Straight down treestand shot: Would you take it?

[Rock 'N Bow]

I have taken a straight down shot in my rookie season. It was an almost instant kill but I was extremely lucky. Now that I know better I will never take a shot like that again.

[Michael Arnette]

Well I'm very surprised by the responses. I may be changing my opinion on this shot myself based on my own limited experience and everyone here. It sounds like the consensus is the same as I've experienced, very very poor blood trails and tough tracking eminent.

Keep them coming guys I'd like to hear more experiences

[bucknut]

I would like to say that I would go for D, but I won't lie. In the heat of the moment $hit happens. I have killed several straight or almost straight down and had 1 get away that had a deflection. I have auto pilot issues! Next thing I know I'm standing there with an empty bow. My concentration is so great that I literally lock out everything, which is good but bad at the same time.

[Gator1]

To be respectful it is a poor decision I too have had this Scenario numerous times

Any somewhat experienced bowhunter passed on this low percentage shot

Pretty basic decision in my opinion

[Gordon Jabben]

B or C, I have actually had good luck with this shot on deer.  Now that age has forced me to shoot lighter weight bows, it might not be a good idea now.

[Zwickey-Fever]

I have taken this shot, it was my second shot on a buck that I already hit 18 yards out. He ran directly under my stand after I sent a arrow through the rib cage. He ran about another 30 yards and collapsed.
 As for a first shot scenario, Its a high risk shot on a animal that I respect. So the answer is no, rather wait for a better shot for a several reasons, one, deer will certainly jump, move erratic at the time of the shot changing a lot of factors such as exit holes. When the deer calms down that there's a good chance that the organs, membranes, intestines may be covering the exit hole thus making it difficult to track the animal. Another reason is the higher your up, stepper angle of the shot, the smaller the vitals are to hit. It's just my opinion.

 

[fnshtr]

Used to be my favorite shot. Have taken over a dozen with the shot. Seen most go down within sight. I say "used to be" because I am much pickier now. Got to have some angle.

[Red Beastmaster]

D

I did it once and got lucky. I shot straight down through the off side lung.

Never again.

[KSshrewman]

I've had this happen on two big KS bucks and both were either rattled or grunted in.  This first one was 165+.  Weak in the knees big for me.  I grunted him in from across the pasture.  Came on a string and walked directly to me...and under my stand in a cedar up about 9 ft...... I passed...shaking the whole time.  Never saw him again.  I say I passed...I was pretty buck feverish anyway on that one so passed partly because of shot and partly because he got the better or me.
The second .... several years later in a cedar about 10 ft.  I grunted until my tube froze up due to temps and then lightly rattled him across a large field.  Again on a string and directly under me and this was an old 12 pt buck we had seen.  Happened very fast with little time to think.  Because it was several years later...my confidence was higher.  I did take the shot just after he passed under stand.  Spined him...which was not the intent.  Another arrow and he was finished.  I wish now I had not taken the shot.  Even though it worked out ok...it could have more easily gone the other way.  I will pass next time and hope for another opportunity.

[Msturm]

Never took this type of shot on a deer. I see this type of shot on goats here in hawaii often, not from a treestand, but standing on top of a cliff above them. I agree. You have to have some angle. a single lung shot will kill a goat but listening to them cry for an hour while they pass is no good for the soul and I avoid it if at all possible. better to wait  for a quartering away shot or just pass all together.

d.

Msturm

[Tom]

I took this shot on my first ever deer. Didn't have a clue about arrow placement.No blood trail to speak of and lost what little blood there was about 100 yards. In the area 2 months later bird hunting and found his skeleton with the broadhead still in the spine. A big 8 with matching drops-still have the rack as a reminder not to give up on a trail or put an animal through a long death. So D is the answer for me now even if I hunted from above.

[DarrinG]

D. I shot a mature doe straight down walking away several years ago. Never again. Several hours later, after crawling hands and knees tracking mostly by tracks and pinhead drops of blood, found her bedded but still alive. Had to make a finishing shot. Did not get an exit hole either and it was tough tracking. Lesson learned, I'll never take that shot again, and I got lucky on the one I did in that I was able to find her.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I have passed on this shot because the angle of the bow feels unnatural and I'm pretty sure I do not have true full draw or proper aiming alignment.  Also I didn't think it was fair to the deer.  

It sounds to me most people responding to this thread have tried it and found out the hard way.  Fortunately we now have forums such as this to teach us.  

Then again I'm very picky about shot placement and seldom if ever get deer.  I don't want to be one of those guys who takes shots he knows he probably should not have then blame the miss on a deflection or such. We owe it to the game we pursue and to our sport to make good shot decisions otherwise we have people walking around talking about the nad tracking jobs, wounded and lost game and slow deaths.  I get that it accidentally happens but I do not believe it's an accident if someone chooses to do something they know isn't right and get a bad result.  

I would choose D

[Bowwild]

I've taken the shot once. It was a small bodied deer. (Patoka Lake, Indiana late 80's). I was trying for a spine shot.  Missed the spine, exited through the heart and out the bottom. The doe was down after a profuse blood trail.

I've had very few situations where the deer was directly underneath. Stand placement prevented most of it.  I do have a favorite stand where deer walk by too close (4 yards). But I wait until they continue past and take a retreating angle at 8-10 yards...4 shots with a recurve from that spot and 4 dead deer.

I wait for a better shot but my set up generally makes that possible as the deer moves beyond my tree into an prearranged shot window.

[Mint]

Many years ago I took the shot when I didn't know better. Had a complete pass through and pink lung blood on the arrow. Tracked that deer for over a half mile up and down small hills and finally lost him when he went to the houses. Figured that's where he died. A week later my buddy killed him with a broadside shot. Every other tracking job with this shot I've helped on ended with a lost deer except one when the arrow clipped the heart. I'll only take the walking away shot if it presents itself.

[dbd870]

Had that very thing happen with does a couple of times; didn't shoot then and never would. D all the way.

[md126]

A lot of guys say D here but I suspect that wouldn't always be the case in the field. Maybe, maybe not..

Not the ideal shot but one I have taken and will take again if conditions are right. No shot is 100% guaranteed

How many guys actually practice that shot? If you don't than D is the answer.

Personal decision based on confidence and proper equipment

[Orion]

If it walks under me, it has to walk away.  I'd wait for it to get out a ways to see if a better shot angle develops. If not, I'd pass.

[Trenton G.]

With a gun I've taken this shot and had success, but I wouldn't with a bow.

[D. Key]

D, D and D.