What Poundage would kill a Deer?

[gil1]

I know there are a zillion factors here, but I would love some basic knowledge of what it takes to kill a deer.

I have a friend with a kid (I think he's nine) who has apparently been practicing with a compound bow and has gotten pretty accurate. His dad is trying to figure out if the bow/arrow combo has enough energy to kill a deer.

Does anyone know how many pounds the kid needs to pull to be able to hunt/kill? Thanks tons in advance.

 

[varminthunter123]

My wife pulls 32# and has killed several deer. Just nothing over 30 yards away.

 

[gil1]

A guy in the archery department at Bass pro said TN has a law saying it must be at least 45 pounds. Anybody know if that's true?

 

[gil1]

Okay, so I just read another thread where Infoman confirmed there is no minimum in TN. The BP guy didn't know what he was talking about.

So back to ethics and poundage and kinetic energy, etc. Does anyone else have an opinion on the minimum poundage to kill a deer. And thanks varminthunter for the input.

 

[TNDeerGuy]

Minimum poundage is not what I would be concerned with�it is relative to the type of bow, as every bow produces different amounts of energy. I would be concerned about getting the setup to where it produces at a minimum 30-35ft/lbs of kinetic energy....that is enough to kill a deer, but razor sharp broadheads and proper shot placement are the keys. I have seen several deer taken by kids pulling around 40#.

Also....I take anything said by the big box employees with a large grain of salt.

 

[scn]

A guy in the archery department at Bass pro said TN has a law saying it must be at least 45 pounds. Anybody know if that's true?

Totally false.

From my contacts at the Nashville Bass Pro, I doubt that I would believe anything they told me on any subject.

 

[Ladys man]

I've always went by 40 pound rule , gana start my wife out next yr with small bow and see how she does but dad wouldn't let me go in the woods until I could pull 40 and consistently group at 25 yds

 

[ZachMarkus]

I killed my first deer with a bow when I was 11 pulling 36 lbs. killed 4 deer that year.

 

[TN RDG RNR]

My son is shooting 32lbs and sinking arrows approx. 6" in our 4X4 target. I believe within 20 yards, a cut on contact fixed blade head and a well placed shot this will work just fine.

I think it is a good idee to let beginners shoot actual deer targets and give them some good angling away practice shots.

 

[eddie c]

A guy in the archery department at Bass pro said TN has a law saying it must be at least 45 pounds. Anybody know if that's true?

Totally false.

From my contacts at the Nashville Bass Pro, I doubt that I would believe anything they told me on any subject.

wasn't at one time there was a minimum yardage that the bow was to be able to shoot, like 150 yds? that was something like 20 years ago.

 

[TNDeerGuy]

A guy in the archery department at Bass pro said TN has a law saying it must be at least 45 pounds. Anybody know if that's true?

Totally false.

From my contacts at the Nashville Bass Pro, I doubt that I would believe anything they told me on any subject.

wasn't at one time there was a minimum yardage that the bow was to be able to shoot, like 150 yds? that was something like 20 years ago.

I don't believe the TWRA ever had restrictions on us like that, as far as what type of archery equipment�they have always kind of let the obvious kind of rule itself in that manner. Now, if you took society as it is today and transport them back 20 years or so, then perhaps that would need to be addressed�because I've seen some hair-brained, unbelieveable stuff I thought I would never see.....or perhaps it's just my crotchety, old perception of a lot of these kids nowadays.

 

[Hoss]

TNDeerGuy,
Actually both of these policies were in place at one time or another. 45lb rule was the standard when most bowhunters were shooting recurves. Then one day the decision was made to make it, that "the bow had to be capable of propelling an arrow 150 yards or more." Then the TWRA realized in all the years that regulation was on the books that it had never been tested. I mean how would you check that???? And even if you could check it SAFELY would it hold up in court. Is the bow capable or is the archer incapable of getting the bow to achieve said standard. It was determined to be a non-sensical rule and unenforceable. So it was struck from the books in the 1990's.

 

[Hoss]

I know there are a zillion factors here, but I would love some basic knowledge of what it takes to kill a deer.

