Shooting a bedded animal with a bow - go or no go? (I have not, but almost had the scenario)

[daltrix99]

This fall I was putting a stalk on a really nice bull, and when I got close, he was bedded. I was not able to get into shooting range before his cows busted me. After they took off, I thought about the fact that I have never shot any bedded animal before, although I know many good hunters do so with rifles.

What about with an arrow? Any thoughts, experiences, or strong opinions on this? If you believe there is an acceptable scenario for this shot, what would that be?

I am not sure I would have taken the shot, unless I very clearly saw his front leg contour and was confident my arrow would go into his vitals. Still not sure though.

Thanks!

 

[Muskeez]

I have shot some bedded whitetails in standing cornfields at 3-5' away. It's a rush but one thing I learned is that it's like treestand hunting, you have to consider where your entrance hole and exit hole are going to be on the animal when it stands up. If his back is toward you and you shoot from that direction you can get an entrance hole on the top side and no drain hole on the bottom side = terrible blood trails but an eventually dead animal, somewhere... Also, you may only get one lung.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Having done it with disastrous consequences with a rifle, I would think twice about doing it with a bow. Like anything it depends on the circumstances. If I was above the elk... possibly, from below no way.

 

[TheBenHoyle]

I had the opportunity twice last year as I had bucks bedded within 20 yards of my treestand.

On the first one I was so tempted, but the longer I looked at it the more I realized that it was a bad idea. There were two saplings crisscrossed in front of the vitals and there was no way my arrow would have threaded that needle. But I had 45 minutes to watch him and hope that he would just stand up so I'd have a shot. He did eventually stand up and then he did me a big favor by walking over to me and standing broadside at 10 yards. He only went about 35 yards after I let my arrow fly.

About a month and a half later I had 3 bucks come in and bed down about 20 yards from me. One was a little forky and one was a little further away and behind some brush, but the other one was bedded right out in the open. But I took my time to look him over and it really seemed like his shoulder blade would be covering his vitals almost completely. I waited for a better shot, but I didn't get myself ready for that shot. In the end, he got up and within seconds was turned and moving away from me. It was a missed opportunity but a really neat experience.

That is not to say I would never take a shot at a bedded deer. I would just have to be really confident that I could make a lethal shot and that no better shot would come along later.

 

[Scrappy]

I think it became really taboo years ago cause it was against the rules for guys putting out videos.

I haven't ever done it but wouldn't hesitate if I could clearly see the path my arrow would take. Really no different than a standing animal. As long as your arrow takes out the goodies resulting in a quick kill.

 

[LopeHunter]

I don't see an issue with ethics. Bullet or arrow placement is the only consideration for me. I do not recall shooting at a bedded animal, though. I never shot ducks off the water but some were only a few inches above the lake. Same with geese that would land in the cornfield in front of our blind. Would yell to get them airborne. Not sure why ducks and geese at rest are treated differently than big game at rest but seems this is the case. I roll with the flow on these things so educate me.

 

[daltrix99]

Thanks guys, these are the answers I’m looking for! If I ever do take that show with a bow, I’ll need to be 100% certain on a lethal arrow path, as you guys say above. That shoulder blade being higher and further back than we are used to on a standing shot is my biggest concern.

 

[Nick87]

I have shot some bedded whitetails in standing cornfields at 3-5' away. It's a rush but one thing I learned is that it's like treestand hunting, you have to consider where your entrance hole and exit hole are going to be on the animal when it stands up. If his back is toward you and you shoot from that direction you can get an entrance hole on the top side and no drain hole on the bottom side = terrible blood trails but an eventually dead animal, somewhere... Also, you may only get one lung.

Sounds like a rush. Care to give the details on the shot 3-5' feet away?

 

[Muskeez]

Nick, we used to hunt standing cornfields. In the old days corn was planted in rows 30" wide. On wet years the farmers would struggle to get their crops out of the fields in a timely manner. It was even better for us if it snowed. We would find a standing cornfield with a decent amount of tracks leading in and out, gain permission and then proceed to slip through the corn rows, perpendicular. You have to tuck your bow behind your back, peek left and right up and down a row, then step into it and repeat on the next row. You need a windy day, 20+ mph winds. The corn rustles so much that you can go through it undetected. When you spot a bedded deer, you lean back, peek again, determine his body position and what angle is best to shoot him at. You then count back 2 rows, sneak down until you are even with him, hopefully with his back to you and the wind in your favor (most importantly!) You then pick a hole between the cornstalks, and lean in and shoot him with 1-2 rows between him and you. They come out of there in a hurry! and it's kinda scary cuz you don't know which direction they will run. I say "he" but honestly never shot a buck doing this only does myself. Other friends have shot bucks. For a better description and lesson on the method find an old VHS tape or book by Toad Smith. He was one of the first fellas to start doing it well up here. Now that we have narrow corn rows and WAY less weeds in-between the rows for the deer to lay in they don't seem to bed in the corn as much as they used to. That and it's much more difficult to see very far down the rows. I still try to do it once a year just for old times sake and a recurve is a much more efficient tool for the job than a heavy compound with apparatuses hanging everywhere to snag on the corn stalks and leaves. Wow, that got long winded, but it's a hoot!

