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Posted

I'm reading this Matt Helm novel. He's talking about an Englishman.

 

"... his idiot theories about sportsmanship almost got him killed and a lot of other people with him. You know the kind of dope who won't shoot a sitting duck or a standing deer or man with his back turned".

 

Now I know it's considered unsporting to shoot a sitting duck. And it's also considered not nice to shoot a man when his back is turned.

 

But not shoot a standing deer?

 

I was taught that if you scare them and they take off on the run, adrenaline goes flooding through their bodies, and the resulting meat does not taste as good as if he was just standing there nibbling some clover when you popped him.

 

Have I been exhibiting poor sportsmanship all this time?

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Posted
5 minutes ago, Alpo said:

I was taught that if you scare them and they take off on the run, adrenaline goes flooding through their bodies, and the resulting meat does not taste as good as if he was just standing there nibbling some clover when you popped him.

 

Have I been exhibiting poor sportsmanship all this time?

I agree, much easier the shoot a standing deer and make a quick clean kill without the adrenaline flowing into the meat.

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Posted

You have been exhibiting good sense. Running deer get wounded and lost when shot at.

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Posted

No.

 

Regarding the adrenaline thing... while it "sounds good on paper", very few deer are DRT when shot.  Even if you make the perfect, text book shot.

 

 

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Posted

Some people are in it for sport.

 

Some are in it for survival.

Posted

In my not so humble opinion, only a fool shoots at a running deer if the hunt is for food or culling a herd. 

In my experience every person that I have known that shot at running deer was a fool. A couple were downright moronic, so I have a basis for my opinion above.

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Posted
2 hours ago, Stump Water said:

Regarding the adrenaline thing... while it "sounds good on paper", very few deer are DRT when shot.  Even if you make the perfect, text book shot.

I’ve taken a pile of deer that would disagree with this.  Precise head and neck shots result in instant DRT.  No need to track is a bonus. 

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Posted

I know a father and son that hunt from a deluxe deer stand over a food plot. They only use 223 varmint rifles and only take head shots. Most of mine were taken with 45-70 "buffalo" rifles.  Mostly antique single shot,  mostly black powder and cast lead. Most flinch like horse fly bet and walk slowly and fall over.  Most of my hunting is in the woods. I set over a known trail like bow range.  Furthest range I stepped of was 90 or so steps.

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Posted

My Dad always wanted to shoot standing deer, if at all possible. He would agree completely with the previous posters about adrenaline tainting the meat. That having been said, he was hunting during the days when deer drives were far more common - as were running shots. If he could get at least two jumps to get his timing down he would shoot on the third jump and drop them.

 

Listening to those stories at the kitchen table as an 8 year old that was way cool.

Listening to those stories when I was 15 I thought "yeah, sure you did" but was smart enough not to say anything.

 

Years later we were hunting the thick stuff in northern Minnesota and an 8-point was bounding past him at 50 yards, completely broadside.

Fired a single cartridge and shot it through the heart. Hmmm, okay then.........

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Posted

Got to admit that I've never noticed a taste difference in one that ran any distance. Most have dropped within a few yards, but had one go about 2 -3 hundred yards and it tasted fine. I wonder if the adrenaline thing started as stated above when drives were more popular and they were running from a human.

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Posted (edited)

As a professional butcher and game processor , I can can tell you that the effects of adrenaline on game meat is definitely a "thing".

If you jump the animal and make the shot before they get up to full steam, you probably won't get the full effect of the adrenaline. But if you chased them for any greater distance, it's going to change the taste and texture of the meat.

This varies a bit between species, but I've found that the worst are javelin and pronghorn antelope.

Give them more than a few yards and they can get pretty stinky.

Choctaw 

Edited by Choctaw Jack
Duplicate wording
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Posted

I've been hunting for a long time and have taken a lot of deer over the years. The only one I’ve ever lost was one that jumped into a river and got carried off by the current. I prefer a standing, broadside shot right through the pump station, but I’ve taken running shots when the situation called for it.

As for the idea that shooting a standing deer is somehow unsporting, I’d say that’s more of a literary device in Matt Helm than an actual hunting ethic. In real life, a standing shot is typically the most ethical and responsible choice. A calm deer presents the best opportunity for a clean, quick kill with minimal suffering, which should always be the goal. The idea of "fair chase" is important, but it shouldn't be confused with making things harder just for the sake of it.

That said, the way one person defines ethical hunting may differ from another's. For example, when it comes to archery, I’ll take shots that some consider questionable, but I make those decisions based on a deep understanding of my skill level and equipment. I know MY own bow, arrow weight, FOC, broadhead's capability and limitations better than anyone else, and I’m comfortable with shots like a frontal brisket shot or an "extended range shot (40-50 yards)" when the conditions are right. That’s not a shot I’d suggest to someone using a light arrow with poor FOC and a mechanical broadhead. Ethics in hunting are often tied to skill, knowledge, and equipment, and what’s right for one person may not be for another.

I've been flamed for this stance by other bowhunters over the years, but at the end of the day, I stick with what I know works for me. As long as a hunter is making responsible, well-informed choices that result in clean, humane kills, that’s what matters most.

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Posted

I helped a neighbor bring out a small buck. It was the stinkyst deer I've ever encountered.  He gave us a chunk of something from it and it stunk too and didn't taste good.  

Posted
3 minutes ago, Warden Callaway said:

I helped a neighbor bring out a small buck. It was the stinkyst deer I've ever encountered.  He gave us a chunk of something from it and it stunk too and didn't taste good.  

Got food poisoning once - that was enough.  Never eat anything questionable - when in doubt, throw it out!

Posted

Don't know why it stunk so bad. Maybe been running from something or fighting another buck or something. 

Years ago, I watched a family and friends deer hunt on neighboring farm.  They were chasing the deer around on trail bikes. I could see the hurd of deer running in the woods across the valley.  Then one or more would run there trail bikes to get ahead of them and cut them off. Much shooting with automatics. 

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Posted

It's not the adrenaline... running after being shot produces lactic acid in the muscle tissue, and the increased lactic acid changes the flavor of the meat.  Drop 'em quickly for good venison.

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Posted
13 hours ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

It's not the adrenaline... running after being shot produces lactic acid in the muscle tissue, and the increased lactic acid changes the flavor of the meat.  Drop 'em quickly for good venison.

Agreed.   Prefer standing/ walking but have taken running shots.    Have heard of groups chasing wounded deer for miles (lots of open ground and ravines) untill the deer is found.  Their prize would generally stiffen up by  the time it was loaded in the vehicle.   Basically not worth cutting up.    Not people I would hunt with.       GW

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