I have a friend with a kid (I think he's nine) who has apparently been practicing with a compound bow and has gotten pretty accurate. His dad is trying to figure out if the bow/arrow combo has enough energy to kill a deer.

Does anyone know how many pounds the kid needs to pull to be able to hunt/kill? Thanks tons in advance.

The answer for your friend is- it depends. Many factors come into play. I would worry that at nine years of age his skills would not be sufficient to produce consistent results. At nine his emotional concerns may be a much larger factor. Can he/she control him/herself enough to make a certain shot. Shooting at a block of foam in the backyard is much different than shooting at a live animal in the woods. Is a nine year old ready to take the life of an animal of this size in an up close and very personal way that bowhunting requires. What if he makes a less than perfect shot and the animal is not recovered, or what if the animal begins bawling or flopping on the ground? These things can be VERY traumatic for a nine year old.
Of course the child WANTS to go (inclusion is a very important part of any childs development), but as a parent sometimes we have to make decisions that are best for the child and not just indulge the child in every single whim.
My point here is that your friend needs to be careful. Not all, 9 year olds are ready, emotionally ready, and you may lose a hunting buddy for the rest of his life if the experience is not a great one. On the other hand some 9 year olds ARE ready for this, only the parent can decide. IF there is any concern on the parents part I would recommend having the child go along on a few hunts but not carry a bow or not shoot at a deer. Have him/her go along as spectator. It may light a fire and capture his/her imagination for years to come, without having the emotional burden or pressure of performing.

And on the bow. It will depend on the bow, the arrow, the broadhead, arrow flight, shot placement, etc. So there is no hard and fast solution to your question.

 

[TNDeerGuy]

TNDeerGuy,
Actually both of these policies were in place at one time or another. 45lb rule was the standard when most bowhunters were shooting recurves. Then one day the decision was made to make it, that "the bow had to be capable of propelling an arrow 150 yards or more." Then the TWRA realized in all the years that regulation was on the books that it had never been tested. I mean how would you check that???? And even if you could check it SAFELY would it hold up in court. Is the bow capable or is the archer incapable of getting the bow to achieve said standard. It was determined to be a non-sensical rule and unenforceable. So it was struck from the books in the 1990's.

Never new that Hoss....but then again back in the 80's, and growing up in the sticks of east-bumble Tennessee, we didn't worry about it either. We as kids just grabbed our compounds and headed out the door. The only thing we checked was when season open and closed.

 

[scn]

I know there are a zillion factors here, but I would love some basic knowledge of what it takes to kill a deer.

I have a friend with a kid (I think he's nine) who has apparently been practicing with a compound bow and has gotten pretty accurate. His dad is trying to figure out if the bow/arrow combo has enough energy to kill a deer.

Does anyone know how many pounds the kid needs to pull to be able to hunt/kill? Thanks tons in advance.

The answer for your friend is- it depends. Many factors come into play. I would worry that at nine years of age his skills would not be sufficient to produce consistent results. At nine his emotional concerns may be a much larger factor. Can he/she control him/herself enough to make a certain shot. Shooting at a block of foam in the backyard is much different than shooting at a live animal in the woods. Is a nine year old ready to take the life of an animal of this size in an up close and very personal way that bowhunting requires. What if he makes a less than perfect shot and the animal is not recovered, or what if the animal begins bawling or flopping on the ground? These things can be VERY traumatic for a nine year old.
Of course the child WANTS to go (inclusion is a very important part of any childs development), but as a parent sometimes we have to make decisions that are best for the child and not just indulge the child in every single whim.
My point here is that your friend needs to be careful. Not all, 9 year olds are ready, emotionally ready, and you may lose a hunting buddy for the rest of his life if the experience is not a great one. On the other hand some 9 year olds ARE ready for this, only the parent can decide. IF there is any concern on the parents part I would recommend having the child go along on a few hunts but not carry a bow or not shoot at a deer. Have him/her go along as spectator. It may light a fire and capture his/her imagination for years to come, without having the emotional burden or pressure of performing.

And on the bow. It will depend on the bow, the arrow, the broadhead, arrow flight, shot placement, etc. So there is no hard and fast solution to your question.

Very well said.

