Letting Them Walk

Crossbow Hunting

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mcheney
Posts: 28
Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2016 12:32 pm
Location: Westland, MI

Re: Letting Them Walk

Post by mcheney »

PastorSlaughter wrote:I bought an Excalibur Equinox this summer and I've been very impressed with it. Shot 3 mature does so far this season. It has 225 pound draw weight and it is awesome!
But I've also been wondering about the 405. Would it shoot hard enough to go right through a shoulder blade? I know there are so many variables: arrow weight, broadhead weight, mechanical v. fixed blades, etc. I shoot 125 grain mechanicals and total arrow weight is just over 400.
Yesterday morning I had a pretty big 9 point buck in the crosshairs at 13 yards. But it was a quartering-to angle and I didn't want to take that shot. I'm hunting in a suburban area. So, they need to go down quickly when I shoot or there could be real big problems if it dies on other property.
In the past, in the woods, I've hit shoulders with arrows with poor results... And I've also shot right through them with guns.
What about the 405? Anybody have shoulder shot experience with it? And what are your recommendations?
I know I made a good decision to not take that shot yesterday morning. But I still keep replaying it over and over in my mind!
I took a shot with my M355. I thought I was going to take it in the right lung and into the heart. It hit the shoulder blade and it lodged. Feel real bad about that shot as the deer did die, but not quickly. :( I was so sure of the power that I took a less than good shot thinking that the M355 would make up for any screw up on my part. I was wrong and the animal suffered for it.
I have been amazed at the penetrating power of an Excalibur but the extreme angle was a recipe for deflection.
All my bolts in the past and since have sailed through deer like paper.
Even my Axium did not take notice of deer as the bolts just glided through.
But none of these shots have encountered the shoulder.
Relatively straight on I think may have been another story but I don't know for sure.
This shot was 30 yds, Diablo bolt with 150 gr Bolt Cutter.

Now that you have me thinking again as a test I might set up the shoulder of my next deer at 20-25 yds and send a bolt through the shoulder at 30 degree angle.
At least the bone as I hate to waste good meat.
Equinox..shadow-zone
Vortex..veri-zone
Matrix 355 (Stinger)..tact-zone
Matrix 350SE..dead-zone
…ya, I know.
SEW
Posts: 1745
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2014 9:55 am
Location: NE Arkansas

Re: Letting Them Walk

Post by SEW »

I shoot a 405,400 and a 380. Arrows now are 425-486gs. The 405 is shooting a 445g arrow with Griz Tricks 2. Even with this, I wouldn't go for a shoulder. I've shot deer in the shoulder with even more powerful set-ups and 125g Thunderhead and a 145g Super Razorhead and didn't get adequate penetration. Likely, a small cut , cut on contact broadhead, with a 450g + broadhead out of the 405 would likely make it.
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mcheney
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Location: Westland, MI

Re: Letting Them Walk

Post by mcheney »

new xbow hunter wrote:Mature body size is all I look for. We don't have many real big racks in this area. The older they get helps with the rack size though.
This is not only the best way to fill the freezer but it also is most likely the best method available to the average hunter for population management. We have 6-8 doe per buck where I hunt and I'm sure thats because nobody wants to shoot does. (sept me :shock: ) I am not overly fond of the taste of antlers and do consider myself a 'meat' hunter more than a trophy hunter. My wall space allows for maybe 2 racks at a time and so the antlers are useless except for bragging rights. It also hones skill for when that trophy buck arrives which certainly is nice and exciting. Just my thought and I'm sure others may argue. But this method has my freezer full already, spilling over into the 'community' freezer at my buddies and I still have 6 weeks to get the buck that I have not yet produced. The wife and boy are happy because we have steak and grounds a plenty and that justifies the tags, gas and time to put me in the woods for a single morning or evening hunt once a week if I'm lucky. :D
Equinox..shadow-zone
Vortex..veri-zone
Matrix 355 (Stinger)..tact-zone
Matrix 350SE..dead-zone
…ya, I know.
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PastorSlaughter
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Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Re: Letting Them Walk

Post by PastorSlaughter »

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. Very helpful. And I'm glad I waited for a better opportunity and didn't take the head-on shot. Yesterday at 4:06 pm the same buck chased a doe by me. I stopped him and sent an arrow through him. I got one or maybe both lungs and a piece of the heart. I'm very thankful to the Lord of the harvest this Thanksgiving. Both my kids are home and there's fresh meat in the Slaughter house! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
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8ptbuk
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Joined: Sun Oct 14, 2012 12:14 pm
Location: Patrick County Virgina

Re: Letting Them Walk

Post by 8ptbuk »

PastorSlaughter wrote:Hey guys, thanks for the replies. Very helpful. And I'm glad I waited for a better opportunity and didn't take the head-on shot. Yesterday at 4:06 pm the same buck chased a doe by me. I stopped him and sent an arrow through him. I got one or maybe both lungs and a piece of the heart. I'm very thankful to the Lord of the harvest this Thanksgiving. Both my kids are home and there's fresh meat in the Slaughter house! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Congratulations ! Beautiful Buck !
James : 1 - 19-20 Know this , My beloved Brothers : Let every person be quick to hear , slow to speak , slow to anger , for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God .

