Do you aim low when shooting from a tree?

[buckeyebowhunter]

I know this has been discussed many times. And I know that you have to bend at the waist and so on when shooting from elevated position. However, after making a conscious effort to bend,  and I don't get very high in trees anyways usually 12-15 feet, I still consistently miss deer high. In fact I can't remember ever missing a deer any other way other than high.
I managed to miss one high last night from my tree saddle, in the saddle you are literally already bent at the waist in order to shoot from it so I was baffled again. Considering changing my aim point to the bottom of the vitals rather than the middle. Thoughts?

[bowmaster12]

Do you practice from an elevated position?  It sounds like you might be miss judging yardage once in the tree if it happens constantly.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

I agree, things tend to look farther away when you are in a tree. Could be subconscious. I agree, shooting high from tree is common.  I shot alot from trees when I was younger, no issue now.

[Sam McMichael]

It might not be a bad idea to set up your target at specifically marked distances from your elevated stand. Shoot while on the ground picking your spot as normal. Then shoot while elevated using your same sight picture. Do your shots go higher? As long s you are bending at the waist, etc. it is probably not a form issue. At longer range, I do try to compensate by shooting just a little lower.

[Mike Bolin]

Like Ryan stated, things look further away from an elevated position. I have a ladder stand set up behind the house for practice. Over the last couple of weeks a couple of my buddies have shot at my deer target from the stand (about 14' high). Both shot over the target and stuck in the wood pile behind it on their first shot. I asked them how far away the target was and they both felt that it was 20 yards or a maybe a bit more. The target is 13 steps from the base of the tree, so somewhere between 11 and 12 yards.
Also, if I don't pick a small spot and stay focused on it I will shoot high, even on a level shot. Another thing that I have to work on is that on a close (10 yards or less) shot I have been known to raise my head or "peak". I think that because the shot is so close I think I can't miss so I raise my head to see the arrow hit.
This year I had all of my stands set early and I took my bow and a couple of judo point and picked out a leaf or weed near where I expect my shot at a deer to be and took a shot or two. On morning hunts I will shoots at a leaf right before I climb down. If I miss, I spend some time in my practice stand before I go back out for the afternoon hunt. Good luck!

[hawkeye n pa]

Agree with the target and treestand practice, no substitute IMHO.  It's kind of a learnt trait with stick bow shooting  from a tree and I think everyone is a little different on this.  Shooting up a grade or down a hill is also good practice if your stand placement is like this.

[Lori]

I have heard this many times in the backyard, when there was a ladder stand set up, "Roll the bow over when shooting down from a tree stand, keep your eye over the arrow and pick a spot." 

[Wudstix]

Could be a combination; misjudged distance, peeking at the shot and perhaps deer ducking a bit.  Personally I focus on the belly line and have not shot over a deer yet. 
 

[Tactical Draftsman]

I have noticed since switching from split to 3-under with a glove, this problem got a lot better for me. I shoot a lot off my back deck which is about 12 feet high and I almost never miss high, at least on targets. I suppose my eye is closer to the arrow.

[Orion]

In addition to what's already been said, keep in mind, too, that if you aim center body from an elevated position, you're already too high. Looking down from above, you see part of the opposite side/top of the deer.  Visually, then, the center of the mass that you see will be shoulder height or higher, when viewed from above.  The higher the hunter, the worse this angle becomes.  Regardless, focus on picking a spot lower on the deer, probably 1/3 the way up from the bottom.  This doesn't leave very much to look at toward the bottom of the deer. 

That's the reason I seldom go higher than 12 feet and shoot from a sitting position.  To keep the angle down. 

[Soonerlongbow]

Archery, bang stick, or hand tossed rock, it’s simple geometry, a basic triangle. Uphill or downhill both reduce the distance to the target. How much depends upon the angle.

[McDave]

Archery, bang stick, or hand tossed rock, it’s simple geometry, a basic triangle. Uphill or downhill both reduce the distance to the target. How much depends upon the angle.

