Ethical? What are your thoughts?

[bullets13]

As Todd Graf and Justin Zarr say: "There's a difference between taking a bad shot, and making a bad shot." That's where this becomes unethical - Taking a shot(Intentionally) with very little margin for error, and great chance for mutilating or not killing the animal vs. making a bad shot (unintentionally) aiming for the vitals unintentionally with the intention of a quick clean kill.

If this was a freak occurrence, and the animal moved/jumped whatever, then I can't say it would be deemed unethical.

This ^

[tigerscowboy]

I've seen many that were worse. Too many dead deer found with arrows in their gut or hind quarters.

At least with a head shot it's most likely to be a kill or unharmed.

[randal]

Ethical..... yea it killed him instantly
Smart..... not even close. 1000 ways that could have went wrong. Glad it didn't

Ethical is taking smart shots IMO

[randal]

May have gotten whacked but there was a thread someone started on here how he got a head shot a few seasons ago.. the crowd wasn't very happy about it..

[randal]

I've seen many that were worse. Too many dead deer found with arrows in their gut or hind quarters.

At least with a head shot it's most likely to be a kill or unharmed.

What if it turned and got his jaw taken off?

[SwampRabbit]

I've seen many that were worse. Too many dead deer found with arrows in their gut or hind quarters.

At least with a head shot it's most likely to be a kill or unharmed.

Look at post 73... I wouldn't call that unharmed. A head shot isn't a simple kill or miss. I has its own ramifications just like any other shot placement. Plenty of pictures of deer running around with arrows in their necks have caused bowhunters to lose privileges in certain areas of this state. I would be hog hunting some pigs nearby if it wasn't for those ramifications. Is it overreacting from non-hunters... or just bad ethics on the parts of certain hunters... I don't know. But I do understand the ramifications.

[Native Texan]

If the shot placement was intentional, yes it was very unethical. The ONLY ethical shot with a bow is heart and lungs as it offers the greatest margin for error and the greatest concentration of blood vessels. Broadheads kill cleanly and quickly by cutting arteries resulting in immediate major blood loss, not by shock and tissue damage like a bullet. Ethical shot placement with an arrow must take that into consideration.

Skilled and confident enough to make that shot=arrogant and lacking respect for the animal.

What does it matter??? It matters when beginning, uneducated, or just plain disrespectful bowhunters see pictures like that on the internet and decide to take that shot intentionally.

[boomerball]

any chance the deer was down for some reason and that was how they finished it off? probably not likely, but who knows...

only reason it comes to mind, I basically did that on a doe when I was 14yr old or so (but w/ shotgun slug, not xbow) initial shot dropped the deer, but when approached it was still breathing. figured that was the quickest way to end it.

[Still Hunter]

Totally unethical. I see a ticket! I do not see a Tag on that deer.

[rjtkdplus]

There is no definite answer for "ethical". If, "too many variables" is the case; how many is too many? Bowhunting isn't unethical but it has many more variables than rifle hunting.

As far as what PETA thinks, they hate every type of hunting and think your perfect heart shot was unethical.

Some people are being unethical just by shooting because they are unskilled, never practice, have inferior equipment etc.

All of the hunters in my son's summer camp(New Mexico) told him it was unethical to hunt over corn. Many people on this forum believe it is unethical to hunt high fence ranches.

I would not try that shot on a deer but he has just as much right to do that as I have to shoot my deer where I choose.

I've killed more than one deer that was wounded by someone taking a shot at the heart/lung area and I've lost more than one because I took that shot and missed for various reasons.

Be careful how you judge.

[justletmein]

Crappy broadhead, no blood trail.

[MilMan]

Just dumb, too many factors where there could have been an error and left a severely wounded animal. This is just some “look at me, I’m cool” idiot.

[Radar]

Makes us look bad

[gtsticker]

I shot a deer in the head last week. Was not my intended shot. But it was deadly. Deer may have moved. A buddy of mine shot
One like this. The buck spun his head up in front of his shoulder when the bow went
Off. It is possible it was not his intended target

[AntlerCollector]

Ttt