Deer shot placement Leg forward or straight down?

[Zradix]

I've always heard to wait for the near leg to be forward to take the shot.
Looking and some pics of deer anatomy, wouldn't the leg forward stance lower the shoulder blade down and cover some of the vitals?

Seems to me the best shot would be with the leg straight down or maybe even a little back as long as the leg bone(s) weren't covering vitals.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks!!

[lpcjon2]

Look at the thread at the top of this page.

[Zradix]

I did look at it....again.
That's what got me thinking about it.
The pics there show the leg straight down.
Seems to me with the leg forward the blade would cover the vitals more. Just wondering if what "seems" to be to me is actually true.

[KSdan]

Yup- shoot when leg is back.

Most anatomy diagrams are not accurate. Spine drops half way down at the shoulder for starters.  Shoulder blade drops down covering vitals when the leg moves forward. Follow the leg bone up and shoot just above the "elbow" below the half-way point.

[lpcjon2]

I prefer to shoot just behind the leg mid to the body .The lungs are large and you stand a good chance of getting a good kill.

[Fletcher]

When the leg goes forward, the scapula comes down and back a bit, but not enuf to cover up the heart and center of the lungs.  My quickest kills have come from hitting the big vessels coming out of the top of the heart.  Of course, this centers both lungs, too.  That is where I try to get them.  From a treestand, its almost midway up, right above the elbow.

[James Wrenn]

As long as the shot is broadside or quartering away it really does not matter where the leg is.There is plenty of room to put an arrow through vitals without touching any bone at all.People tend to worry about things too much for soft targets like deer.Once you skin one out and butcher it you will have all the answers you need about killing a certain animal the best way.

I often wonder how many hunters get someone else to butcher there deer because it just seems sometimes they have never had there hands in one.    jmho

[Zradix]

I have been butchering my deer for the last 10 yrs or so. Out of my own stupidity I've never asked myself this question while doing it.    

Thanks for the info everyone!

[Rodd Szmania]

I like to shoot at the lungs. More blood, bigger target, doesn't matter where the leg is.

[James Wrenn]

Zradix I am sorry if you thought I implied anything about you being stupid.   :(  

It really was not my intent.I was just thinking about all the hundreds of threads such as this that often just lead to confusion with all the different answers that pop up.It made me think that when I dress and butcher an animal I must be looking at something different than many others see.I always look for the "soft spots and best passageways" for the next arrow I would shoot at that type animal.To me it is as simple as butchering the first one to know what I have to cut,avoid or wait to move out of the way the next time I hunt them.Sorry.

[Zradix]

James Warren..No harm done or apologies needed buddy.
You didn't imply that at all.....I did.
Sometimes, as when I'm butchering, I get so caught up in what I'm doing I forget to study things like this in order to make myself a better hunter. Course it doesn't help that most of the time I'm butchering after work, in fading light, in a hurry to get done etc..
Just one more thing to work on.
#237 on the to do list    

[Tim Finley]

With the leg forward, the skin will slide back after the shot as they will favor the entry as they run off, this stops alot of blood from exiting and leaves a poor trail. Ive seen it happen many times and if I have my choice I wait for the leg to be straight down!...Tim

[huskyarcher]

Man i promise ya,if its broadside and if you put that broadhead right behind that front shoulder 1/2 way up, it'll be laying less than 125 yds away no matter where that leg is. Just my .02. Good luck to ya!

[ChuckC]

Hey guys  where is the "back shoulder" ?
ChuckC  

[widow sax]

I like quartering away shots the best so it makes no difference to me but if it did I would take the shot either way.  Widow

[PhilNY]

The only thing that I have ever heard was to line your shot up with the opposite leg if it is starting to quarter. Me, I like complete broadside right up behind the shoulder. I honestly never worried about the leg being forward or not so long as I had a good shot.
Interesting thread. I am always interested in how people decide where to shoot. When I first started hunting I viewed animals like animal targets (two dimentional)and it was very helpful when an old timer mentioned the opposite leg.
I am guilty of aiming a tad back from where my butchering would tell me due to a couple of shoulder mishaps that ruined my day many years ago.

[lt-m-grow]

Many have offered good advice on shot placement and I agree -- don't worry about the leg but for a totally different reason.

The best shot placement will come if you focus on "the spot".  I know...I know...but if you are worrying about the leg being forward or back or any place for that matter, you are NOT focusing on the spot. Or at least I know it would mess me up.

[Zradix]

Originally posted by lt-m-grow:
if you are worrying about the leg being forward or back or any place for that matter, you are NOT focusing on the spot. Or at least I know it would mess me up.

Good point Buddy  

[Bowwild]

It doesn't matter to me the position of this near leg. More important is the attitude of the deer -- I don't want it alert with the next move a dip to run (jumping the string as it is called). I aim for the top of the heart. I've been doing this since the early 1970's after hitting two deer (different years) too high. Now, I usually hit the deer in the top of heart or I miss low.  I have killed several deer by hitting them in the bottom 1/3rd of the heart. I look at a spot just behind the near elbow planning to hit the opposite shoulder. Interesting things sometimes happen when you hit the opposite shoulder. The arrow can sometimes hit the opposite shoulder and bounce back making it look like you've had poor penetration when you've actuallly nearly shot through the deer. Of course I'd rather slightly miss he opposite shoulder and get a nice exit.