 

[knightrider]

I know there are a zillion factors here, but I would love some basic knowledge of what it takes to kill a deer.

I have a friend with a kid (I think he's nine) who has apparently been practicing with a compound bow and has gotten pretty accurate. His dad is trying to figure out if the bow/arrow combo has enough energy to kill a deer.

Does anyone know how many pounds the kid needs to pull to be able to hunt/kill? Thanks tons in advance.

The answer for your friend is- it depends. Many factors come into play. I would worry that at nine years of age his skills would not be sufficient to produce consistent results. At nine his emotional concerns may be a much larger factor. Can he/she control him/herself enough to make a certain shot. Shooting at a block of foam in the backyard is much different than shooting at a live animal in the woods. Is a nine year old ready to take the life of an animal of this size in an up close and very personal way that bowhunting requires. What if he makes a less than perfect shot and the animal is not recovered, or what if the animal begins bawling or flopping on the ground? These things can be VERY traumatic for a nine year old.
Of course the child WANTS to go (inclusion is a very important part of any childs development), but as a parent sometimes we have to make decisions that are best for the child and not just indulge the child in every single whim.
My point here is that your friend needs to be careful. Not all, 9 year olds are ready, emotionally ready, and you may lose a hunting buddy for the rest of his life if the experience is not a great one. On the other hand some 9 year olds ARE ready for this, only the parent can decide. IF there is any concern on the parents part I would recommend having the child go along on a few hunts but not carry a bow or not shoot at a deer. Have him/her go along as spectator. It may light a fire and capture his/her imagination for years to come, without having the emotional burden or pressure of performing.

And on the bow. It will depend on the bow, the arrow, the broadhead, arrow flight, shot placement, etc. So there is no hard and fast solution to your question.

Very well said.

I was thinking more along the lines of way to run all around the question without an answer to question that was asked! 30-35 lb with cut on contact 25 and under should be fine if the bow is tuned well and shooting proper arrow

 

[Hoss]

knightrider
I did answer... twice on the bow issue. Some bows are sufficient at 35-35 lbs (like you suggested). Some bows especially higher end bows would get the job done at 25-30 lbs. Some of the older bows (especially those marketed for the youth market, which the nine year old will most likely need due to a 16-20 inch draw length) may be less efficient and need 40-45 lbs to generate enough energy to be effective. A bow with a really short draw length has very little time to apply pressure to the arrow (power stroke).

SOOOO..... It depends.

But the concerns about the child's emotional readiness is a much more abstract issue that few people consider. I have dealt with a lot of freaked out kids.

 

[Hoss]

The answer for your friend is- it depends. Many factors come into play....

And on the bow. It will depend on the bow, the arrow, the broadhead, arrow flight, shot placement, etc. So there is no hard and fast solution to your question.

knightrider
I did answer... twice on the bow issue. Some bows are sufficient at 35-35 lbs (like you suggested). Some bows especially higher end bows would get the job done at 25-30 lbs. Some of the older bows (especially those marketed for the youth market, which the nine year old will most likely need due to a 16-20 inch draw length) may be less efficient and need 40-45 lbs to generate enough energy to be effective. A bow with a really short draw length has very little time to apply pressure to the arrow (power stroke).

SOOOO..... It depends.

But the concerns about the child's emotional readiness is a much more abstract issue that few people consider.

 

[Big J]

I try and shoot around 50 to 53 lbs. I know a bunch of guys that pull a lot more. I can pull a lot more. I set mine low on purpose. Sometimes you have to hold that draw. More times than not. I would rather shoot lighter and hold for a minute or so if I need it. I am hunting deer not warthogs.

 

[Boone 58]

I know there are a zillion factors here, but I would love some basic knowledge of what it takes to kill a deer.

I have a friend with a kid (I think he's nine) who has apparently been practicing with a compound bow and has gotten pretty accurate. His dad is trying to figure out if the bow/arrow combo has enough energy to kill a deer.

Does anyone know how many pounds the kid needs to pull to be able to hunt/kill? Thanks tons in advance.

My minimum would be 45#.....but I could kill one with a 35# recurve which is what I started out with.......but I know what I like! I shoot about 70-75 for the last 20+ years.