Have you ever taken a long shot at animal...to scare it closer?

[HookUp]

Before the internet police tackle me let me explain what happened this fall on my first bow hunt. I'm hunting spot and stalk white tail in the rut in November. The bucks are chasing does hard and I am stunned how I am able to move around the deer. I stalk within a decent distance of a buck and shoot under him. I shoot one more time and shoot under him again and he spooks to the arrow on his outside and turns right towards me at a decent clip and walks right into my position. i'm standing on the edge of an open field and draw back and double lung him once he gets about 40 yards. I didn't want him any closer as I was afraid drawing would make him run off.

I thought I was the only person in the world this happened to. After doing some reading Fred bear would shoot beyond game to scare it closer and other bow hunting legends like Howard Hill and Ben Pearson attempted long shots with their trad bows and wood arrows. Hill was often quoted as saying, "If you want to kill something you have to put some wood in the air."

I find long range shooting with bows far less capable than modern compounds is intriguing, But I'm not saying I agree with long shots or we should be making those types of attempts. It appears the chance of a kill was placed higher than the more likely scenario of a wounded animal. I'm not going to take a questionable shot but id consider putting up a spook arrow if I thought it would work. Anyone else willing to admit this has happened to them?

 

[Beendare]

It sure seems like an iffy strategy.

How do you know which way they are going to go....plus; i've had elk spook and run by me at close range on full tilt.....not the best bowhunting shot, eh?

There has been plenty of times I've snuck close to an elk herd just out of range.....and patience grasshopper....the bull ended up working toward me without having to do anything....he was calm and never knew what hit him. Probably a better strategy don't you think?