I was out bow hunting this weekend and I heard a few shots from slug hunters, but every time someone shot there were always at least two, sometimes more shots. Can someone explain this to me? Is the second shot very accurate? I have only hunted with bow and muzzle loader so you really only have one chance. I am not trying to start anything or ruffle any feathers, just trying to understand why the second, third, fourth shots and if they are even worth it?
~SKINEBOY~
I would say it’s guys taking a first shot running and continue to blast.. Others maybe put one in the boiler maker on the first shot and keep shooting because they can.
I think it has to do with people who drive deer in groups and are shooting at them on the run 95% of the time…
gotta love cheater season 
Ive never understood the idea of multiple shots either…what happened to the saying, “make the shot count”?? Its like listening to a couple waterfowl hunters in the background 
Wow, gotta love cutting down other sportsmen. Way to go! Ever think there could be more than one deer? Way to jump to conclusions.
–Whitey
I went over to my neighbor’s house last night and watched him butcher a few deer. The one deer had 3 bullet holes in the one side, so I asked him for the story. He told me that they hunt a lot of thick cover so he usually just keeps shooting until the deer falls or he can’t see it anymore. As we got talking he said he shot 15-20 bullets this weekend and got 3 deer for the group. I congratulated him and went home with a good laugh. 
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“make the shot count”?? Its like listening to a couple waterfowl hunters in the background
ya ever hhad 50 plus birds 20 yards from ya and only three shells in the gun.
While I am a one shot and done kind of guy, we have a rule in our party that you don’t stop shooting until the deer is dead. This may seem like overkill, but with the abundance of non-hunters filling the woods, it forces them to make sure the animal is dead, instead of assuming it’s lethally hit, then shooting at another one. This equals more wasted meat, but less wounded deer.
And to all the other bowhunters and muzzleloaders out there, I’m sure there’s been plenty of times that you WISH you could have had more ammo to sling because of a poor first shot. I know I have. 
Around my house most of the shots you hear are the pheasant hunters. So, it is hard to tell the difference between who is hunting what.
I was in MN “cheating” this past wkend as I’m sure a lot of the IDO hunting family was. When I heard shooting – I would say about half the time there was more than 1 shot. There are a few good reasons for more than 1 shot….deer drives, hunting public land and not wanting the deer to get to the next guy, hunting private land and not wanting the deer to get to the neighbor that will take the deer for himself. Maybe a kid got buck fever and didn’t make a great shot the first time. JW is right…we should be on the same side here. I was happy to get an 8pt sunday morning – 1 shot.
Witte
Thanks for the answers guys, like I say I was not saying it was a bad thing I was just trying to understand it. The whole not wanting the deer to get to the next guy makes a lot of sense where I hunt. Lots of guys with pieces of land bordering each other so i can see where it makes sense to not want “your” deer making it to the next guys land for him to shoot. The whole bow hunter and muzzle loader guys wishing they had another shot, well I know that story all too well as I let my first arrow ever fly at a deer this weekend and the arrow hit a twig about 5 yards before the deer and deflected straight down. I’m glad it turned out to be a clean miss rather than a wounded animal, but boy do I wish I would have had another shot. For the record I could not see the twig through the sight and only realized it was there after I heard it hit it and looked closer to see what had happened.
~SKINEBOY~
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gotta love cheater season
hmmmm…. 
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While I am a one shot and done kind of guy, we have a rule in our party that you don’t stop shooting until the deer is dead. This may seem like overkill, but with the abundance of non-hunters filling the woods, it forces them to make sure the animal is dead, instead of assuming it’s lethally hit, then shooting at another one. This equals more wasted meat, but less wounded deer.
And to all the other bowhunters and muzzleloaders out there, I’m sure there’s been plenty of times that you WISH you could have had more ammo to sling because of a poor first shot.
I agree with this statement. I know of a lot of people who will shoot one deer and then move to the next not even watching where the first one went and if it was dead. Guess what, they lose a lot of deer.
If I’m shotgun hunting and am driving deer or people are driving deer around me, I will make my good first shot and if I have the opportunity or another clean shot that I know I can make I will shoot again as needed. Nobody wants to loose an animal.
I’ve never heard a deer complain about being too dead.
Ditto to Jason.Even though I am positve I made a good shot , After the adrenline shock,sometimes I throw a few more at it just because theres always that chance that a sappling or something you didnt see might have interferred with your shot.
Over the years, I’ve seen too many “lost gut shot” slug gun deer, to not pull up a 2nd shot.
Rifle hunting, on a clear, open field, where there is a steady rest. Yep, that is a one-shot deal.
However, many slug-gun hunts of years past were the old brass bead on the model 12. You kept shooting until that deer dropped. That mentality is still alive in my opinion.
Last year, my buck caught me a bit off guard. I shot 3 times at him within 60 yards. However, all 3 shots hit the boiler room. It was the 3rd shot, where he folded. Of course, this all took place in about 6 seconds.
