Calling the Optimum Shot

With muzzle loading it is usually a one shot deal for deer that will either put meat on the pole or get skunked with a possible cripple suffering for hours on end. The thought of having to deal with the latter is very unsettling to me.

I’ve not only put hours in developing a well performing load under different temperatures but practicing free hand and with a shooting stick to see how well I can place my shot at varying ranges. I mostly still hunt in funnels and use a range finder to verify my distance to surrounding landmarks so when a deer comes around I got his distance tagged.
The only thing left is waiting for a good angle to present itself and minimal movement of the deer. Should the deer come trotting through and a call doesn’t slow it down to a slow walk or stop it gets a pass. Yes it can be a heartbreaker and utter frustration to let a real nice size buck pass. But instead of ending up with a cripple that may feed other predators you are allowing a chance for him to further spread his genes for a healthy population.

I’ve been very fortunate to maintain a one-shot, one-kill record but not simply because of luck. Not losing a cripple is almost as satisfactory to me as making a kill. Hunting deer also provides a peaceful moment I can’t find anywhere else. When my day is done there will either be a deer hanging on the pole or not with no regrets of my action for that days hunt.

Learning how to make the call of an optimum shot starts at the range with developing your accurate load. Next step is the deer’s position for making a good lethal shot. After that the work begins. This post is not about ethics but knowing real satisfaction when an optimum shot that gives you the highest percentage of a humane kill is utilized. Like anything in life how you accomplish something that satisfies a goal is Your Call.


Ed