Shooting a bedded buck from treestand ?
Whitetail Deer
Question - has anyone ever shot at a bedded buck from a tree stand?
I turned around tonight from my climber to see a beautiful 20” 8pt standing at 30 yards (high wind, came in behind me with a doe)
When I stood up, he bedded down at 30yds. About parallel with me, maybe just slightest quartering to me, just barely.
I decided to shoot. Settled my 30 pin and squeezed off. The buck jumped, took about 4 steps and walked 20 yards away.. started licking his front right leg. Eventually he moved away from me, licking his lower front right leg. I had another rack buck and a doe run in hot, the buck I shot at then chased them away, with no apparent injury.
I got down found my arrow, and saw a few drops of blood. I obviously shot under him. No blood on arrow or fletchings.
Just curious to what others have had happened. Is there a such thing as “standing the string”?
No, not a buck, but the first deer I ever shot was a yearling doe that laid down just as I was drawing back the string. I was on the ground and she was laying with her tail/belly toward me. Arrow went in her back ribs, through liver and lung and stuck in the off shoulder. She jumped up, ran out of sight in the woods and I thought I had missed. When I went to find my arrow I saw her white belly about 40 yards away. She et good too !
I shot at a sleeping fox after sneaking up on him across a wet forest floor, and managed to shave off some back hair. Last Saturday I saw just one deer on the morning hunt: a small and kinda scrawny doe fawn casually came by and layed down to relax about 10 steps away from my stand to my off side. She eventually got up and walked away. I let her walk as it didn't seem worth the effort, and I just didn't have the heart that morning
You missed. He didn't move. You just missed. That's what happened. It has happened to every one. And, yes I have shot bedded deer from a tree stand.
My friends dad did a couple years ago. Buck never got up. Died in his bed.
It's the same as stalking a bedded deer. If their feet are towards you, it's an easier shot, but they're looking at you. If their feet are away from you, it's a harder shot and you have to hit them high just to avoid dirt. I've shot a couple bedded deer and I got em both through the front of the backstrap, but I was shooting downhill at them.
I've never shot one bedded out of a tree, but I imagine you'd have to put it through the lower backstrap or spine em.
Thanks for all the replies. WV I agree. I flat out missed. And I’m glad I did.
I’ll get another chance at him.
deer no..............bear yes.
it is a bit of a crap shoot as we are neither used to it (which does not increase success rate) nor able to accurately assess where the shot needs to go. There is a shot there that will get it done for sure, but wiating for a standing shot while the animal stretches is a better, if not easier, approach to take.
Back in 2006 while still hunting thru the timber, I shot this elk in his bed at 7 yds. Never never got up either
When animals are bedded, the vitals are compressed up in the chest cavity, aim higher than usual
First deer, 6 pt buck, I ever shot was in his bed. Never got up, but it was not a bow kill. I don't hunt from trees, but I would take a shot at a bedded animal. One of the first deer I shot at with a bow was a bedded doe. Shot over her back. She go up and ran off. I stalked up to a big cow elk in MT in the snow and took a 25 yds shot (with a compound I had that I could not ever get used to), and missed. She stood up, I shot again and missed again. That sucked.
I don't like the shot. A low shot, rather than be a clean miss, may end up hitting and damaging the front leg folded under the body. I would rather wait for the deer to stand.
Thanks for all the input and yes, i agree. This isn't something that you normally would prepare for. I kind of laughed to myself and said "what now"
I was losing daylight quickly so the idea of waiting him out really wasn't on the table. I decided to take my shot when the opportunity presented. Playing it back in my head, i'd probably had made a grunt call and seen how he reacted. But oh well! That's why we hunt them.
Hindsight is always 20/20. Not saying I wouldn't have done the same thing. Hopefully you get another crack at him...might even find a little scar from the first shot!
I have killed a bedded doe from a stand, and I don't see a problem with the shot. If you know the anatomy and the angle, shoot it.
Never shot a bedded deer, but I have shot a hog that was bedded and asleep in a hole on the side of a ravine. After shot he made it about 40 yrs. and died. He did try one last death charge but died while engaged in activity.
Listen to cnelk.
If it is laying on its side sorta, also pay attention to Ike. It's hard to do it without hitting the back strap.
I shot this doe as a second shot when she bedded facing directly at me about 8 yards in front of my stand after a shot that was perfectly placed but ended up angling back at an angle due to the deers reaction. She died in her bed as well