He would have dropped on the 1st shot, but “what if” my shot would have been a little “off” and been behind the vitals? It is pretty much impossible to blood trail a gut-shot deer, 1/2 mile, across plowed fields, or through grassy valleys.
I believe the reason for so many shots, is that they are taking Bad shots. Pretty obvious i think. My father in law was out lead slingin this weekend and shot 5 times, no deer…
So now we have bow hunters and gun hunters arguing? This is not a good thing and not what this forum is about? What would non hunters think when they saw 2 guys arguing in the woods on whose method is better etc etc? I bow hunt and gun hunt when I have an open tag, I respect both,period.As far as people calling people using the “cheater” season,let it go and rephrase yourself.I dont diss you cause your in the woods 37X a season.Do you hunt pheasants with flu flu arrows or do you cheat? Some guys hunt 2 days a season cause thats what they chose and do it with there weapon of choice. Some dont have the time. Lets respect each other ok.
Sounds like some would rather hear no shots at all….. pretty sad for the future of our hunting heritage, when their are problems in the ranks…. 
If it is not illegal and just a problem with your ethics, then I suggest we all be the bigger person…
big G
last weekend I shot 7 times and got 3 deer, on my 3 deer it was 1 shot a deer, the first 4 shots of my season I missed…
numerous reasons…I was taught if given a 2nd shot…take it, and that was with a rifle in Montana. I don’t think we should argue or point fingers at fellow sportsmen. “Cheater Season” ~ elitist attitude much? similar to the fly fisherman and bait fisherman debate… we’re all outdoorsmen.
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So now we have bow hunters and gun hunters arguing? This is not a good thing and not what this forum is about? What would non hunters think when they saw 2 guys arguing in the woods on whose method is better etc etc? I bow hunt and gun hunt when I have an open tag, I respect both,period.As far as people calling people using the “cheater” season,let it go and rephrase yourself.I dont diss you cause your in the woods 37X a season.Do you hunt pheasants with flu flu arrows or do you cheat? Some guys hunt 2 days a season cause thats what they chose and do it with there weapon of choice. Some dont have the time. Lets respect each other ok.
I could not agree with you more, as sportsmen we need to become more united and stop arguing amongst ourselves, there are people out there that want to take away the outdoor sports away from us and those are the people that we should have a problem with. There is strength in numbers and together we can win the battle waged against us by the people that want to take away all the outdoor sports that we all love so much.
I agree that we should not be cutting one another down for our different tactics, nor be elitists. I threw in my driving deer thing at the beginning of this thread because I have a really bad taste in my mouth for that type of hunting. I have grown up stand hunting with my Dad and Brother, trying to manage land to get good sized bucks… while my buddy grabs as many people as possible, (sometimes upwards of 20) and pushes a piece of land with the theory of “if it’s brown it’s down”. It’s pretty hard to manage a herd when you have neighboring land being hunted like that.
I understand you want to manage your land–but why are your goals more important that those of the hunters around you? If they are just out to fill tags for meat–great for them!
–Whitey
I guess I never thought of it that way… thanks for another perspective.
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I understand you want to manage your land–but why are your goals more important that those of the hunters around you? If they are just out to fill tags for meat–great for them!
–Whitey
You can look at it another way also, his goals are not just important for him but they are important for all deer hunters and the health of the deer heard. In most areas the buck to doe ratio is way out of wack so much in some areas that it is not healthy for the heard. In these kinds of areas more guys really need to think about taking out more does for the good of the heard. I have nothing against meat hunters but why not fill those tags with does instead of small bucks? Not only will you let that young buck live one more year but you will be helping to balance the heard at the same time. I do not consider myself an elitist I am just a guy who wants to do what is best for the deer heard, by filling doe tags and letting young bucks walk I am helping to balance the heard and hopefully going to see a few more mature bucks in the woods in the future. My reply is not a slam on anyone just throwing in my two cents worth. 
To truely balance the deer herd, gender should not even be considered. A deer is a deer is a deer. Both sexes eat the same food, take up the same space, and are basically equal in all ways when it comes to habitat.
The only thing gained by being gender specific, is self satisfaction and gratification, period.
I am not slamming on anyone’s views here, but habitat management is way different than QDM. Two very different practices with two different tactics to achieve the respective goals.
Sorry Mike I have to respectively disagree with you, I am not talking QDM I am talking about selective harvest. In my area the buck to doe ration is at least ten to one and that is being conservative. In order to have a healthy heard you need a balanced heard, when you take a doe you are taking more than one deer you are also taking out the fawns that she would have had come spring.
In response to AmWatson;
What you say is true, but not if you are trying to increase the amount of mature bucks on your land. If you shoot a young buck, there goes the possibility of a shooter in the next few years.
i have to agree w/ steve. Taking out a doe takes out 3 or more deer if you consider the doe and her 1-3 fawns she births in the spring. That is huge if you consider taking 3-4 does a season. With that said, the deer population is decreased by 12 or more by the next year or year after 
Increasing food for the rest of the heard, decreasing buck to doe ratio and increasing rut activity and growing bigger bucks 
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