Thursday, May 18, 2006
Should a Bow Hunter Shoot At Other Game?
It is kind of an unspoken topic among bow hunters. Some wonder if they should shoot at other game while deer hunting..
It all depends, and there is a legal issue to consider. If you are in a ground blind or tree stand, and a black bear ambles by, is it legal to shoot?
That is an easy one. If your hunting season coincides with bear season, and if you have a valid bear license for that Bear Management Unit, then it is not only legal but a desirable thing.
Let’s take this another step further, and a badger steps out nearby. The answer would be no.
OK, than what if it was a porcupine. The answer is yes. Porcupines and opossum are legal to shoot at any time of the year. Some landowners want them killed, and some do not, and it’s up to you to ask ahead of time. Some landowners do not want you shooting at anything because it could attract unwanted attention to the hunting blind.
The most important question is whether the animal or bird is legal to shoot, and the season is open. and are you willing to risk spooking a nice buck by taking a shot? Shooting at a porcupine and running the risk of a shot at a big buck doesn’t compute with me.
There have been a few coyotes shot by deer hunters on my land, and that is fine with me. Shooting at a grouse, hare, rabbit or woodcock seems a bit senseless, and I don’t do it and I don’t encourage others to.
Back in the days of fall turkey hunts in all areas, hunters with permits were allowed to shoot a turkey with a bow. I did it, my son Matt has done it two or three times, and a few others have taken a bird with a bow.
However, I feel that indiscriminate shooting at anything that walks, flies or wiggles, is not only a possible waste of time but runs a major risk of spooking the very animal â??â?? a whitetail buck â??â?? that should be more important to a hunter than anything else.
I tend to have a narrow focus on what I’m doing in my ground blind or tree stand. I want the area to remain quiet without any foreign noise. A bow shot, no matter how quiet it is, can be heard by a buck or doe that is lingering back in the woods and about ready to step out.
I look at these other animals and birds as decoys. If a nice buck is standing 30 yards away in the tag alders, and can see an animal or a bird moving around nearby, it seems to settle that animal down. It’s the same as having a button-buck, doe or doe fawn out in front of the stand.
The buck spots the other animals, and they are moving about in a natural manner, and it inspires a buck to move more freely. Think how many times one or several deer have been out in front of your stand, and a buck strides out, apparently trusting that all is well.
That won’t happen if an unseen deer hears a bow go off, and watches as the other animal moves off if it was missed, and moves around as it dies when hit. The smell of blood is not an uncommon odor in the deer woods, but it isn’t common.
The fact of the matter is that more harm can be done by taking one of these why-do-it shots than would come from watching the animal or bird as it behaves naturally. I’ve watched ruffed grouse walk off only to have a buck walk in. Porcupines often move aside when a deer walks near, but deer don’t want to get too close to a porkie.
The fact that these small animals and birds can act as a decoy, and an early warning system, is one aspect about bow hunting that has seldom been covered. I’ve learned that blue jays fly off, squawking, when a deer move close to it.
People who hunt over corn or other grains learn to pay attention to the antics of a bluejay. If they spook, and fly off to chatter from a tree, its a good indication that a deer is nearby.
Me, I can see no sense in shooting at anything other than a deer. To do so doesn’t increase your odds of success. Instead, your odds of success decrease when needless shots are taken. â??â?? The Whitetail Wizard