Bedded Buck - Shoot or wait?
Mule Deer
Headed west to hunt Mule Deer this fall. The area we will be hunting will be mainly spotting bedded bucks and making stalks within range. Say I get to the distance I feel comfortable for a shot and I have a clearing at vitals:
1) Shoot or wait until buck stands?
2) If you wait do you let the buck stand naturally or draw back and make them stand up? If so, Grunt? Whistle? Hum?
3) please share your experience if you have shot a bedded buck and outcome
I personally would shoot if I have a good clean shot. If you make him stand up he may run a ways before he stops again.
Shooting at a bedded buck you need to take into account that the leg bone off thr bottom of the shoulder blade will be in a different position. I shot a wounded elk before when it was bedded, made a perfect shot for a broadside standing bull but because he was bedded it his his leg bone. It just would force you to keep the arrow above the bottom 1/4 of the vitals... Can be made just be aware.
Josh
pickaspot I really love s/s muley hunting. In a good area it can be humiliating and exciting as heck.
Many factors go into it when to shoot.
1. As others said when the buck is bedded the shoulder is usually back. That being said my best (184") muley was shot in his bed. Slipped under shoulder for a double lung at a perfectly calm bedded 4x5. So YES I will/have shot at a bedded buck. Know your animals anatomy.
2. I have also shot a few bucks that I waited them out to stand up. THE STALK is the fun for me. If I win the stalk then there is no reason to rush once I've made it to my comfort zone. If there is NOT a good bedded angle then I sit and wait for him to stand and stretch. (hoping wind doesn't switch). If chance of wind switch I will try to take a rock and throw as far as I can PAST him. If it goes as planned the buck stands up and looks down at where the rock hit. Leaving me a boiler room shot at a buck looking away.
However, many times friends and I have tried the whistle, rock throw or whatever method only to have the buck literally launch out of his bed and never look back as he runs 1,000 yds. away.
So for me if I have a bedded shot on a calm buck I WILL TAKE IT!
Something that has long baffled me. So many hunters chose aiming points based on external factors. I have no idea why. The good stuff is on the inside. Of course the external aim points change. That is the reason they should not be used. Aim for what you want to hit on the inside. Just need to imagine it in 3D.
He cant squat in his bed so choose a higher than normal aim point and let it fly. Keep on mind that mechanicals can deploy in grass so you might want to shoot a fixed.
do yourself a favor if you get into this position. don't whistle or make any other noise to get him up. shoot him in his bed or wait for him to get up on his own. even if you are there all day. stay patient. if you get him up with a whistle or something your odds of killing him will go way down.
I have always wanted to shoot a nice buck while bedded. I thought it would be a cool deal. Anyway I had a nice nine pointer come in and bed under my stand last year and he just wasn't what I wanted. I thought "But here is my chance to shoot a buck in his bed." But I really wanted to sneak up on one and shoot him undetected in his bed and this wasn't the same thing so I just watched him for about an hour. That was cool too.
"If I have a good shot on a deer that I wish to take then I take it. Bedded, Standing, Swimming a creek, or flying through the air if I thought I could make that shot which I don't. You get the point. Just make sure you have a shot at the vitals and feel confident that you can make that shot. Wounding one stinks!
Bedded shots can be tough. I've never actually tried it, but I've hunted enough that I've learned to just trust my instincts when it comes to taking/not taking a shot. If you think you have a clear shot at the vitals while the buck is bedded, go for it. If not, he'll stand up eventually. Just be aware of what the wind is doing. If it shifts on you and the bedded buck catches your scent, you may have missed a great opportunity. In archery hunting, I'd never try to whistle or make noise to get a deer to stand, they'll be looking at you when you shoot (most likely) or at least on full alert; neither situation is very good for a bow shot.
I can tell you after just finished hunting muleys for 7 days straight in Alberta daybreak to dark,there is no doubt I would take that shot if undetected within my effective range. Would just imagine the vitals and send one on its way.
Shot a couple in their beds. A bull elk once as well.
But it's rare opportunity to have a clean shooting lane on one. In my experience it just almost never happens. More often you're just going to see antlers above the brush/grass. Not a bad thing, if you can see his head he can pretty much see you as well.
Angles and bones are a bit different. Quartering on is gonna be tough, quartering away is better than broadside.
Best way to "see" it is if you have a dog, get him to lay down and you can feel where the major bones are while he's laying as opposed to when he's standing. It's OK, he'll just think you're petting him and not sizing him up. Just don't tell him what you're doing.
My biggest trouble doing that is one of the dogs just wants a belly rub.... then the others come in to get their fair share.... pretty soon it's a dog pile...
Took this guy in his bed at a distance of 10 yards. Waited at that range for about an hour. I waited until he put his nose on the ground, 2 steps to the side and forward a little brought his body into view, drew, picked a spot on the shoulder and luckily put the Slick Trick Viper thru the "golden triangle" and out the other side of the ribs. Deer ran exactly 108 yards and dropped hard.
Thanks to some great guide work by Kent Nelson of Timberline Outfitters and some good luck.
You betcha, take the shot!
If you have a shot on him, take it.
Here is the entrance hole of my bedded buck shown above. The exit was still with in the rib cage, but back and diagonally, as the animals body was slightly quartering to me.
