Do you aim low on deer?

[Ben Woodring]

Yep, aim for the heart.  It should be a rule when you buy a trad bow..took me a couple years to learn that lesson the hard way.

[leatherneck]

I hunt from tree stands and aim where I want to hit. I'm in Ohio, not Kentucky. (no disrespect to kentucky, I'm referring to the saying Kentucky windage).


Mike

[wingnut]

We were watching a hunting show on tv while eating b'fast this morning.  The fellow was in a DB blind and shooting a fast compound.  He shot a buck at 15 yds.  You can see the deer drop at least 6" before the arrow hits.  He aimed at the heart and got a surprise double lung.  

Mike

[Stripstrike1]

I like this thread....two doe misses this year so far and both were right over the top.  I think this will really help me alot.

[Bowman0202]

Aiming low was a hard thing to learn.  Last year I missed two LARGE bucks by them "jumping the string" or whatever else you want to call it by them ducking and the arrow going just over their backs. One was at 12 yards, the other at about 20.  I was shooting a Schulz 68" - 65@28.  The first one, I put it on his "double lung area" directly above the front leg, he didn't even know I was there and to my disbelief, he was down so fast (ducking) and up and out in a flash, I couldn't believe it. Second one did the same thing.  

Well on the next shot - third deer, I did the lower thing - connected - but it's hard to do that when you practice "hitting the spot".  So now, I just lower the spot and shoot right at the top of the front leg or just a bit below that.

Irresponsible - don't think so.  Probably for the one up above who made that "judgment" would be good to hold off on that until "he's walked in our shoes" down here in Texas.

Good hunting.

[Fritz]

Shot over 1 doe this year by aiming where I wanted it to go. Problem was she was about a foot lower when the shot got there.  I will aim at the white hair under the shoulder crease from now on. I knew better, still kicking myself in the butt.

[Bill Turner]

I fully agree with Wingnut regarding Texas deer. Got to remember, Texas deer are often hunted over corn. They are seldom relaxed. Always alert. They are smaller then their northern cousins. Aim low(heart shot or bottom third of body at least)to avoid a high hit and lengthy follow up with little blood. Our fearless leader, Terry Green, has had some experience with Texas whitetails. I'm surprized he has not chimed in with his opinion. Must be hunting.

[Cory Mattson]

Deer usually react to the shot. How much depends on where they are (food plot or feeder) - (breezey or silent no wind) - and how big they are. I have a bunch of these 4 year old 80# does like they have in texas - these does are cocked and ready most of the time. The bigger deer we hunt up in WV don't jump the string at all - but they get worked on a lot less than the deer down here and south with longer seasons. For many years we shot low - and we all shot recurves - worked out very well - but I never liked it - always a little uncomfortable with not aiming at actually what I wanted to hit - and factoring in the deer ducking - which they did do often - but not always. About 15 years ago I started using a flatbow - Deer reaction stopped completely - I was amazed - kept going - and sure enough I have never had a deer duck the arrow since - at least not that I could see. Maybe they still react - but less? - and a video would show it if I had it - but I can say for sure - that using a flatbow and then a longbow I have no problems with deer reaction to the shot - I shoot "center of mass" at quartered (slightly) away deer. Still can't let em see ya - most of these (3 to 4 deer a year) are on acorns - and this is at deer that are unalarmed - at least unalarmed up to the point the shot is taken. I like recurves and still hunt em a lot for other game - but for whitetails I am rock solid longbows and flatbows now all the time. I do give up some distance because I am not comfortable shooting beyond 20 yards with longbows - but I gain complete confidence that the deer won't jump  at 20 yards and less.
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[bbassi]

Originally posted by BobW:
I should have....    

 hey, did I mention my wife is referring to you as bob-in-hood now? LOL

[MI_Bowhunter]

An item dropped will fall 4.9 meters in the first second (ignoring light items that are more influenced by wind resistance).   The twitch reflexes of a deer are probably going to make it drop a little slower Unless its actually pulling itself down faster then the pull of gravity).    Even an 1/10 th of that is .49 meters.   When you are talking about the size of a deers heart and lungs, that's a pretty big gap.

I've always been taught to shoot for the top of the heart but my deer to date have been with a gun so what do I know.      

[Bowman0202]

Thanks Mike.  That does add some helpful perspective.

