Originally Posted by Dakotan
I've been seeing this a lot lately. For those of you not in the know, DRT = Dead Right There. Maybe some people are using the term to mean one shot and the critter didn't go very far. However, to me, it means the animal dropped in its tracks. To accomplish a true DRT one either needs to do a head shot, a spine shot, or, a shoulder shot. I'm not saying that animals have never dropped on the spot from a heart shot or a lung shot; but, I've never seen it. I've seen where they haven't traveled very far; but, then we're possibly talking a subjective interpretation of the term DRT.

My question is, why is this desirable to some of you on non-dangerous game? Don't get me wrong, I'm not condemning anybody's choice and am not claiming it is in any way unethical. I'm also not claiming that my desire to attain a heart shot or a double lung shot is in any way superior. I do however believe (my opinion) that a heart shot or a double lung shot to be more desirable.

First, a spine or head shot is much more difficult with less room for error. Second, a shoulder shot destroys an awful lot of meat unnecessarily so. In over 35 years of shooting game animals I've only had two "DRT" shots and both were what I consider bad shots or at least significant misses of my aim point. Both occured while I was aiming for the heart or lungs. Both resulted in loss of meat that I regretted.

I'm not a total idiot (my wife may disagree). I can envision scenarios where a DRT shot would be desirable; but, some people "appear" to believe/assert it to be the desired means of obtaining their quarry regularly. Please enlighten me.

Thomas



I don't get it. I fully expect a well shot deer or elk to drop where they stand or start to stagger right away. I'm rarely dissapointed.

I've heard about deer and elk that have to be trailed after a rifle shot but only had to do it once and that was a bad intial shot with a decent followup after he was on the run.

My dad has killed a whole lot of deer and so I asked him. "What happened to the deer you shot with a rifle?"

"They fell down. What do you think?"

"Right away?"

"Yeah"

I don't know what shot placement other people choose that allows their game to wander a ways before collapsing but I take them tight in the shoulder crease about a third of the way up. The actual target I'm trying to hit is the top of the heart. Every time I've made the shot I wanted to the animal, be it deer or elk, went down like a stone never to rise again.

Why do I like it that way? Faster death, or at least loss of consciousness for the animal and no concern for me about them dying in front of another guy that might put his tag on it before I get there. I consider it a good skill to have to be able to put them on the ground right now.

I'm a bowhunter too and I don't have a problem trailing game if I have to, I just don't like to have to when I can do otherwise.

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