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To Blat or not to Blat?

L

loneranger

Well-Known Member
That,,is the question? Have to decide this every year. When a deer is walking ,do you stop it with a Bl-a-a-t or not? I have been watching the Hallowed Ground videos, and they stop about every deer with their mouth. Good for a still shot--Bad cause you alert the deer. always a question Mark?:confused:
 
I've never shot a walking deer. I have had to bleat more than once because I tend to air on the low volume side to avoid spooking them. I however don't recommend shooting a stopped deer much farther than 35 yards. It's amazing how quickly they can drop. I've had multiple ducked arrows in my career. It's just so tough to basically give away a shot low anticipating the drop into the arrow. I've had a doe get under my arrow at 25 yards. She was fully alert looking at me and I swear she nearly laid on the ground to get underneath it.
 
I "murp" every time. Unless the deer is already standing still. With the right tone I don't feel like it puts them on a spooky alert but rather just makes them look for the other deer that made that noise. I've never had an issue with it and would rather do it than shoot at a walking deer.
 
I'm about 50/50. I try to take shots without alerting them as much as possible. The only problem is that during the rut bucks are like little kids...they don't hold still very long. I've shouted out "HEY" to get a buck chasing a doe to stop once and he totally ignored me.
 
I tried to stop the biggest buck I've ever had under me because if he jumped the fence, it was too thick for a shot. I must have been too loud and/or it was too close, he came unglued at the sound and spun out of there. :(

If they are really close and walking slow, might not stop them after that experience.
 
I have only tried to stop one buck with a "blat" or "murp" (actually I think it was a "baat"). He came running in after a doe, and I had to "baat" twice, but I'm not sure if it was that that stopped him or the fence he was gonna have to cross. The doe didn't stop for the fence, just flew over it. The buck stopped about 10' from the fence, as I "baat"ed, then slowly walked toward it. Since he was only 15 yds away, I didn't give another "baat". Just took the shot as he walked into it. I shot another buck the same way...was just walking at a normal pace by my blind. Got my last buck as he was trotting by my blind, although he did slow down a bit before he got to me. These two were also at 15 yds, so I didn't want to spook them with a "baat". Just like the first, let them walk into the shot and let the arrow fly. All ended with lung shots, basically where I put the pin. I suppose if they were farther away, the shots may have been a little farther back. I have also tried shots at deer looking at me, after trying to stop them or they spotted me, with the only successful hits being at 15 yds or closer.
 
The risk is much greater shooting a walking deer through cover than having something negative come from stopping him. Keep your "blat" short and just loud enough to stop the deer and be at full draw probably goes without saying.
 
If its a buck or doe- I still "mehhhh" everytime and I haven't had a deer run off at my lovely deer sound yet- its a mix of hot doe and steve urkle- works most of the time:)
 
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