An increase in the likelihood of wounding was associated with an uncomfortable firing position, shooting with insufficient time, a distant target (only when time was not sufficient), a bullet weight below 75 grains, a target concealed in thicket or on the move and an area rarely stalked.
A reduced probability of hitting the target was associated with an uncomfortable firing position, too little time available, shooting off elbows or freehand, taking the head or upper neck as point of aim, a heavily obscured target, a distant target, shooting at females, lack of shooting practice and a basic (or no) stalker qualification. Overall, 96% of deer were hit, of which 93% were killed outright. Using hot-deck imputation and generalised linear mixed modelling, we related the probability that a shot hit its target, and the probability that the shot killed the deer if it was hit, to 28 variables describing the circumstances of the shot. In this study, 102 anonymous stalkers collected data on the outcomes and circumstances of 2281 shots.
Little information exists on factors determining shooting accuracy and wounding rates under field conditions in the UK. The amount of wounding during routine culling is an important factor in the welfare of wild deer.
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