Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Gut Shots on Film

We've been in the midst of rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, rinse, repeat off and on since Friday (12/22). So I've spent some time on the couch with the dog watching TV. I occasionally stop on the Outdoor Channel, especially for the cooking shows, but, sometimes other shows catch my interest with their intro.

I probably shouldn't be, but, given that the principals of these TV show's main job is to showcase products, there's an awful high percentage of poorly placed shots. It doesn't seem to matter if they're shooting arrows or bullets, there's a LOT of poor placement.

"We're going to back out and go check the film before we follow XX critter, we think the shot may be a little far back." Ya think? Someone oughta remind those folks ahead of the camera that the vitals are AHEAD of the diaphragm.

The crown jewel in all of this is probably Greg Ritz's huge bull elk shot right behind the ear with an arrow. The bull was certainly DRT, but, I can't imagine that's where he was aiming. He missed the traditional "vitals" by at least 2'.

Uff, I need this precip to stop so I can go shoot some birds......

With few exceptions, the recurring theme in most hunting shows; "I hit him a little far back so we're going to give him some time (or wait until tomorrow)".
Memo to all of them - more shooting practice, less time stirring hype on Instagram and Facebook.

Szchit, I tuned-out hunting shows quite some time ago and without watching, now you've gotten me riled up.

I wonder just how many are wounded and lost in "long range" hunting?

I do like "Farming the Wild" as he makes some pretty doggone tasty looking dishes. Also his shooting (at least that which makes it on the show) is typically quite precise. The driven Boar hunting guys also seem to be able to shoot quite well, and more often than not, on moving targets to-boot.

"Behind the Shoulder" looks to mean "behind the ribs" to an awful lot of these clowns.

Amen.

You mean by the people who manage gut-shoot deer with bows/crossbows @ 20yds off the corn-flinger pile?

I have to admit , I been known to hit them too far back.

I think for me it was inherent. Aim “ just behind” means ( try to miss your mark). The anatomy of ruminants usually has the diaphragm attach at the 7 th rib on the sternum. So there is little if any lungfield behind the front leg ventrally .

I started aiming at the intersection of the front leg with the center of neck. Positive aiming point, proper anatomical placement. Have had much better results.

If you did that where I hunt they will be some well fed coyotes. All you will get is a torn up hide, some scattered bones and, if you a lucky, a chewed up head.

On the archery shows "double lunged" means anything in front of the back legs.

I watch YouTube during slow times on night shift. The amount of clowns with no business shooting at anything, who are trying to shoot 500-900 yards or more is ridiculous. And then they publish it, blows my mind. Ass shots, gut shots, airball misses by 3 or more feet seem the norm. But they all, “think it was a good shot” or “smoked him”, when it’s clear for everyone to see that it was a poor shot.

One I watched recently two guys lobbing shots at mule deer in NV or AZ and one guy finally “smokes” one after several misses that could be measured in yards. The hit luckily broke the buck’s spine but it was immediately in front of his hips and he thrashed until expiring since they were too far to go put a finisher in. And the dumbass is in the comments defending his skills and equipment, he’s good enough and does this all the time, it was just a little windy that day but we shot anyway. Fuggin clowns

They almost always shot the animal in broad daylight, and is full blown nighttime when they recover it.

In a nutshell this is exactly what 95% of them are. I find the vast majority unwatchable. The idiots at Gunwerks, the "1000 yards out of the box" clowns, actually had a couple of published youtube videos with obvious ass shot and gut shot elk. Clowns is putting it nicely.

I see that I am not alone in feeling most shooting on these shows is nothing short of appalling.I won't even tune in to any show with bow hunters on it......

Saw a mini-series put together by a bunch of noted outdoor writers -our own JB was NOT amongst them-in South Africa. They were easily the poorest bunch of shooters I've ever seen, worse than the run of the mill Bubba on regular outdoor TV.

The Driven Boar Hunters over in Europe are a class act. Unfortunately Outdoor Channel always puts them on on Saturdays when I'm usually hunting or fishing so I don't see them often

and hunters wounder why they are looked down on from non hunters

Funny, I'm watching the OC right now and a bowhunter just stuck a trophy whitetail in the azz at less than 20 yards. After reviewing the footage they were "excited" because they think they got the femoral artery. Deer went 100 yards and now they're calling it an "awesome, awesome hunt". Too funny

As one who has had a lot of shots filmed and filmed many more I know video shows things many hunters didn't see at the time.

There is a video of an elk I shot where all shots can be seen clearly hitting in the vitals, on HD video, and a few here still lie about hitting a horn.

People see a lot of what they want to see. Just like in real life if you watch other people shoot your going to see bad shooting at times.

Yep.

We see and hear enough of you to know you're a lardass, drunk, loser with no family.

Although it is ruining hunting, YouTube has good stuff.