Jumping The String With Randy Ulmer

Show Notes:  

Randy Ulmer joins me today to talk about the dreaded “jumping the string.” What does it mean if a deer jumps the string? Something triggers the deer to jump when an arrow is shot; and moves before the arrow can get to it. Today we discover a few theories about just what causes deer to jump the string.

When an arrow is shot, deer can collapse their front legs and drop their chests in preparation to spring, and the arrow ends up missing them. This is a lot easier if their heads are down to start with. An alert deer is much more likely to jump than a non-alert deer, and older age class bucks are much more likely to jump than younger bucks. Older bucks have been pursued more, by other hunters and predators, so they are more sensitive. Young bucks jump as well, just not as often. Interestingly, when targeting a deer in a group, the other, non-targeted deer aren’t as likely to jump as the targeted one. 

What causes a buck to jump? There are a couple theories. Some people think it’s the sound of the bow shooting the arrow, and another camp of people think it’s the sound of the actual arrow. Distance might also play a role. The closer you are to the deer, the more likely they are to detect you. The closer the deer, the louder the bow and arrow are, and the more likely the target deer is to jump.  The kind of arrows you use makes a big difference as well. Thinner, slower, stiffer arrows make less noise, so deer are less likely to jump. 

While frustrating, there are things you can do to cut back on the number of bucks that jump the string. Randy likes to use the same bow for every animal because he has a great feel for it. Put shock absorbing devices on the bow to mute the sound. Use a very small diameter arrow.  You can’t avoid the problem completely but you can implement some of these to avoid losing that prize buck. 

What’s Inside:

• What is the distance sweet spot when it comes to bow hunting?

Mentioned In This Episode:

Days in the Wild

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Short Description:

There is nothing more frustrating than finding a prize buck, loading your bow, taking a shot, and then seeing the deer “jump the string.” Many, many bucks have been lost this way. Today Randy Ulmer and I discuss what causes a deer to jump the string and what can be done to curb it. 

Tags:

String jumping, jumping the string, bow hunting, older age-class bucks, blind, ground blind, Whitetail deer, Mule deer, Coues deer