Help me understand something

Tristate

Long Time Member
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I am not an archery hunter. I don't know a whole lot about it. I am wondering about it. When an archer is trying to kill a mule deer, is it more difficult to get withing range of the deer or getting the bow drawn on the deer.

I have been watching some videos of archers hunting mule deer and it always seems everything goes pear shaped when they attempt to draw. Is that just TV? Is that just my misconception? What should I expect in the field for real?

Much thanks.
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-25-17 AT 02:02PM (MST)[p]What does it mean to "go pear shaped?"

If it means things go wrong, then all I can say is mule deer are very cautious. And most importantly they have those big old mule ears, hence the name. They hear really well, and seemingly better than white tails.
 
LAST EDITED ON Sep-25-17 AT 03:15PM (MST)[p]Well I would have to say its good editing, most of the time on filmed hunts the camera man doesn't get the draw in on his camera so you just do another take of drawing the bow back or lifting your rifle and clicking of the safety.
I'm not saying some guys don't get it all in one take but it's extremely hard.
If you have ever tried to film a hunt you gain a new respect for those guys out there getting it done on camera!
If your doing spot and stalk what you should expect is to be busted numerous before been successful, its patients, timing and a little luck to have every thing fall into place.
Good luck and always play the wind!

Don't die dreaming
DIE TRYING!
 
Honestly I'd say they are equally difficult. Sometimes the stalk goes down perfectly and you get in range only to have the wind switch. They proceed to shoot out of their bed like a hot coal is on their a$$. Other times they hear you or catch a glimpse when drawing and again bolt like a hot coal is on their a$$. It can be the most frustrating and gratifying experience all in one.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I have gotten really close to three great bucks over the years that I always wondered if I had a bow would it have worked. Drawing the bow always seemed like it would be the toughest mountain to overcome but I guess I won't know until I do it.
 
When it comes to sight and sound different deer will react differently. Some are super spooky and some act like they don't care. And I think weather affects how deer react to sight and sound. You just never know. Smell is really their main defense, at least with humans.

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Yes it is a lot more difficult. I have personally noticed there is a zone that once you enter it everything becomes so much harder. Once you get in closer to 60 yards any movement make seems to be automatically detected. The trick is using proper cover, learning how to pull your bow back with as little motion as you can as well as proper timing. It's not always easy knowing exact time to pull back and there are times where you will miss your opportunity and it's useless to try
 
I've bow hunted mule deer with a bow in the Texas Panhandle and southern Colorado for 40+ years. Most of it in the Texas Panhandle. The terrain is mostly rolling sand hills leading in to shallow draws surrounded by irrigated farm ground. The key is movement, wind and proper camo to blend in. I was fortunate to harvest the state record non-typical. Spotted him at 8 AM and got the shot around 12:30 PM. Had to back off after my first attempt due to wind shift and redirect my approach. The last 200 yards was all crawling.

The point is there's not a single thing that can blow a bow hunt but a multitude of things. As far as drawing the bow, you should be able to draw your bow straight back off your knees in the vertical position without moving the bow side to side or up and down. I've seen a lot of hunters shooting to much poundage and not able to draw smoothly with minimal movement. Ninety percent of my shots have been off my knees to clear sage and plum thickets after crawling up within shooting distance.

Mountain hunting in the trees is a different kind of hunt for me. More cover so I'm able to stay on my feet most of the time. I'll have to depend on the far more experienced mountain bow hunters that post here on the best techniques to use there.

Good luck!
 
Without a doubt one of the hardest parts on mule deer is getting drawn. I have hunted antelope spot and stalk, elk, pigs, etc. By in large mule deer tend to be the one animal that do not tolerate the draw very well.

Many things can go wrong. Many stalks end before they even get started, wind swirl, busting a doe out, running a coyote into the deer. I have had a golden eagle ruin a stalk once. This last weekend I had bucks at 53, 42, and 28 yards. All 3 opportunities were lost for various reasons. Trying to draw is one of them.

It is also a very interesting topic. This is a main reason why archery guys including the Colorado Bow Hunters Association are opposed to the use of crossbows during archery only seasons. It is a huge barrier to success, crossbows or draw lock mechanism tend to change the game significantly. Getting close to an animal is one thing with a bow, but getting to full draw and shooting is a whole another game.

For me I would say 30% of my stalks are blown before I ever get in range. 70% of my stalks allow me to get into range. However less than 10% allow me to get to full draw. And less than 3% allow me to shoot.... Those are just rough numbers.

I used to have a lot higher percent of stalks that would end before I was close, but I have gotten better at making sure the stalk has a chance, I have gotten better at moving and using cover. But the one area where it will always be hard is getting drawn while having the animal in position to shoot.
 
Never draw on a deer with it's head up.
Wait till it turns or feeds.

The great advice above is what I've found to be accurate. Deer can sense chit
once you get within 50 yards.

Getting close takes patience and cooperation from the deer. Some deer are stalkable some are not. I've had deer step between my legs while sitting still in front of a tree and busted deer out from a half mile away with one step in cover.




"If the DWR was just doing its job, and
wildlife and hunting were the actual focus,
none of this process would even matter.
But that is not the focus or the goal in any
of this. The current DWR regime, and
SFW were born out of wildlife declines,
and are currently operated and funded
under that paradigm. Those 200 Expo
tags would not even be worth anything if
the focus was where it was supposed to
be, and wildlife and tags were plentiful.
But under the current business model,
that is how the money and power is
generated. It is generated through the
rising "value"(monitization) of a declining
resource. A resource that is supposed to
be being beneficially managed for the
masses that own that resource, ie. US.
The problem is obvious, hedging is not a
long term sustainable strategy, and
others have to lose, for some to win. In
this case it is us, the many, and our
resources, that are being forced to lose,
because there is a minority who's power
and money is derived from our loses."

LONETREE 3/15/16
 
I got to within 10 yards of a nice, tall 26" 4 point bedded in some fairly short snow berries once. All I could see was its antlers and I couldn't see its ears to compare size. I looked it over with my binoculars and finally decided it was big enough to shoot. When I brought my bow up, it could see the top limb of my bow above my head and took off so quickly I never even got a shot off.

Same thing happened the next day to my hunting buddy on a 30" buck bedded in short snow berries.
 

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