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Ethical accuracy for deer hunting

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hedgeapple:
What is your alls thought of what is grouping size when target shooting to be good enough to ethically deer hunt with a traditional bow?  Is 6 out of 10 in an 8" circle good enough.  Is 8 out of 10 in an 8" circle the minimum.  Should it be a 6" circle or 4" or 2"?

I've always been a stickler for accuracy on the target range before I'd consider myself and the weapon ready to humanely take an animal.  With firearms I expect to shoot a clover leaf at 50 yards before me and the gun/bullet combination are ready to go to the field.  With a compound bow I feel I'm ready when I feel I can put the first arrow in a 4 inch cirlce and 25 yards and group 8 out of 10 in the 4" circle with most being withing a 2" circle and none being outside of an 8 inch circle.

I'm wanting and yearning to put aside my compound and hunt only with my hickory bow.  I'm ok with limiting my shooting distance to 10 yard 15 on the outside limit, but requirements for an ethical, humane kill is keeping me from doing so.

I did take the hickory bow out yesterday evening to "bunny hunt" I told myself.  But, I nocked an arrow with a trade point just in case I deer presented itself.  I was exploring a cedar patch for bunnies and scouting a ground blind location.  While standing in a potential ground blind locations and pondering, I heard a deer moving through the thicket 15 yards to my right.  Moment of truth time; there were 2 trails below me-- one at 8 yards and one at 15 yards.  I decided if the deer walked down either I would take the shot.  Well, the deer didn't.  If stayed to my right in with cedars obscuring my visibality.  It was the most exciting hunt I've had this season.
Walking back to the house I passed my foam target.  The light was well passed what I would have shot at a deer.  For grins and giggles, with the bullseye barely visialbe, I stepped off 15 yard and released the arrow.  I hit 1 1/2 inch to the left of center, well within a 4 inch circle.  I smiled to myself thinking, if the deer had taken either of the 2 trails, I would have been able to make the shot.

I'm beginning to think this encounter is the great spirit's (of your choicing) way to tell me "you're ready.  It's time."  But, I would be so sick if wounded a deer and lost it.

Justin Snyder:
Ethics are a difficult issue to define. I have mine, but I wont hold anyone else to them or criticise theirs. As for target shooting before hunting, there is no answear. I know guys that can target shoot a long way out, but cant hit at 10 feet when hunting. Do what you are comfortable with.  ;)

woodstick:
i pass on alot of deer when it dont feel right to me at close range. i won alot of shoots with a stick but its foam. you will know when and what is right just dont make a shot you aint a 100% on. even the best shooters mess up every now and then.

ricktrojanowski:
I've only shot one deer with a long bow, it finally happened this season.  I was always concerned about wounding an animal, but when I finally had a shot I took it.  It seemed almost automatic, and I don't remember really shooting.  I just remember seeing the arrow in the deer.  It was a good shot I hit the liver lungs and heart, the deer only ran about 25 yds.  My advice is shoot within the range that you "know"  you can kill at.  In your gut you know your shot, take it.  Good luck.

hedgeapple:
Justin I hear you and know some guys like that too.  Me, I shoot better, historically, in hunting situations than I do on the target range or in friendly competitions.  On the range I struggle to keep the concentration.  In friendly competition I get rattled.  In the field my senses are tuned to the moment.

Woodstick and rick, I know what you mean about "feeling of knowing" the shot.  I've passed on some shots that were easy in theory but didn't feel right and I've take some shots that were less than ideal but I "knew" were good.  Last season I took a 6 pointer with a non-traditional bow.  It was slightly quartering facing me.  I've passed that shot many times with a scoped rifle.  But, this time I felt it.  All the anchor points were locked.  The pin was solid on the white patch on it's throat.  I knew it was a good shoot.  The arrow cut it's windpipe, both coradid arteries and pierce one lung.  It expired less than 40 yards from the shot.

Thanks all for the encouragement.

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