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Patcon
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Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2015 4:06 pm
Location: Spartanburg SC

Re: Letting Them Walk

Post by Patcon »

Congratulations! Great looking buck
Charles
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L.C.B.H
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Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2016 8:09 pm
Location: Ontario,Canada-64A

Re: Letting Them Walk

Post by L.C.B.H »

The rifle slobs are what irritate me,they shoot anything that is brown and then cry and whine that there are no big bucks....slob hunters to a "t"...Orange army slobs are horrible whitetail managers.You are your own game manager.....
Libtards make me sick, and I don't take orders from a forum rat who needs to go to a safe place. Get used to Conservative Right wing hard working Canadians telling you liberals to F off!!!!! :wave:
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Ferguson Outfitters
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Re: Letting Them Walk

Post by Ferguson Outfitters »

Nice!
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wabi
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Location: Ohio

Re: Letting Them Walk

Post by wabi »

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice One!!!!!!

I've let several walk this year. A couple years ago we had a very dry summer and an outbreak of EHD which wiped out much of the doe population here. More bucks than does on the trail cams this year, so I've laid off shooting does until I see signs of more does in the herd. My son did shoot a nice buck in the youth gun season last weekend -
http://www.excaliburcrossbow.com/phpBB2 ... =1&t=64628
- so I'm going to have to work hard to try to catch up. :lol: :lol:
wabi
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mcheney
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Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2016 12:32 pm
Location: Westland, MI

Re: Letting Them Walk

Post by mcheney »

Wow!
Nice one.
Equinox..shadow-zone
Vortex..veri-zone
Matrix 355 (Stinger)..tact-zone
Matrix 350SE..dead-zone
…ya, I know.
R.J.
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Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2002 2:12 pm
Location: Innerkip , Ontario , Canada

Re: Letting Them Walk

Post by R.J. »

Another Great looking buck > Congrat's !
See Ya. ... R.J. > " Remember , Trophies are measured by the time and energy expended to get them , not the size or quantity of the quarry "
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DuckHunt
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Re: Letting Them Walk

Post by DuckHunt »

Congrats on a very nice buck.

The second week of November I passed on seven bucks that were 6pt or smaller before finally seeing the 10pt I harvested. We have plenty of doe available for freezer meat around here. You can't kill a big buck if you are at home processing a small one. After processing my share of small bucks, I've finally figured it out. :lol:
DuckHunt
Micro Wolverine/Matrix 350 SE
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mcheney
Posts: 28
Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2016 12:32 pm
Location: Westland, MI

Re: Letting Them Walk

Post by mcheney »

DuckHunt wrote:Congrats on a very nice buck.

The second week of November I passed on seven bucks that were 6pt or smaller before finally seeing the 10pt I harvested. We have plenty of doe available for freezer meat around here. You can't kill a big buck if you are at home processing a small one. After processing my share of small bucks, I've finally figured it out. :lol:
DuckHunt
Thats why we process the itty bitty ones after dark! That and so nobody jeers at us. :oops:
Equinox..shadow-zone
Vortex..veri-zone
Matrix 355 (Stinger)..tact-zone
Matrix 350SE..dead-zone
…ya, I know.
sproulman
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Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2010 3:10 pm
Location: PA WILDS AREA

Re: Letting Them Walk

Post by sproulman »

vixenmaster wrote:I let all my small Bucks walk, but all my neightbors kill every thing they see wid antlers. I do kill Doe's to fill my freezer
Get the game commission to put in 4 points to side rule on Bucks mike..We have it here in pa and its great ..
sproulman
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Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2010 3:10 pm
Location: PA WILDS AREA

Re: Letting Them Walk

Post by sproulman »

PastorSlaughter wrote:Hey guys, thanks for the replies. Very helpful. And I'm glad I waited for a better opportunity and didn't take the head-on shot. Yesterday at 4:06 pm the same buck chased a doe by me. I stopped him and sent an arrow through him. I got one or maybe both lungs and a piece of the heart. I'm very thankful to the Lord of the harvest this Thanksgiving. Both my kids are home and there's fresh meat in the Slaughter house! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Nice buck indeed.Thanks for waiting for Broadside shot.I bet i left 50 bucks go over years because of bad angle or beyond 35 yards and some were 12 points bucks with 20 inch spreads ....

Great shot is more important to me than harvesting a Buck ..I go home at night and sleep fine knowing I did not wound a Buck....
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