I don't always miss deer but when I do...

[buckeyebowhunter]

I prefer to miss high, every time. In fact I cannot remember a time when I've missed a deer low, from a tree stand anyway. The problem has seem to become amplified since I switched over to shooting a fixed crawl. I love the ease of shooting the crawl but I'm baffled with why it's increased the probability of high misses for me when I thought it was supposed to do the opposite. I missed a doe at about 20 yards on Saturday which is really close to my point on. I drew, anchored until my arrow's tip was just under her chest behind the elbow and let her fly, my arrow barely caught a few hairs off her shoulder. She was totally unaware of my presence. This is the third doe in a row that I've missed high and although I did kill a nice 8 point in Nov I hit him high also but got enough of the goodies to put him down.

Since my miss on Saturday I have been researching on the archives here and I watched a good video of Jimmy Blackmon explaining the elevated shot. My conclusion is that I am probably not bending at the waist as much as I believe I am or entirely forgetting to do so when game approaches. However, I am still confused as to how I should approach aiming from my stand with this point on technique of the fixed crawl. Do I need to bend at the waist more while also lowering my point of aim? Or in theory is bending at the waist supposed to entirely correct the shot? Meaning by bending at the waist more should I still be able to use my 20 yard point on for a 20 yard shot? Or do I still need to aim lower?

I shot a bunch of arrows yesterday from my parents barn roof at my rinehart and tried to bend towards the target until it felt like I was about to fall over. This helped a bit. I guess my pouting frustrated attitude has led me to look for more input from you guys as to what you do to remedy this evil high miss. I know I need to just relax and have fun, which I am, but I want more deer burger in the freezer too     :D    . As always thanks for reading fellas!

[Bamboozle]

Use a ground blind and don't worry about bending at the waist. I have really had some smoking hot hunting this past year on the ground from both a pop up and more permanent blinds I put together. I know that may not exactly answer your question but just don't overlook keeping your feet on tera firma. I consider the advantages on the ground to well outweigh a tree stand in many situations. Just sayin'.

[YosemiteSam]

Hunting on the ground, I used to think I wouldn't ever have to worry about such things.  At 3D ranges, it didn't seem to matter the angle.  Then, this year, I was staring at my first legal buck all season coming my way about 25-30 yards away & straight up at about 60 degrees.  I almost rolled down the hill as I raised my bow up.  My first thought was, "D*^!  How the H*** am I going to make that shot?"  I almost pulled back with my best guess but ended up letting it walk.  It may have only been 15-20 yards of horizontal distance but it was hard to tell at that angle with little time to think about it.  All that to say, just because I'm on the ground, doesn't mean there isn't a steep-angle shot in the works.  So much just depends on the terrain.  I need to practice those shots more.

[pdk25]

Not sure what to say.  I pre-aim before drawing, with the bow vertical and perpendicular to the target, then pull the string to anchor, partially aiming the whole time.  I think it takes worrying about bending the right amount out of the equation, but I know I'm people say that you can develop Target Panic this way.  Anyway, it works for me.

[23feetupandhappy]

I find that if I don’t get my drawing elbow high enough so my forearm to be in alignment with my arrow that I will shoot high out of a tree stand.  
It’s easy to do for me especially if I have a heavy jacket on.
Bending at the waist is important but your drawing elbow must do it’s job as well or you will shoot high every time.

Test it out from your barn roof and see what you think.

[tradarcher816]

I feel your pain, having killed squirrels, rabbits, and turkeys from the ground i have a curse from treestands. I’ve missed by a mile on “chip shots” from my stand on the last several deer I’ve shot at. It drives me nuts!

[buckeyebowhunter]

Thanks for the replies guys. I do hunt from the ground also but i prefer to hunt from a stand mainly because of the hills and how difficult it can be to see longer distances here in southeast Ohio.

[bucknut]

Another point to watch is your face not staying down on the string. Tuck your chin tight when shooting elevated shots.  Having multiple anchor points also helps! Tip of nose to back of feather has helped me a good bit.

[bucknut]

Where are you from Buckeye?

[buckeyebowhunter]

Bucknut I live in Zanesville,grew up around buckeye lake in Thornville, yourself?

[Jock Whisky]

If I have to bend at the waist I push my hips to the right(I'm right handed). This helps with the bending and also helps keep your center of gravity where it needs to be so you don't feel like you're gonna fall over. Works for me. Maybe it will help you.

[Charlie Lamb]

Try canting your bow more. Instructions as per John Schulz. Not sure if that will be compatible with your fixed crawl.

[Wile E. Coyote]

I agree with bucknut. Make sure that chin is tucked in well and dont peek up over the shot.

That is one of the limitations with the string walking.  At times a catch 22.  The method works better with a longer recurve, but then shooting down out of a tree stand the system gets awkward with the vertical bow.  a kid here went from a compound straight to an ILF with the fixed crawl, someone showed it to him at a 3d shoot.  When the pressure was on from a tree stand, he shot high and left for two years.  He ended up going to a Robertson longbow, shooting split and canting the bow, that worked for him this year.

[wingnut]

Practice from and elevated platform.  I missed 5 shots at under 20 one weekend, all high.  this happened after I returned from an elk hunt where all my practice was from the ground.

I shot 8 inches high with the same hold from the stand.

Mike

[Zradix]

Don't lower your bow arm...basically ever.
Bend at the waist only so your upper body form is the same no matter what angle you're shooting.

...then practice from an elevated position.
When I used to hunt from trees I'd practice by standing on the roof of my house.
JUST BE CAREFUL AND DON'T FALL!

[bucknut]

Buckeye, I'm down on the river near Marietta.

[Bvas]

Dang buckeye. We’re almost neighbors. I’m just down the road in Cambridge.

The same problem plagued me this year. Unfortunately mine weren’t misses. Hit and lost two deer this year.  The first one was mental breakdown and I know I jerked on the release. The second one I’m pretty sure I forgot to bend at the waist.

[buckeyebowhunter]

Brad I feel your pain. Several years ago I hit and lost the largest whitetail I've seen on the hoof while hunting due to a high hit with no exit hole. It sucks for sure.

[tracker12]

I have been shooting a fixed crawl for a few years now with great success.  When I started out I also shot high.  Slight cant in the bow has corrected the problem. When on the ground I do not cant.   John Shultz knew what he was talking about.