Compensating For Deer Reaction Time

[gregg dudley]

You have nothing to lose, and potentially a lot to gain, by choosing the heart as your aiming point.  When I decided if I missed it was going to be low, I started putting more meet in the freezer.

[kennym]

You have nothing to lose, and potentially a lot to gain, by choosing the heart as your aiming point.  When I decided if I missed it was going to be low, I started putting more meet in the freezer.

Most misses and bad hits I've heard of are because they too high.   So this!!  ^^

[Dave Lay]

I don’t compensate. Our public land deer are wired tight and unpredictable at how they will react at a shot. I have a huntin buddy that always holds low and has shot under as many deer as he’s killed I think. I just try to shoot as quiet a set up as possible and watch it’s body language. I’ve never had a walking deer string jump, but won’t shoot a walking one unless it’s close and walking slow.

[blacktailbob]

Don't forget, deer drop to load their legs so they can jump, spin and run...all in that same millisecond.
So if your bow is slow they just might come back up into the arrows flight.

[Pat B]

If you shoot at a deer chances are you'll shoot over it. Pick a spot, tuft of hair or the imaginary spot near the elbow and concentrate on putting the arrow through it.
 A calm, unaware deer is your best choice for a successful shot.
 I think it was Terry mentioning he usually doesn't remember the shots. That is full concentration on where the arrow will go and the muscle memory to back it up. I remember 2 different times when a deer walked in on me getting set, putting tension on the string but my next memory was a bloody arrow in the ground. I don't remember drawing or releasing. I was working on muscle memory after hundreds upon hundreds of thoughtful practice shots

[mangonboat]

I compensate by focusing on clueless deer. 

[Wild Bill MCP 808]

In my experiences a deer usually drops close to or even a full body width at the sound of release. I've seen deer rear up and jump high after they were hit but not before. I aim at the bottom 3rd of the body which would include the elbow. 

[Eecho]

Same here no compensation for the shot. They either just flinch or turn inside out on you. One minute your shouting at a white spot the next minute it’s a tail. The ones that run probably had a notion that something was up and the twang was all that was needed for him to decide to head to the hills.

[DNewer]

This. From the book “Timeless Bowhunting” by Roy S. Marlow.

[Bisch]

X marks the spot!!  ^^^^^^

Obviously, the spot changes spending on angle and elevation, but for a broadside, ground level shot, that is pretty much exactly where I aim!!!

Bisch

[Wudstix]

Up for deer season.
 

[Wudstix]

I focus just above the armpit.
 

[Kirkll]

After reading this whole thread I’m surprised nobody has even mentioned the deers tail, or their ear movement …. An alert deer has its tail up, and quite often starts flicking its ears in different directions. Shooting at an alert deer, even at close range is not something I would recommend, and never do myself anymore. but if you insist on taking the shot, ya gotta shoot low.  The X marks the spot example is where I always focus anyway….

Watch their tail and wait a minute. Once that tail drops they rarely jump until they have taken the arrow in their side.     Kirk

[mnbwhtr]

I take close shots and don't remember the last standing deer I've shot at. I found out a long time ago walking deer don't drop so I shoot them walking.

[dnovo]

The deer I hunt around aren’t wound as tight as some you guys hunt. That said I don’t shoot at a deer on alert. Also a deer with its head down can drop faster than one with head up. I’m not much good on walking deer unless they’re extremely close. I do stop a lot of bucks with a grunt and I’m ready to shoot in that split second they stop to figure out what they heard. Works very well for me.

[dklug]

I'm a trail hunter and as such most of the deer I shoot are walking. I've never had a walking deer jump, or more accurately, duck the string. I always hold a third of the way up the body and straight up from the front leg. The arrow impacts 2-3 inches behind where I aim, right in the crease. I've probably killed 50 deer this way. I never try to stop a deer with a bleat or bah because if you have a deer alerted to your presence all bets are off. Now all of this must be taken within limits. Obviously if you're taking a 30 yard shot the deer has more time to react, if it's within 18 yards...getting the gutting knife out. I've killed plenty of walking deer in the 20-25 yard distance that never reacted to the shot until the arrow hit.

[Gun]

I shoot them walking too. I set up where I don't have to shoot more than 15 yds max.
I also hunt with no other pressure than from me.

[Tedd]

I like them walking too. But it's not a requirment. A stationary deer with it's head down feeding can use it's head/neck as a counter-weight to throw the body downward. I wonder if does are more flexible than bucks? The sneaky doe drop/whirl is really impressive!

[Terry Green]

Most places no compensation for relaxed deer.

The on the one place I use to hunt, for about 12 years in a row in TX, it took me 2 years to learn baseline or even under the deer 2-3 inches on relaxed deer.  Once I learned that I killed two 10s and a nice 8 in 40 days of hunting.  If I would have known that the 1st two years I could have taken a huge 8 and a heavy massed 10 in those 8 days of hunting.

I also leaned not to shoot quartering away there as when they wheeled I would either totally miss, or unfortunately shoot too far forward. Broadside only, with amazingly same level entrance and exit holes several times from 15 yardish shots and 15 feet up.  Amazing again at not just how low they duck but how far they lay over to bail out.

[Wudstix]

TX deer do "flinch and spin" dramatically!  I try to not shoot, if I can see an eye, and shoot at the belly line or armpit.  If they drop I'm OK, but if they drop and spin it is usually a clean miss!