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Big game animal’s reactions to gun shots
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<blockquote data-quote="Dave King" data-source="post: 96920" data-attributes="member: 3"><p>I personally believe critters react to various stimuli in fairly predictable manners. If they (non-predators) can flee danger they will do so, predators will most often flee but may attack if they believe the danger is inside their "safety zone" </p><p></p><p>Generally, for deer,</p><p></p><p>IF they perceive danger they flee.</p><p></p><p>IF they are hurt they take action to fix the pain.</p><p></p><p>Fleeing danger takes precedence over fixing pain.</p><p></p><p>Loud noises have little effect on deer, they don't run hither and yon during a thunder storm for example.</p><p></p><p>They have a safety zone for unknown event that varies but is maybe hundreds of yards across.</p><p></p><p>They can be conditioned to accept nearly anything as "non-dangerous/threatening". Take the many examples of deer on near-urban rifle and pistol ranges during shooting events...they perceive no danger as they are NEVER injured during those excursions. There are also many situations and places where "wild free-ranging" deer are hand-feed.</p><p></p><p>If you take the time to watch and record their reactions you can test and learn their limits to different situations.</p><p></p><p>In many cases deer will not flee for no apparent reason. Shooting one herd member may not trigger a flee/danger situation so long as that member does not telegraph to the others that there is danger. A simple bang-flop on a herd members may only be seen/interpreted as a distant non-threat and a deer laying down...they probably won't make a connection. (BUT, if you do this "bang-flop" scenario and immediately go to retrieve the deer they will quickly learn to retreat after the "distant noise and sleepy deer".)</p><p></p><p>Deer communicate danger to one another, you can study this and we all recognize the white flag "I'm outta here!" message, there are other signs too. If the deer you shoot can't communicate the others can't/probably won't recognize danger but if you shoot a deer and it takes off you can bet the rest of the herd is going to take interest.</p><p></p><p>It's most often the deer on the edge of the herd that spot danger first, the look-outs. Don't shoot the look-outs, shoot he deer in the center of the herd and go for a bang-flop. Do not injure a secondary deer with pass through bullets or they'll all flee.</p><p></p><p>A herd of does and yearling is probably under the control of a senior doe. This matriarch will be a little nervous in many cases but she is key to shooting if your after the entire herd (cull). You must shoot her first, a bang-flop is best but not completely necessary but she must not leave the shooting area. Once she is on the ground the other deer will be confused and wait for a new leader, kill them before they complete their election. Shoot the remaining deer, bang flops are best but again not required so long as the deer die in the shooting field. If some make it out of the field wait for a little bit (many minutes) they will probably come back so long as they don't see the shooter(s) (stay hidden from the deer).</p><p></p><p>Old (really old) does, and pretty much any older deer (probably insert any critter here) will react to anything out of the ordinary and leave...they already know that curiosity can kill. These type critters are harder to corner in a killing situation and you may only get one chance so take any shot you get. The Texas hogs I've hunter fit in this category too.</p><p></p><p>Older/smarter deer may not flee with the majority of the herd, they often take a sneak in a different direction or hold. If you jump a herd of deer and they flee take a quick look 90 degrees to their flight path and if you're lucky you may find a old buck or doe sneaking away in the confusion.</p><p></p><p>Take care that you don't train your critter with your actions. Stay out of sight and let deer move about naturally if you kill one from their herd. Don't show up at the same time or from the same direction each outing. Don't always shoot them, sometimes just watch. </p><p></p><p>having deer come toward you after a long shot that misses is not uncommon. They hear the sonic crack at their location and very soon after that the round impacting trees or the ground THEN after a longer time they hear a distant shot. They are reacting to an unknown that is near and directly behind them (when viewed from the shooters perspective). </p><p></p><p>You can condition them to ignore gunshots all together if they are a regular herd. Just put some rounds downrange every time you see them, just make sure you don't hit any or kick any debris onto them. (The shooting range deer scenario.)</p><p></p><p>Train them to come to a 4-wheeler... take food out at the same time each day, never chase or harass them. Soon they'll come to the 4-wheeler whenever they hear it.