Set triggers spooking game?

[Stony Broke]

I've only had a buck spook once from my setting a trigger. He was maybe 25 yards from me and when I set the trigger, he literally whipped his head around at me and bounded off the other direction before I could get the shot aimed properly. Other times they just ignored such noises, so I would think it is not something you would think of as a common occurance.

 

[toot]

I have found that most any animal in the woods can hear / react to the CLICK, when setting the trigger. if you can hear it then animals can also!! it is not a natural sound in there environment.

 

[GREENSWLDE]

All depends on Springs. Tune your springs to your own ears . No Loud noise, just a muffle TICK.. Setting the full cock should bring your games head up before it shies away.. OLD DOG..

 

[Rum River]

My experience has been it depends on what the conditions are.

If even a light breeze is present the sound of the trees can mask the sound. That was the case for the deer in my avatar. Brittle cold (below zero F) and sound travels farther. Temps in the 30's with a lot of heavy wet snow in the trees and much sound is dampened.

Some years before the avatar I had a substantially larger buck slowly walking within 50 yards. No snow and so still you could hear the proverbial pin drop. The sound of me cocking the hammer on a T/C Hawken caused that animal to reverse direction and practically fly from the area.

After that occurrence I experimented with a 'totally-unloaded-and-confirmed-safe-rifle': Held the trigger back while fully cocking the hammer, releasing the trigger and then releasing the hammer. I was able to cock the hammer with no sound, but never felt comfortable doing it that way - and have never done it since.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Ive had deer react to the click of the cock being pulled back, but not the set trigger, as its click is fairly quiet by comparison.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Like WakingEagle and Mr. Smith, I've had them "react" to the click of the set trigger or the cocking of the lock. BUT it only seems to brings up their head as they look for the origin of the sound, and I'm already leveled with a good sight picture when in the past I hunted with a rifle with set triggers, and now when I cock my plain triggered rifle. In the case of the latter rifle, the next "unnatural noise" is the piece going off.

NOW one noise they will not like nor stand fast when they hear it is a loose trigger on a smoothbore, like a Pedersoli musket, when it rattles as you try to bring it up to the shoulder and sight it on a nearby deer..., they won't wait for you to cock the musket before they depart.

OH and the clack from a fail to fire, they may stand still, but a clack-puffff from a flash-in-the-pan will cause them to bolt at warp speed. (I think they see the teeny tiny mushroom cloud going upwards from the lock when a flash-in-the-pan happens, and this is what spooks them.)


LD

 

[Billy Boy]

What is the consensus here? Do you all think that a black bear or a white tail could be spooked by setting the first trigger on double set triggers? Does anyone have experience hunting with double set triggers? I have done some reading and it seems that opinions sway back and forth here.

If they are close enough to be spooked by setting the trigger, you don’t need to set the trigger.

 

[mazo kid]

When I was still able to hunt....I put a little pressure on the trigger when cocking the lock, release the trigger when cocked. No click. And who needs a set trigger when hunting? Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[colonelpatterson]

I have a Pedersoli Scout rifle (carbine), my second. I really like the compact size for hunting. The set triggers are so bad I don't need to use them; the front trigger is only slightly grittier and longer than the set! Still love the little bugger, but that trigger!

ADK Bigfoot

I built the kit last year and I can say you are not wrong, that trigger is horrible and the set seems to do nothing to decrease the pull even with it backed all the way down to lightest possible.

 

[Christophero]

Early in my hunting career on a fine, still, frosty morning a group of does surprised me by slowly moving into my area from behind. They did not know I was there, until I set the trigger on the TC Renegade. Stopped them dead in their tracks and they never came into my shooting lane after that. So, yes, it certainly can spook them.
The unset trigger on that rifle is quite stiff and the first time I took a shot a game, an 8 point, without setting the trigger the shot pulled to the front shoulder/neck junction. It severed his windpipe, so was fatal as he ran down the slope. But none of blood on that Indiana buck leaked out of his veins and the meat tasted like field corn. Not very appetizing. I learned to shoot more accurately with that rifle without setting the trigger, but if the opportunity allows I set it more often than not. A little wind or leaves crunching under their feet is adequate to prevent them from hearing it.
I do hold the trigger, cock the hammer and then release the trigger when ready to shoot when hunting. It's not hard to do safely. Once full cocking and loosing an chance was a lesson learned. Unnatural noises get their unwanted attention fast.

 

[George]

if your set trigger is of the type which can be fired without setting it, you can be completely silent. Pull the shooting trigger and hold it back, bring the gun to full cock, then release the shooting trigger. With the shooting trigger held back there is no sound when bringing the hammer to half-cock or full-cock. Then shoot without setting the trigger.

Spence

 

[hanshi]

I have never hunted Bear or Elk, but I have hunted deer for 50 years and any sound that is not natural can spook them. I have had deer pay attention to set triggers and some have not. I have never had one run off. A mature buck or doe will not stick around to something there not used to hearing.

I'd think that during deer season that the clicking and clacking of rifles in the woods IS a pretty natural sound. After all, they do seem to notice what your gun is, the ballistics of your load and your mother-in-law's maiden name.

 

[Sparkitoff]

I have had more than a few black bear spook at either a set trigger or cocking the rifle. Just this year I had a whitetail deer at 25 yards and when I set the trigger he jumped and ran 25-yards further, then stopped. I think it depends greatly on the atmospheric conditions including wind and how close the animal is. aT 80 - 100-yards I've never had a deer seem to notice a set trigger or hammer cocking.

 

[dragnetbill]

Just to prove that I don't mind being the butt of a story, I will tell you a tale of years ago. My brother and I were afield for deer with our T/C Hawken rifles one day. We met up about mid woodlot on the farm we were hunting and were exchanging reports of the mornings hunt when suddenly I spot a doe out in front of me. I say to my brother, "Deer! I'm going to shoot her." She was looking right at me, but, didn't respond to my setting of the trigger; nor to my movement to shoulder the rifle; nor to the report of the shot that went into the treetops as I apparently touched the trigger with my gloved finger as I was lowering my aim. She however, had had enough of the laughing and reloading gyrations long before I could get to re-capping.

 

[rich pierce]

I cock the gun and would set the trigger if needed as soon as game is in range and moving in a favorable direction. Hunting alone where I know there’s nobody near and with the gun under control. The only times I’ve seen a deer react to the click sound is when they are still and close. Like when they magically appear and I say to myself, “how did you get there?” Another situation is when peeking over a ridge or rise and finding a deer right in front of me. But there it’s a combination of sight and sound.
Overall, scent and movement are 20 times more likely to alarm a deer.