[BUFF]

If a west Texas deer stood still, I would shoot completly under him. I aim at the elbow just at or below the chest.

 http://www.buffsblackwidow.com/videos/pecos11tradgang.wmv

[hickstick]

just a tip for the new guys too...

bend appropriately if shooting from a stand.  Shoot from the stand A LOT.   focus on keeping the archers 'T'.   you'd be surprised how many forget all when a deer shows up, or don't want to move the body too much and risk alerting the deer so they stand straight, and drop their bow arm.  which causes a whole host of things including shooting high.

I was taught to pick my spot at the heart.  deer doesn't move = dead deer, deer drops, get double lung= dead deer.

I forgot to add...that this is why I don't like severe quartering away shot angles as well.  many times the drop and twist and depending on which way the twist you could be in for a long trackin job. I try to limit myself to broadside of ever-so-slightly quartering away....

[nutmeg]

I aim for the heart for the already stated reasons. IMHO,deer everywhere duck at the sound of the release and the arrow in flight. Even calm, unalerted deer. I also favor the slightly quartering away shot over all others.(nut)

[Terry Green]

"Do you aim low on deer"?

All depends on where I am and the body language of the deer.

Here in GA I hardly ever aim 'low' on calm deer....and aim for what I perceive to be the lower 1/3rd of the lugs as deer may or may not move, and most times they will move a tad as most end up shot middle of the lungs a couple of inches higher.  It all happens so fast its really hard to see the initial movement.  If the deer is alert, and still close enough for a shot if I decide to take it, then I aim for the white hair line (heart or base of the lungs depending on the angle).

In TX, I ALWAYS aim low....baseline of the animal to be exact.  Listen to Wingnut, he and other TXens know of what they speak.  Those TX Deer WILL show you movement before your arrow gets there as they are always on alert it seems whether their body language shows it or not.  You can plainly see your arrow zeroing in on the exact spot you wanted to hit and they will duck the arrow in the last split second before your very eyes.

It was hard for me to aim low even though I was told to when I 1st started hunting TX, but after the 2nd big buck ducking on 'calm' shots two years in a row I finally gave in and started shooting all bucks and does in TX as if they were on alert.

Below is a typical scenario.....

A TX doe shot from 15 feet up, and 15 yards out broadside.  The yellow line is where I actually aimed(yes, baseline of the deer), the impact point was the entry point, and the blue line is the EXIT hole on the other side.  YES, the exit hole was actually HIGHER than the entrance as the doe not only ducked but laid over to that extreme.  Again, Wingnut has told me he's had this exact same thing happen.

         

I'm not telling anyone 'where to aim'....just telling you 'where I aim', and you can make the call for yourself based on your observations at the time.

I also don't believe smaller feathers will help either in TX.  I truly believe you could shoot an arrow with NO feathers and the deer will not be in the same spot when the arrow arrives.

[Brent Hill]

The deer are crazier here in Texas.  They will duck, roll and laugh to get away from my arrow.  No kidding, except for the laughter.  They do that later.  Aim low and pray in Texas. Bhill

[Terry Green]

Brent....we had a guy in camp once that made a broadside shot, some 20 yards, and he self admittedly 'lucked up' and killed it.  It was a nice 8 pointer and he cut its jugular, but get this, when the jugular was cut the buck was facing the OPPOSITE direction!!!

[d. ward]

Well the fastest bow on the market would boost a arrow speed of lets say 375-400 ft per second.And thats smoken fast for any arrow....and sound travels at a speed of around 1,240 ft.per second.More then 3 times faster then any arrow..go figure huh. bowdoc

[d. ward]

A friend just happend bye during our little discusion here.He mentioned sometimes saying things like we shot low or aimed low is sometimes an excuss for a poorly placed shot.What do you guy's think.......bowdoc

[rg176bnc]

Thanks for all the replies.  Nice to know Im not alone.  My last two shots were on the ground on 15mph (min) windy days.  Ive listend to my buddy shoot my bow and I know its not overly loud. A BW 52# shooting a 610gr arrow.  The deer where Im hunting are on high alert lately as to high hunting pressure.

Im going to aim for the heart and see what happens.  I normally hedge my bets and aim mid deer. Gotta get this figured out before I head to Central KS.