 

[Nick87]

Sounds like a lot of fun. I've used standing corn to get close to deer that were in the open of a half picked field. A lot of guys think I'm crazy for putting the sneak on whitetails around here in the midwest. It's worked out for me on several attempts bow and gun hunting.

 

[JEL]

I probably wouldn't but have only been presented that opportunity once on bedded elk. I was sneaking along a trail on a hot afternoon and saw an ear flick and saw it was a bedded elk. It was sleeping. I choose to draw, gave a quick chirp and shot as soon as it stood. It was a cow and right after I shot the whole heard stood up including a huge bull! I say I wouldn't because I used to shoot a lot of 3d including bedded buck targets. It never seemed I got the arrow in the right place on those targets.

 

[JDH]

I've only done it once and it was a young whitetail doe. It was part if a reduction hunt and someone had made a bad shot and grazed her back. Less than 10 yards and I had to do it kneeling to get under the brush she was in. I judged where to shoot by her ribcage position, not her leg.

 

[Brian in Montana]

One thing about it, its pretty much a guarantee they won't jump the string. I've never done it but I probably would if the circumstance was right and I believed I could realistically put my broadhead through both lungs, but it also consider it iffy, like a quartering to shot - not a 100% no, but the circumstances would have to be just right.

In most cases if you're within a bowshot of a bedded animal, congratulations, you've done a lot of things right to get there, but at that point you're most likely going to be better off to wait at the ready for the game to stand up and stretch, giving you the shot you practice daily in the backyard. But as anyone who's bow hunted knows... There are no sure things and every encounter if different.

 

[OzzyDave]

Our hunting is 99.9% spot and stalk, so bedded animals are regularly encountered. 2 things that stand out to me are: 1) I’d have to say knowing the anatomy of the animal and how the position or protection of those vitals change when the animal beds, is important. We tend to hunt hogs in the hottest part of the day, when they are bedded up. We learnt quickly to NEVER shoot a bedded water buffalo. The large ribs (2-2.5inches wide) sort of act like a shutter and close up over the vitals when the bed. Getting an arrow through half inch of bone before it gets to vitals makes it tricky and has had a couple of “pucker” moments.
2) Would be angle of the shot (i’m talking archery here). I’ve seen an arrow skip along a rib cage all too often with a rushed shot and acute angle. Light skinned animals are generally not an issue with the heavy poundage and heavy arrows we use.

 

[daltrix99]

I probably wouldn't but have only been presented that opportunity once on bedded elk. I was sneaking along a trail on a hot afternoon and saw an ear flick and saw it was a bedded elk. It was sleeping. I choose to draw, gave a quick chirp and shot as soon as it stood. It was a cow and right after I shot the whole heard stood up including a huge bull! I say I wouldn't because I used to shoot a lot of 3d including bedded buck targets. It never seemed I got the arrow in the right place on those targets.

That's good info on the 3D. Thanks.

 

[Howie]

Nope!!! Never, Nada, Nyet, Nix, Nien.....somehow it just don't figger to be fair-chase.

 

[grizzly_]

I'll never shoot birds on water, but I figure if I can sneak into bow range of a bedded elk and let an arrow go... I did some seriously awesome stalking and, to me, that is the epitome of Fair Chase.... he had every chance to make a getaway.

In fact, a bull laying in his bed will almost always be catching the wind with his nose and have his ears on swivels with nothing else to do but to look around. And if its the rut, then there may be cows or satellite bulls around too. That is arguably far more Fair Chase to me than using his rutting instincts to get him to let his guard down due to hormones. (Not to diminish calling elk, just discussing the relativism of it, as that is the crux of the thread.)

Assuming we leave the shot location out of it, I would rather shoot an unaware and stationary bull than one that is in the process of standing up or beginning to move away.

 

[Doublecluck]

I shot a bull with a bow in his bed this year. Had a good slightly quartering away shot at less than 20 yards. At the shot the bull busted out and ran. No blood to be found. Luckily a few minutes later I heard a crash in the timber about 80 yards away and found him. Perfect double lung shot. Looking back I think the arrow would have passed thru and left a blood trail had it not hit the dirt hill he way laying against. Pretty much plugged the wound.
I have shot plenty of bedded critters with 168 vlds, not one has made it to their feet after.

 

[dexnrex]

I shot a bedded antelope buck with a bow and took the shot without hesitation. He was slightly down hill and looking away at 30 yds. The arrow blew through him before he got to his feet. Was down within 10 seconds. Great blood trail, but no trailing required.

 

[LaSportsman]

Faced this last week. First, as to fair chase. Getting within 50 yards or less with a bow is far harder than shooting a standing elk at 400 yards with a rifle on a rest. I was walking slow looking for elk bedded down and found a bull 49 yards away. I could not see the contour of the front shoulder so I just wasn't sure I had a good angle on double lung. I tried to sidestep to the left to get a better angle and he busted me (fair chase - this ain't easy).

I wish I'd drawn before sidestepping and wish I'd stopped and thought it through better while his head was behind a tree and I had the wind in my favor. I do not regret not taking the initial shot because I think I would have had a fatally wounded elk that went a mile and was never found.

Didn't think about it at the time but he was probably slightly above me but not much.