As a bowhunter losing an animal is part of the game sometimes. That is why practice and knowing your limitations as to what is an ethical shot is imparitive.

I cannot speak for the ethics of your neighbors, however most bowhunters that I know and hang out with have amoung the highest ethics in the game. It is a fact that a well placed arrow can still result in a animal runnning several hunderd yards. Not always, but also not uncommon.

I think it is a fair question / request to not have blinds / stands on fencelines as that is fair to landowners on both sides.

Shooting whitetails at 45 yards is not an ethical shot for 99% of bowhunters. I would say nothing beyond 30 yards is ethical for the majority, and even at 30 it needs to be the right situation. I am not making this statement for everyone, as there are archers that are well capable of making these shots, I am speaking to the average hunter.

Just my .02


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## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

RedAg,
thanks for your input. I agree with what you said.
Also, I passed on one of the biggest Axis that I have ever seen at 35 yards several years ago on my lease in Bandera. Last thing that I would ever want is to do is make a bad shot on that beautiful animal.

Also, my thread does not concern my Bandera Lease, it is on my place in Junction.


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## Chunky (Oct 15, 2006)

I don't think there are any hard statistics on losses. I saw one study done on a reserve up in Wisconsin I think and the losses were very low.

As stated above, even a perfect shot on a close deer can end up with a blood trail over a hundred yards. 

Of course you can lose deer with poor rifle shots as well.

I totally understand your problem, but on the other hand I have been the guy whos deer crossed the fence. I hate to think about the animal just rotting over there. What a waste.

If I were in your shoes, this is what I would do....I would tell them that they can not go onto my property, but that I would look for their deer...or in my absence the game warden or someone else I trust to make as little impact as possible.

Make it a hassle for them to have to do it, it might make them think about stand placement and shot selection.

Or maybe you could charge a "tresspass fee" to discourage them.

I would just hesitate to say a flat "NO" as that seems to come back and bite us back in the future. IMO


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## bountyhunter (Jul 6, 2005)

Personally in 37 years I lost 2 deer bowhunting. One was a really bad shot on my part and we never found the deer and it might have recovered. The other was a marginal shot that I had left for an hour. When we headed back it started pouring down rain and by the time we got to back there was no trail. We searched till dark with no luck. I didn't hunt the next morning and tried to pick up the trail. I found her no more than 70-80 yards away in a thicket, but the coyotes had found her during the night.

Now I've had some that I've shot and found that were 100+ yards away and the shots were good shots. I've had a marginal shot that the deer went 300 yards or so and a really bad shot (first bow kill) that we tracked for close to a mile, but I didn't everything wrong on that deer and pushed her when I shouldn't have.

Funny thing is every deer that made it more than 100 yards were all Doe. Never had a buck go more than 75 yards, even ones with less than good shot placement.


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## coogerpop (Sep 3, 2009)

Face it,I have been hunting for about 60 years and unless I break a deer's neck or back,they run....some run a little way and some run a long way. Bucks during the rut ,wiil normally head for home if they are bad hurt...almost all deer bolt in the direction the are headed when they are first hit and then turn back to the direction they came from .If they lie up and then get up and move ,they tend to go to water...If you have a sanctuary area,you can bet the deer crossings are high there and the hunters from the opposite side will set up on your fence,knowing they can cross if needed...


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## Rack Ranch (May 25, 2004)

I don't think it is any more than is lost with a rifle when you talk about percentages.. Walker


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

Back when I was bow hunting in the 70's I lost one deer. I was shooting a new broadhead called a Serpentine, total waste of broadhead and I lost a deer. It was a good shot at about 12 yards with a Browning Nomad 50# bow but the blood trail was weak and it all but vanished in a down pour. I found the deer a few days later with the help of buzzards and I wasn't even close to being on the right trail when I was looking for it.

Since that Pale Guy got me started bow hunting again I've not lost or missed a deer and I'm 6 for 6, knock on wood.

TH


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## spurgersalty (Jun 29, 2010)

I've said for the past few years that i've neer lost a deer with bow but got to thinkin bout it the other day and 4 yrs ago i lost one that i shot at at 33 yards because at the instant i started squeezing trigger the deer was hard quartered, he fully quartered and i stuck him whatlooked to me between the skin and shoulder blade. he took off and ditched arrow bout 70 yrds l ater. Up till then i had never shot a deer closer than 32 due to the fact i smoke while hunting(cigarettes) and when they get into my comfort zone, i waste no time and send it their way. but i practice religiously. I've even sat up a roll of electrical tape on a3d target with a bag on it and bet money to my buddy who would be the first to rope the hole without moving the tape. On a side note, don't ever shoot a golfball. Carbon arrows blow up upon impact nomatter direct hit or slightly glancing blows. I consider my self a very ethical hunter. 10 yrs b hunting with 16 kills and one loss. but i would hate to see you tell some one no and lose an animal to rot or something. not trtying to ruffle feathers but it sounds like your already anti bow hunting. if so why.


