doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT- Shooting deer with peashooters, humane?

Given choice between well-placed arrow or well-placed bullet I would take the bullet every time.

Guys, some 40 years ago, I shot lots of deer with a 22 LR. Those were tough times where I lived and the deer helped stretch the $1.66 cents per hour a little bit further. All you have to be is a good shot and select where you want to hit the deer, at close range. Sometimes, I shot them in the butt of the ear and other times lung shots. Never lost a single one using the 22 LR.

Lenard

This post sounds like we got Jim Zumbo saying he hunts right and if you ain't like him your a slob.If you see a youngster doing wrong twist his ear and learn him right.The action on this forum will have no effect its up to each person to correct wrongs but be sure its realy wrong and not JYHO.

For a few years I killed Deer with a .220 Swift and 70 Grain Speer Bullets. I never had a problem, and the kills were quick. In the area I was hunting the deer were pretty damn small - 120 or less live weight.

I once shot a deer in the left eye at and estimated 120 yards with my .220 Swift- 50 grain Sierra handloads- the deer died instantly, no meat was damaged, but the concussion blew the antler base off its head-But that was a "shot of a lifetime"- some years ago a farmer friend had to destroy about 60 head of diseased cattle, and bury the carcasses with quicklime- I volunteered to "snuff" his cattle for him- I had, again, head shots on all 50-but chose my "Pet" M70- Std. Grade 30-Gov't-06.

For deer in Northern MI (we hunt the 'Club Country' NE of Mio)I use the 30-06 with Remington 180 grain Core-Lokt ammo-never had to track a one that I hit in the "boiler room"- and, I only take standing shots- "If they're a runnin', I ain't a gunnin'"- A box of 20 rounds should equal 20 dead deer, in my math book anyway.

It is nice to live here in Montana. The law states to use the appropriate caliber for the game hunted. We do limit shotguns to 10ga and smaller. It works for the hunters I know and until we are invaded by a group of folks dedicated to the control of others it will be the law we follow.
Best,
Ron

Hunting mammals with more than two dogs is illegal but the legislation was introduced specifically to stop foxhunting. It failed.

It is still legal to use dogs to flush foxes from cover to be shot.

Using dogs to catch hares (coursing) is now illegal.

Using dogs to flush birds to be shot is unrestricted.

An observation on shooting deer in the head with a small calibre bullet - the head shot is not used in the UK, as 'best practice' favours a heart/lung or neck shot. The rationale being that if you miss that left eye by a fraction, you blow off the poor thing's jaw and it runs off to die miserably. Just too easy to be that fraction off.

In the very near future you'll be chucking rocks at your deer - anything armor piercing will be outlawed and you'd be damn lucky to have a fine 22lr rifle for deer hunting.

I think that we have a duty to the animals we hunt to do so in the most humane way possible. An adequate tool for the job and sufficient skill to use it to the best of our ability. I always take a good tracking dog along too, especially when hunting sika deer. I have taken the heart out of one of those with a 162 grain bullet from a 7 x 64mm and still seen them run over 100 yards. Easy to think you have missed as they never seem to even flinch. I sometimes wonder how many 'missed' deer are not followed up because of the lack of a good dog. Lagopus.....

A chap of taste and refinement like yourself will no doubt be chucking small , highly polished, best English rocks Lowell?!

You'll just have to pass on those armour plated deer in the future. Shame!