http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2017/10/26/36-point-deer-hunter-crossbow/
Posted on 10/28/2017 8:01:55 PM PDT by Strac6
Stan Ethredge had monitored the deer for years.
He owns hundreds of acres and watched from his deer cameras as the deer’s antlers grew six points about four years ago. They were normal size and shape then.
This season, when it came back, its antlers had changed. They were a mass of twisted tines and knobby bases. Ethredge decided to hunt it.
"As soon as I got the crosshairs on him, I shot," Ethredge told the Clarion-Ledger. "He's eluded me for years, so I didn't want to let him get away. I shot him as soon as I got the chance. I felt pretty good about the shot. He turned and ran away the way he came. I sat there a while and it was the longest hour of my life."
As it turns out, Ethredge bagged a rare catch, a 36-point deer with a 16-inch spread.
However, the reason for the deer’s abnormal antlers is more science than mystery.
"Something caused the deer to stop producing testosterone," William McKinley, Deer Program Coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks told the Clarion-Ledger. "Sometimes, bucks castrate themselves on a fence. It's not common, but it's not uncommon. It could have been disease. It could have been a number of things. If a deer doesn't have testosterone, the antlers continue to grow. They never harden and they never lose velvet."
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
If animals are sick, starving, destructive, or dangerous, or if the hunter needs food, then I completely understand hunting.
But hunting or fishing for sport?
I don’t understand that at all.
Years ago, I was in the woods and found a deer shoulder blade, with an old arrow broadhead firmly embedded in it. The deer lived for some time after being hit with that arrow, too - you could see where the bone had grown back and partially covered the steel. A friend of mine found an arrowhead in a deer just a few years ago - the scar tissue ruined a big chunk of the backstrap.
Bowhunting has always been high risk compared to gun hunting, in terms of making a clean kill vs. possibly losing the animal to lengthy suffering and probable death by predators. Because of those odds, what you propose has actually been part of the picture for many years, but it is usually considered the "dark underbelly" of deer hunting.
It works like this: drug-dispensing pods are fitted to arrows, just behind the broadhead. There's a rubber sleeve that rolls back and the pod is loaded with a veterinary paralytic drug. The sleeve is rolled forward and the arrow is ready for use.
When such an arrow hits an animal, the rubber sleeve is rolled back and the drug is dumped into the tissue and bloodstream. It usually works in seconds. But - very controversial and very often illegal. Is it more humane? Probably, though it is usually seen as a substitute for practice and patience in taking one's shots.
I'd use a bow or crossbow to hunt if it were a matter of survival, but I don't trust my ability enough to do it as part of the annual hunting season.
Sport hunting is restricted to specific areas and maybe two months each year (with some of that time reserved for primitive weapons only, etc.), for the purpose of keeping the game animal population well below what each area can sustain. Without game management of this sort, there would be a lot more sick and starving animals.
I hunt archery, and it doesn't take long for a deer to drop if you know what you are doing. I don't shoot unless I have a good shot at a non-moving target. My worst shot ever, I saw the deer startle too late to stop my release, but I was able to make it a miss rather than a bad hit. My second worst shot took the deer less than 100 feet to drop. For me, it's about venison - inexpensive, healthy meat. I don't do trophies, and I have no interest in tracking a wounded deer all day. Waiting for a good shot is both more humane and more efficient than rushing a questionable shot.
Re: “Sport hunting is restricted...”
Thanks for the update. That does make a difference.
On the other hand, the older I get, the more I respect the “life force” that radiates within every living thing.
Apparently estrogen from birth control pills getting in the water supply is effecting the deep population’s testosterone levels too.
I personally know the lady in the picture she is a very accomplished hunter.
And a very nice person I was just over to her place hunting geese.
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2017/10/26/36-point-deer-hunter-crossbow/
I’m with you on that. There are excellent reasons for hunting, but killing “for fun”, or to have a trophy on a wall is something I can’t wrap my head around. I’m from a long line of hunters in western NY state, and when I lived in Alaska everyone I knew hunted and had trophy rooms. Still, I don’t get it.
Now, that was a good one!
A Castrati Buck! Now I’ve seen it all! ;)
Well you can hunt for food AND have a trophy to hang on the wall. I only harvest mature deer (8 points or more) and donate the venison to “Hunters Sharing The Harvest”. This PA charitable organization pairs donated venison with families facing food insecurity.
I take only mature deer because they are the largest body mass. There is a lot of confusion that having big antlers hanging on the wall means that you only hunt for trophys and not for food. I hope this clears it up.
That’s because you were probably not raised in the country. Wholesome fish and meat are not found in the butcher shop or supermarket.
Excellent post. I’ve bowhunted for 37 years now. Your philosophy is 100% correct: only take a shot if you have the capability to make a lethal hit. I’ve coached uyounger hunters to take a 6” diameter target and determine at what range they can consistently hit it. Start with shots at 15 yards and increase the distance until you can’t acheive a 95% hit rate. That determines your maximum shooting distance for hunting. For new archers, that is typically 15-20 yards, whereas a master archer can typically shoot out to 40 yards. Same ranges apply for crossbow, usually adding 5 -10 yards. On a windy day, don’t take shots over 30 yards, even if you’re rated for longer shots.
Regardless of range, all shots must be on a standing animal that is angled in a way that lets you get a double-lung penetration. No front-on/rear-on shots or a deer quartering towards you. Quartering away or broadside only. With a double lung hit, I’ve never lost a deer. Most have toppled over within 50 yards. I consider a bow/crossbow more humane than a gun. I’ve had heart-shot deer (hit with 12 ga slugs) run 250 yards because the gunshot noise triggers an adrenaline dump. The arrow on the other hand is quiet, and a majority of the time the deer never does more than trot away after a solid hit.
I forgot to add to my earlier post that MANY times I’ve passed up shots on massive bucks who were walking briskly by. Sometimes making a kissing sound with your lips will get them to stop, but sometimes that makes them run too! As much as I can vividly recall making successful shots, I can also vividly recall watching that deer of a lifetime walk off into the woods because it was not ethical to take a shot with archery tackle.
For one such example, here is a link to one of the videos on my YouTube channel, of a big 10 pointer that I had to pass up two years ago.
He went striding by at about 45 yards and I had to pass up on the shot, as I was mortified that I’d wound him. Video was from an earlier siighting of him , so when I saw him in daylight about a week later, I knew he was the one. I never saw him again. He is one for the ages now.......I have,lots of deer videos on my YouTube channel (keystone117) , so enjoy!
She really does look like a wonderful lady, and after thinking about it now, I should have looked on Google for a cartoon "seasoned citizen" lady instead. :-)
I went through school grade to senior high with her oldest daughter.
She has shot a lot of deer during her time.
Outdoors/Rural/wildlife/hunting/hiking/backpacking/National Parks/animals list please FR mail me to be on or off . And ping me is you see articles of interest.
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