How do you decide who shoots?

[Kilboars]

Question:

When still hunting with a friend or friends, how do you decide who gets the shot?

The reason I ask is because I bow hunt with guys that have more experience than I do and if it's a draw they would always get an arrow off before me. Meaning I need 5-12 sec to steady my shot on an animal and they need 2-7. They also are just quicker at making that decision to shoot or not. I'm getting more experience every year but so are they.

Last year I was Mule deer hunting with two friend and we jumped a decent 3x2 buck that came up from a draw, I signaled to the others and we all froze. The buck was staring right at us so I didn't move but I saw my buddy next to me knocking an arrow and draw back, I quickly grabbed my range finder and whispered to him "81 yards, 81 yards" with that an much larger 6x5 come up in front of the first buck and I then said " closer buck at 75 yards, closer buck is 75 yards" with that he released an arrow and smoked him. We were all Jacked. It was the only game the four of us would take him that year and were just amazed at how quick it all went down. Moral of the story was my buddy had the experience and mindset to act quickly to get an arrow knocked and I was frozen worried about spooking it. I was in awe and very happy for him and gives me much credit because he had guessed the first deer at 65 yards and it was 81. But he also said he felt bad because he thought I should've taken the shot because I saw it first. I keep telling him "he!! no" I was asleep at the wheel and had he not acted we would of come home with nothing. He showed me how things happen quick and you need to react quick. Lesson learned.

Point being if it was decided that I would shoot first that morning or who see it first shoot it then we would not of shot that mule deer.

Option 1: choose a day or 1/2 day per person?
Option 2: whoever gets the first opportunity?
Option 3: whoever sees the game first?
Option 4: non of the above:-/

 

[jmez]

We always go option 2. If you have a tag and a clear shot take it.

 

[Kilboars]

We always go option 2. If you have a tag and a clear shot take it.

Thanks,

Which I agree but in planning my MT hunt this year with these guys I feel I need to go solo on my hunts because theres no way I's beat them to the draw.

Which is cool but I don't want to come off anti-social by preferring to hunt alone.

 

[EastMT]

Couple different ways

1-If one hasn’t harvested a said animal, first option unless circumstances prevent

2-Flip a coin, every other day alternate first chance unless circumstances prevent

3-If one person is looking for a huge trophy and the other person is happy with a good representative of the species

If you are the slowest you will never get a shot, so these help even it out a bit. We used to do the coin flip and first animal thing but after 5-10 days hunting with no chance for you to shoot, hard to both stay equally motivated.

If you are bivouacked out, sitting all night on an animal, then we carry over to the next day for that animal.

Obviously if the animal is leaving, it’s open season as circumstances do happen.


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[Kilboars]

Couple different ways

1-If one hasn’t harvested a said animal, first option unless circumstances prevent

2-Flip a coin, every other day alternate first chance unless circumstances prevent

3-If one person is looking for a huge trophy and the other person is happy with a good representative of the species

If you are the slowest you will never get a shot, so these help even it out a bit. We used to do the coin flip and first animal thing but after 5-10 days hunting with no chance for you to shoot, hard to both stay equally motivated.

If you are bivouacked out, sitting all night on an animal, then we carry over to the next day for that animal.

Obviously if the animal is leaving, it’s open season as circumstances do happen.


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Thanks Coop,

Thats kind of the way I feel. They have shot many nice size animals and I'd be glad to shoot a smaller animal but with that said if a nice Buck jumps up I wouldn't mind taking it.

End of the day know one wants to get skunked. Meat is meat.

 

[dmc]

We really only hunt together for elk, and subscribe to option 2, while rotating whoever is calling. Actually my brother and I shot the same bull at the exact same time once - opposite sides of a logging road. Pretty crazy.

 

[16Bore]

Whoever has the shot. If the same animal presents itself to 3 hunters, it's pretty much over anyway. If you've tagged out, obviously you're now a mule for the other fellas.

But nobody should go home empty handed, whether they shot or not.