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## 10ERBETTER (Feb 24, 2008)

If I owned the property, I wouldn't need any stats to justify saying no. I'd just say it.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

Bowhunting HAS changed since I started, look for it to get worse with all the 'BOWHUNTERS' armed with crossbows.....WW


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## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

I am not anti-bow hunting. 
I am anti-crossing my fence into my sanctuary to hunt down a deer shot with an arrow. Hunt with a bow all they want, just do it away from that fence line. I make special efforts to stay away from this area from labor day until the season is over. A hunter can cross my fences anywhere else that they need to search for a wounder deer. Just not my north fence line that harbors the sanctuary. It just so happens that the neighbor's property that I am talking about is on my north fence line.

Also, another neighbor with 15 hunters does not allow bow hunting period on his land... his words,"they wound and lose too many deer".

The way I feel about it is: Knowing that arrow shot deer will travel after being shot, If you have to track your deer onto my property, you are hunting too close to my property.

B.D


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

> I am anti-crossing my fence into my sanctuary to hunt down a deer shot with an arrow.


Just say no and make them get a Game Warden to come see you to allow the recovery of the deer.

TH


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## gordaflatsstalker (Jul 3, 2008)

How many times have they had to come onto your property? Sounds more like you're upset that they are hunting your fenceline.


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## redduck (Jul 26, 2006)

The game regulations say you must make a reasonable effort to retrieve game. They will probably call the game warden to recover a deer if you say no trespassing. Seems like you and your neighbors would be just butting heads. Perhaps a heart to heart discussion will render a solution. Worth a try.


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## Rack Ranch (May 25, 2004)

If the deer are returning to your sancutary after the shot then they prolly came off of it to begin with... jus saying

If you have the money high fence them out


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## electrichicken (Aug 29, 2009)

*Fence Line*

I do not think it is anymore of a risk to bow hunt than to shoot deer cause i have seen more weekend warriors with thier new rifles try to make shots that most avid hunters would not try. It sounds more like you are upset cause they are tramping thru your "Sanctuary" and you are scared they are going to mess your hunting up. Fact is it is your property so if you do not want them on it say no and you do not need a reason. But on the other hand would it not be more ethical for you to let them recover thier game no matter if it crossed the fence or not? Someone walking thru the woods *IS NOT* going to ruin your hunting! Hell i seen the biggest 10 point on our property sunday evening while a guy working on the property was cutting a fallen tree off the fence line not more that 200 yards from me. although i chose not to shoot the deer cause he only came in at 40 yards from me he was still there, chain saw running and all. Just my thoughts!


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## Stealth19 (Jul 12, 2005)

Out of the 30+ deer with my bow I can only think of about 4 that I did not recover. One doe looked like the shot was perfect. I watched her lay down and a young buck kept pushing her and I finally lost sight of her when she walked out of the field 500 yards away. After looking at the video with the guys in camp we all would have bet the bank she was dead just inside the brush. We found blood for aother 100 yards and nothing. The other 3 shots were high through the the back strap, so those more than likely survived. 

If you shoot deer with a gun or bow behind the shoulder they are going to run. It makes it hard when you hunt smaller places. I'm guessing the neighbor is not willing to move the stands further from your fence line? If you tell the guy No then he will probably tell you N0 if you ever need to track one on his land. Tough Situation for sure.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

A really tough call for me. They are asking to do something on your property that not even you do. But, bows are extremely deadly if used properly. I think if you could tell them how you really feel and make them understand they are asking to do something that not even you do on your own land, and tell them they must ask each time before they enter your property, that access would not automatically be given and that you would appreciate it if they would be careful with choosing their shots and distance, that may be best. If my neighbor told me that, it would sound reasonable to me and it may make a difference in which shots I took and how I placed my stands.


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## spurgersalty (Jun 29, 2010)

Blue.dog said:


> I am not anti-bow hunting.
> I am anti-crossing my fence into my sanctuary to hunt down a deer shot with an arrow. Hunt with a bow all they want, just do it away from that fence line. I make special efforts to stay away from this area from labor day until the season is over. A hunter can cross my fences anywhere else that they need to search for a wounder deer. Just not my north fence line that harbors the sanctuary. It just so happens that the neighbor's property that I am talking about is on my north fence line.
> 
> Also, another neighbor with 15 hunters does not allow bow hunting period on his land... his words,"they wound and lose too many deer".
> ...


I am sorry Blue dog to me you came off anti bow hunting because i've never shot a deer with a rifle that didn't run 50 plus yards cept' cor neck and head shots. In no way did i mean to offend you. tell them no, or sit down and talk it out about fence lines with either their land owner or their main leasee. promise you the land owner will get their attention.


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## wacker (Mar 22, 2006)

I have hunted my 15ac place for years and out of close to 100 deer only 2 have made it off the property. Both were does, the amazing thing is 90% of them run and die in about a 50yd spot. If I hunted in the wrong spot I am sure all of them would make it to a fence. I would talk to them about stand placement and see if that helps the situation. 

For me I would say most go less than 80yds, Now if these guys are taking 40yd shots I too would tell them NO!!! Most of my shots are within 15yds if that matters.

Good luck!


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

Remember one thing, what goes around will come back around, in a perfect world the deer would fall over dead on the spot wether with gun, bow or slingshot but we don't live in a perfect world. I'll say 1 thing I heard yrs back concerning the inefficientcy of a bow, you shoot me in the leg with your pistol and I'll drive myself to the hospital, let me shoot you in the same spot with my bow and you'll die on the way....WW


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