shooting from elevation/stands

[striker1]

when practicing from the groud i'm shooting very well but when i shoot from the treestand i always seem to shoot high. if i'm in a blind not a problem but out of my stand i've hit and lost a doe this past year. it rocked my confidence so bad i ended the season with a "wheel" bow. i don't want to hunt with the compound anymore but ABSOLUTELY do not want to wound anymore either. any and all suggestions would greatly be appreciated. thatnks guys!

Roll the bow over, nearly flat if you need to.  The common miss with a straight up and down form from a tree is high and left for a right hander.

[striker1]

what do you mean roll the bow over? i have a cant to the bow,i don't shoot with the bow straight up and down as if shooting a compound bow.when i miss i don't miss high and left-just high. very frustrated and enjoy the longbow but don't want anymore wounded deer.

If you are shooting split finger, bending at the waist and cant the bow more.  A Hill style shooting form with a Hill style bow is one of the best combinations for taking downward shots. I need to practice it every year when I use a tree stand.  I always start too straight up at first, then after awhile, I find that I am laying the bow way over more natural.  Even then, I shoot a couple of blunts when out hunting, to see if  there any branches in the way and to keep the feel of that downward shot fresh.  The safety harness gives me the confidence to bend at the waist, I find it more difficult if I feel like I may do a header out of the tree stand.

[Stumpkiller]

Definatlely practice and learn to bend at the waist.  Also, climb a ladder or shoot off your porch, deck or some elevated spot as often as you can.  I carry two blunts and every time I am in a tree stand there are two practice shots taken before I'm done.

I also pick a spot low in the deer.  Not on the deer.  Visualize where the heart will be.  3-D teaches a bad habit of hitting the surface for points rather than getting that arrow through the center of the vitals.

[joe skipp]

Slight bend and canting the bow. I only tree stand hunt when in Canada for Bears. I practice hard from a friends ladder stand 12 ft up since I bowhunt everything else from the ground.

I also aim using split vision. As I'm aiming and concentrating on the vitals, in my split vision, I pick my broadhead up BELOW THE ANIMALS STOMACH.
this is from 12-15 yds away. If the animal is closer, the distance between my broadhead and stomach INCREASES.

At 20-25 yds, the angle is decreased so my broadhead is usually right in the middle of the animals body. At 12-15 yds, if I was aiming and my broadhead was in the middle of the animals body....I would hit high or miss. Same if the animal was closer, steep angle, would result in a bad high miss.

It takes practice from 10-20 yds to adjust from shooting at elevated stands. If you have a longbow not cut to center, you'll need to cant more, almost laying the bow flat. always aim a tad lower if in doubt but consistant practice is the key.

[striker1]

i definately will use the advise from everyone. thanks guys.

Joe, you are point on at 25 yards?  My son  has a much closer point on than I do as well, even though our anchor points are very similar.  My point on with my middle finger just past the corner of my mouth is over 60 yards on level ground with my faster bows.  When I am shooting really bent over, my eye is actually right of the the arrow so my point needs to be left.  Hill with his bows said his arrow traveled up and left.  it should be pointed out to striker that everyone has their own point on and point alignment.  It varies person to person and from bow to bow for any person.  It is handy, however, when shooting split finger if the arrow is in a nice alignment and the point on is a bit closer.

[Stumpkiller]

Mine too.  I am point on at about 65 yards with one of my bows and 70 yards with another (split finger, middle finger to tooth anchor).  Not something I use hunting deer but for stumps and field bales it sometimes works out.  It's a beautiful thing to watch an arrow go that far and hit something. I also use up all but 1/2" of shaft when drawing the arrow.  I occasionally see guys with 6" of shaft in front of the riser on release and that will bring the POA much closer.

In deer hunting the only times I am successful is when I draw and immediately get rid of the arrow before I have time to start thinking about elevation.

[bobman]

practice from an elevated spot is the best answer until your brain learns to deal with it.

I shoot from an elevated deck I built

[amazonjim]

Hey guys what weight bow are you shooting to have point on at 60 - 65 yds?

[Stumpkiller]

I have POA of 57# on at 70 yards and 61# on at 65 yards shooting 30-1/2" BOP arrows drawn to 30" with a split finger grip.  My Browning Explorer shoots flatter than my heavier draw weight but much lighter mass Dream Catcher, but the arrows are a bit lighter (590 gr vs. 620 gr) and have very smooth flight.

My beater bow outshoots my better bow.    

64 pound Schulz.

[stalkin4elk]

The book BECOME THE ARROW by Byron Ferguson suggests bending your forward knee more to keep your upper body more correct (if I remember correctly) when shooting downhill.The degree of bend depends on the angle. Great book btw.