Only shoot roe when their head is up?

[suburban bushwacker]

Never heard of such an idea.

The logic is that if the deer hears the twang of the string, the sound is traveling faster than the arrow, it will need to put its forth food down, then bend all four knees, before it can spring up

But a lot of stopping the deer with noises (i.e. making them alert) and shooting at overly long 30-40y distances in US forums etc. Acts of desperation I'd say, based on local seasons and rules. And I'm not opposed of people shooting at whatever distance they've practiced enough. But the middle distances are problematic since they're still in "immediate danger zone" but long enough that fligh time is substantial. Combine that with purposefully setting the animal on alert, and the recipe is ready...

Ive made walking deer stand still, running deer stop, and Ive made obscured deer stand up and expose themselves. I'm not much of a clay buster I don't trust myself to hit a moving target

 

[HonestJohn]

Don't know about internals, but the whole relationship between torso, front leg(s) and neck changes when deer puts the head down to browse. Haven't observed roes much, mostly whitetail. So basically aiming error since the "landmarks" move.

This

 

[Covert]

I would have thought that would result in liver shot?

I would have thought that would result in liver shot?

Occasionally if too far back. Normally heart/ vegas nerve sometimes lung.

 

[TringSaint]

Thread was only about roe BTW.

Oh, do bullets do different things when they hit roe deer?

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Oh, do bullets do different things when they hit roe deer?

No but muntis and roe are different live targets, roe are relative stationary, muntis always on the move. Got it now or are you just trolling to be awkward again?

 

[User100]

My neighbour is the leaseholder and before him his father so together they have 70 years on his lease, we were chatting generally and he mentioned that he never shoots roe when they are feeding, only when the head is up. He reckons the muscle group h/l shot reacts differently and head downs will run on much further.??????

The reasoning that I was given for this 'rule' is that if you shoot it head down and the deer runs, when the head comes up, the skin (& exit hole) moves and so you then don't get any blood trail.

Edit- and then it might lose blood more slowly and then could run further?

 

[finbar]

When shooting the lil Chinese always head down as it can only move one way UP
Coming from the north when you first see them funny lil things
Roe try to neck shot as much as possible

 

[Ratel]

Shot many, many Roe, neck, head and HL. Head down, head up, some drop some run with HL shot. Prefer a very soft point or ballistic tip to knock them over, a harder bullet whips straight through with less tissue damage, and then they run.

 

[jthyttin]

The logic is that if the deer hears the twang of the string, the sound is traveling faster than the arrow, it will need to put its forth food down, then bend all four knees, before it can spring up

Going somewhat off-topic but I think bending the knees has nothing to do with the flight reaction that's called string jump.

Would have to dig some trail cam pics and watch few YT videos but I'm not that interested. At least in the front, the deer "collapse" to kind of "praying position" with straight legs. Since the rear is more or less "left in up position" cannot see they bend knees there either. Moving away after the initial "loading" position is different matter, but it doesn't affect the "string jump" (collapsing the front).

Anyway the motion is flight effect and is initiated at once. Don't believe an instant that front hoof being 10 or 20cm here or there affects the combined motion at all.

 

[TringSaint]

No but muntis and roe are different live targets, roe are relative stationary, muntis always on the move. Got it now or are you just trolling to be awkward again?

Trolling? I was adding to the discussion (well at least I thought I was!).
Roe deer are the same as any other deer when a bullet hits them - they die (if hit in the right place) so the premise of a deer reacting differently head up or down is not species specific - something that others have also mentioned.

The comment about munties was actually in reference to not clipping the rumen and that roe often don’t stand still for long, hence the relevance to shooting muntjac which are only still once they are dead is also irrespective of the species of deer, ie anticipate and shoot!

So are we open to discuss around a topic or must we all rigidly stick to the thread and not deviate?

 

[gelert]

The logic is that if the deer hears the twang of the string, the sound is traveling faster than the arrow, it will need to put its forth food down, then bend all four knees, before it can spring up

Ive made walking deer stand still, running deer stop, and Ive made obscured deer stand up and expose themselves. I'm not much of a clay buster I don't trust myself to hit a moving target

It's a real thing. The deer flinch and almost duck, which is directly opposite to what's it's called jumping the string but interesting none the less. An American wildlife biologist Dr. Grant Woods did a test, basically up to 20 yrds deer didn't have enough time to react, but not at 40 because deer have way too much time to react to the sound of the bow going off at the longer distance.

 

[Cyres]

I only head or neck shoot them when their head is up preferably when they are intently looking at something.
D

 

[purdeydog]

They still fall over up or down.

 

[Mungo]

My neighbour is the leaseholder and before him his father so together they have 70 years on his lease, we were chatting generally and he mentioned that he never shoots roe when they are feeding, only when the head is up. He reckons the muscle group h/l shot reacts differently and head downs will run on much further.??????

No.

It may be a bit harder to get your landmarks lined up, but based on statistical analysis of hundreds of shots, head up v head down makes no difference to outcome if placement is the same.

This is assuming they’re unaware of you. If they’re aware, they are more likely to run.

 

[.25-06]

I think it’s something that came over from Germany when woodland stalking kicked off in the UK. If I recall correctly I think it was something about stopping the green ending up in the wrong place.

Then you shoot roe with the .270 and blown to pieces becomes far to literal.

 

[cjm1066]

The far front leg is ideally straight, if it's forwards or back it can stretch the skin and the exit hole is partly sealed with a smaller blood trail.

 

[Rake Aboot]

They could be doing a handstand with a flag flying from their arsehole for all I care. If I get a shot they are getting it.

Head down ffs ! Who dreams this up ?

 

[Bavarianbrit]

They could be doing a handstand with a flag flying from their arsehole for all I care. If I get a shot they are getting it.

Head down ffs ! Who dreams this up ?

My neighbour.

 

[tarponhead]

That’s the challenge with munties - little sods never stand still for more than a couple of seconds!
Trick is to anticipate where it will move to and have the crosshairs ready as soon as it stops.
Makes them challenging to take at distance!!

This! It’s made me a much better shot - no time to fiddle with zoom and shot placement - but also knowing when not to squeeze until you’re sure.

 

[tarponhead]

Trolling? I was adding to the discussion (well at least I thought I was!).
Roe deer are the same as any other deer when a bullet hits them - they die (if hit in the right place) so the premise of a deer reacting differently head up or down is not species specific - something that others have also mentioned.

The comment about munties was actually in reference to not clipping the rumen and that roe often don’t stand still for long, hence the relevance to shooting muntjac which are only still once they are dead is also irrespective of the species of deer, ie anticipate and shoot!

So are we open to discuss around a topic or must we all rigidly stick to the thread and not deviate?

To add to your point, where I shoot them in close cover, munties are often a smaller, more obscured target, as well as moving, so it’s a different scenario from the roe that I’ve shot, where I have been able to stalk into a unconcerned feeding roe on a wooded bank of field edge - moving slowly and feeding whilst conveniently pausing to lick the air.