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Predators have a different set of triggers and reactions.</p><p></p><p> I've shot groundhogs and deer (cull) and have had fox COME to the sound of the shots just like ringing a dinner bell.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dave King, post: 96920, member: 3"] I personally believe critters react to various stimuli in fairly predictable manners. If they (non-predators) can flee danger they will do so, predators will most often flee but may attack if they believe the danger is inside their "safety zone" Generally, for deer, IF they perceive danger they flee. IF they are hurt they take action to fix the pain. Fleeing danger takes precedence over fixing pain. Loud noises have little effect on deer, they don't run hither and yon during a thunder storm for example. They have a safety zone for unknown event that varies but is maybe hundreds of yards across. They can be conditioned to accept nearly anything as "non-dangerous/threatening". Take the many examples of deer on near-urban rifle and pistol ranges during shooting events...they perceive no danger as they are NEVER injured during those excursions. There are also many situations and places where "wild free-ranging" deer are hand-feed. If you take the time to watch and record their reactions you can test and learn their limits to different situations. In many cases deer will not flee for no apparent reason. Shooting one herd member may not trigger a flee/danger situation so long as that member does not telegraph to the others that there is danger. A simple bang-flop on a herd members may only be seen/interpreted as a distant non-threat and a deer laying down...they probably won't make a connection. (BUT, if you do this "bang-flop" scenario and immediately go to retrieve the deer they will quickly learn to retreat after the "distant noise and sleepy deer".) Deer communicate danger to one another, you can study this and we all recognize the white flag "I'm outta here!" message, there are other signs too. If the deer you shoot can't communicate the others can't/probably won't recognize danger but if you shoot a deer and it takes off you can bet the rest of the herd is going to take interest. It's most often the deer on the edge of the herd that spot danger first, the look-outs. Don't shoot the look-outs, shoot he deer in the center of the herd and go for a bang-flop. Do not injure a secondary deer with pass through bullets or they'll all flee. A herd of does and yearling is probably under the control of a senior doe. This matriarch will be a little nervous in many cases but she is key to shooting if your after the entire herd (cull). You must shoot her first, a bang-flop is best but not completely necessary but she must not leave the shooting area. Once she is on the ground the other deer will be confused and wait for a new leader, kill them before they complete their election. Shoot the remaining deer, bang flops are best but again not required so long as the deer die in the shooting field. If some make it out of the field wait for a little bit (many minutes) they will probably come back so long as they don't see the shooter(s) (stay hidden from the deer). Old (really old) does, and pretty much any older deer (probably insert any critter here) will react to anything out of the ordinary and leave...they already know that curiosity can kill. These type critters are harder to corner in a killing situation and you may only get one chance so take any shot you get. The Texas hogs I've hunter fit in this category too. Older/smarter deer may not flee with the majority of the herd, they often take a sneak in a different direction or hold. If you jump a herd of deer and they flee take a quick look 90 degrees to their flight path and if you're lucky you may find a old buck or doe sneaking away in the confusion. Take care that you don't train your critter with your actions. Stay out of sight and let deer move about naturally if you kill one from their herd. Don't show up at the same time or from the same direction each outing. Don't always shoot them, sometimes just watch. having deer come toward you after a long shot that misses is not uncommon. They hear the sonic crack at their location and very soon after that the round impacting trees or the ground THEN after a longer time they hear a distant shot. They are reacting to an unknown that is near and directly behind them (when viewed from the shooters perspective). You can condition them to ignore gunshots all together if they are a regular herd. Just put some rounds downrange every time you see them, just make sure you don't hit any or kick any debris onto them. (The shooting range deer scenario.) Train them to come to a 4-wheeler... take food out at the same time each day, never chase or harass them. Soon they'll come to the 4-wheeler whenever they hear it. Predators have a different set of triggers and reactions. I've shot groundhogs and deer (cull) and have had fox COME to the sound of the shots just like ringing a dinner bell. [/QUOTE]
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