 

[Bowhuntone]

All or any of the options. Most importantly though is a conversation with all the members of the group about who shoots in what scenario. I mostly group hunt with my brothers and we are happy with anyone harvesting but with species such as elk that its better to have a designated call / callers so they are ready to start a call sequence when the encounter takes place but still could shoot if animal presented a clear shot.

 

[dieselchessy]

Our general rule is "who ever spots it, gets first dibs".
But most importantly, we discuss it first and lay out a plan everyone agrees on before shots are fired. This includes who shoots first, how game meat is split, how folks are expected to react when an animal needs packed out, ect......

I hunt with guys who's very first reaction when game is spotted is to get ready for a shot. They tend to be quite successful.

I guess I should add, I don't think we ever follow our general rule. It seems in our group those who've had more success always attempt to get the less successful guys, gals, kids the first opportunities regardless of who spotted what.

 

[dukhunt]

Option 2. I obviously have never hunted with you and don’t have any knowledge on the way you guys hunt, but spreading out and leaving space in between each shooter would give each shooter different shooting lanes and opportunities when an animal presents itself.

 

[Bronc]

We’re always option 2 if it happens quick. If it’s something that we’re making a stalk on or calling in, then we decide the shooter. Regardless, we’re all under the understanding that if you have a good shot, take it.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

We always have a greco roman wrestling match. Winner gets first shot.

 

[Mosby]

When hunting with my son or nephews, I always give them first shot if we are together. I like seeing them fill their tags.

 

[Chico103]

When with my old hunting buddies, whoever sees it first or has a good shot. Or first shot to the guy who hasn’t filled a tag yet.

With newer hunters it’s fun watching them get something and i tell them i’ll do what it takes to get them a shot, unless we see a monster. Then its whoever can shoot it first!


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[jaximus]

ive hunted with a lot of people over the years and this year was the first that i was with a guy that drew as quick as i do. it was a pleasant surprise. i almost prefer to be the 1a, not the main shooter. id rather range, see the whole picture and devise the plan. im generally the psuedo guide and spot most of the animals for my crew. for rifle, i get the younger/newer guys the shots, but for bow, its generally first come first serve. so i would vote option 2.

in your mentioned case, you BOTH played vital roles to success in that hunt and that cant be understated. had you not played the role of perfect wingman and called ranges and swapped targets, he may have missed. thats a role not many can do, much less do well.

when group hunting, you cant all be alphas.

 

[Kilboars]

in your mentioned case, you BOTH played vital roles to success in that hunt and that cant be understated. had you not played the role of perfect wingman and called ranges and swapped targets, he may have missed. thats a role not many can do, much less do well.

when group hunting, you cant all be alphas.

Yes and thats how I felt. I was glad I snapped out of if and lent some service to us making a great shot. With bowhunting I try to stress that on others as well to give the shooter a range when it happens fast like that.

 

[bigmoose]

I tend to hunt solo. If I agree to hunt with another hunter I always let them have the shot. About the only time I hunt with someone else is when I'm helping them get their animal. I'm just as happy to see a friend fill his tag as I would be to fill my own.

 

[Rthur]

A primary shooter is called/decided for morning hunt and evening hunt.
Depending on the setup (archery) secondary shooters are a given.
Midday same same

R

 

[theonlybfc]

We always do whoever drove further.

 

[sika64]

Couple different ways

1-If one hasn’t harvested a said animal, first option unless circumstances prevent

2-Flip a coin, every other day alternate first chance unless circumstances prevent

3-If one person is looking for a huge trophy and the other person is happy with a good representative of the species

If you are the slowest you will never get a shot, so these help even it out a bit. We used to do the coin flip and first animal thing but after 5-10 days hunting with no chance for you to shoot, hard to both stay equally motivated.

If you are bivouacked out, sitting all night on an animal, then we carry over to the next day for that animal.

Obviously if the animal is leaving, it’s open season as circumstances do happen.


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Pretty much the same as us. We have some that will take just about any legal animal, and a couple that would like something mountable.