+1. To expand a little on this.  If you aim based on the line of sight distance, you will miss high because the trajectory of the arrow is based on the horizontal distance.  You could figure out the trigonometry, if you wanted to, but it would change everytime you change the height of your tree stand.  For me, it's enough to know that it's real and not based on some form error (although I make plenty of those).  If I’m aiming at a standing deer at a down angle of 40-45* at 20 yards line of sight, it seems to work out if I use the bottom of the deer's chest for my point of aim rather than the kill spot.

[Soonerlongbow]

Archery, bang stick, or hand tossed rock, it’s simple geometry, a basic triangle. Uphill or downhill both reduce the distance to the target. How much depends upon the angle.

+1. To expand a little on this.  If you aim based on the line of sight distance, you will miss high because the trajectory of the arrow is based on the horizontal distance.  You could figure out the trigonometry, if you wanted to, but it would change everytime you change the height of your tree stand.  For me, it's enough to know that it's real and not based on some form error (although I make plenty of those).  If I’m aiming at a standing deer at a down angle of 40-45* at 20 yards line of sight, it seems to work out if I use the bottom of the deer's chest for my point of aim rather than the kill spot.

   I cheat and just use my rangefinder. But since my range with a stick bow is so short, I just do what you said and aim at the lowest portion of the ribs. Also means I either clean miss or if it drops I hit lung. Margin of error.

[buckeyebowhunter]

I'm glad you guys mentioned practicing from the tree. I made it a point to practice from the tree saddle a lot this summer and shot at least once a week from it at about 12 feet up in my yard. It is a lot of fun to shoot from and I rarely if ever missed high during practice. I'm guessing I misjudged yardage last night in the excitement still was a fun hunt. I'm going to take advice and use the bottom chest as my aim point. Thanks for the responses.

[trick00]

Since when practicing you stated you seldom miss high makes me think the deer are jumping string, when we miss it is always high. a deer can drop something like 8" in .1 sec. it takes roughly .2 sec for a typical bow setup to shoot 13 yds. so factoring a deers reaction time, whatever that is, do the math. I try to gauge the deers demeaner and shoot where they are gonna be. Most bucks here in South Arkansas act like they are over-caffinated and jump string id say 80% of the time. anyway i always pick a spot at the very bottom of the deer. works for me.

[GCook]

Yes.  Where white and brown meat or just a little above.

[Soonerlongbow]

Since when practicing you stated you seldom miss high makes me think the deer are jumping string, when we miss it is always high. a deer can drop something like 8" in .1 sec. it takes roughly .2 sec for a typical bow setup to shoot 13 yds. so factoring a deers reaction time, whatever that is, do the math. I try to gauge the deers demeaner and shoot where they are gonna be. Most bucks here in South Arkansas act like they are over-caffinated and jump string id say 80% of the time. anyway i always pick a spot at the very bottom of the deer. works for me.

My hunting partner used to video his hunts when he had some small bits on a couple pro-staffs and shot wheel bows (his conversion to one string is now complete).I helped him clean a doe he shot @ 20yds on video. The deer had a hole just behind her rib cage really low on the right side, and another high on the left side just in front of the the back strap almost into the neck. Shot was broadside on right side, at the shot she turned 180° & entered low and exited high. On video her body is almost parallel to the ground. Freakiest Matrix stuff in real life I’ve ever seen!

[Cory Mattson]

I aimed low - bottom third - mid 70s through mid 90s.
92 I think I started using Flatbows and Longbows and noticed right away deer do not react to the shot. Most at least did not move until the impact of the arrow and maybe a few react less and moved a little that I didn't pick up. So I used these more and more and by 2002 I have not hunted with a recurve.
I do not shoot at deer that have picked me out - ever. I do not shoot on food plots.
And to this day I can't remember that last time a deer ducked ?? Been a long time. I aim about center of mass front half of the deer pointing at the off side armpit - Done!

[ed lash]

If the deer is out away from the tree, I aim lower than I would if I was on the ground...but not below the chest of the deer. I just tend to pick a spot a little lower than if the shot was horizontal.
Now if that deer is close to my tree, I aim spot on.

[Tim Finley]

If you don't bend at the waist you will shoot high . I aim in the middle be hind the shoulder it hits where I look . (sometimes)