straight down shot on deer?

[Avid Archer]

never again

[Last of the Breed]

Originally posted by Coonbait:
DON'T DO IT. It only leads to self regret. I hate looking for deer that I knew better than to take that shot! Only my opinion. I don't think most of us can make that shot consistantly enough to risk wounding an animal know matter how big it is!
GLENN

I think its all about your own confidence in your ability, I don't really think that "most" of us will try to take that shot all the time, but there will come a time when it does present itself and our confidence in our selves will allow us to make a good shot.

[BobCo 1965]

I won't do it. Low percentage shot. Personally, I don't believe that aiming for the spine is ethical. IMO, you'd be better off aiming for the liver then the spine or one lung which I personally wouldn't do.

Don't need a deer that badly.

[RAU]

Ive done it twice on does with a compound. Both deer were recovered. One punched the heart, exited low, and left a great trail that was only 60 or so yards long that anyone could follow. The 2nd only got one lung. I jumped her 1/2 hour after the hit, and backed out till morning as it was nearly dark now anyway. She didnt go 100 yards past where i jumped her the 1st time and blood was easy to follow, but I lost a 1/4 to a coyote durring the night. Probably wont do it again

[Airborne]

Tried it once--did not work out so well

[Mr.Magoo]

Here's mine from a couple of weeks ago ....

 

 

He was maybe 4-7 yards out and walking away, the arrow hit just behind the shoulder blades and exited between the front legs.  He ran for a few seconds and was down (finding him was tougher, I posted the story here.)

This is where a fairly heavy arrow (680gr.) and a 2 blade are your friend.

Seems to me I saw Paul Brunner take this exact same shot on a DVD (maybe Street Smart Bucks).

Anyhow, everyone has their own opinion.

[no]

I have shot a number of them like that & never had a problem,  Mike

[TRAD101]

very low percentage shot as far as I am concerned. no reason to take it.

[Bowwild]

I've taken only once such shot and it was with a compund around 1988.  I actually wanted the the shot to see what would happen so I waited. It was an average doe. I thought I dead-centered here right between the shoulder blades (Bear Razorhead without bleeder). She didn't drop with a spine shot. She rang less than 50 yards and the tracking was extremely easy because the arrow completely penetrated the heart and out the bottom.

I consider the shot too much risk, especially with the much lighter tackle (46# recurve) I use now. The arrow can miss the spinal cord and if spine is shot you might break the back but you also might deflect. I would expect on such a shot to spine the deer (good)or slide by the cord and into the heart but I wouldn't expect an exit wound with that shot and my tackle. I'd be very concerned about not having a blood trail in such a case.

There are definitely situations where a deer can get under you with no shot coming in or leaving. I'll just wait for another day if that happens.

[bolong]

I know it works sometimes, but I don't take it.

[Shaun]

Nope - can not recommend it. Wait for broadside or quartering away.

[House]

I have to say I enjoyed reading all the responses to this topic.  I personally would have to say Elknutz hit it on the head for me..."can't jump that high and my hangtime sucks".  I've never hunted out of a tree, so have never been presented with the decision.

Good luck to all....whatever your shot selection, make it with confidence.

Travis

[Don Batten]

Lots of interesting comments. I guess my post was alittle misleading. When I said straight down, I was thinking, 5 yds and in. The ones Ive shot have never been at 6 oclock under the stand. Hell, I don't think I could bend at the waist far enough to make the 6 pm shot. Thanks for all the response. It is a great time just getting to see them doing their thing. Gonna head back to my special place tomarrow. Hopefully I'll get a good shot at a deer that I'm 99 percent sure , I'm gonna see. Good hunting all. Don

[reddogge]

Like others have said, 4-7 yards is NOT straight down.  Big difference.  I once tried it and hit my armguard and arrow deflected.  Never will try that again.  And I mean it was straight down under my stand.

[Longbowwally]

Good comments from all. Glad you cleared up your post Don - I had a feeling you didn't mean straight down.

I like my deer 5 - 15 yards out. I've shot many, many deer at 5 or 6 yards. One thing that comes to my mind is how high your stand is will, for me, determine how effective this shot is. There's a good difference between shooting a deer at 5 yards from a 15 foot stand versus a 25 foot stand.

Also, the steeper the shot angle the more bone you have to go through. I know I've heard internet hunters talk about how they always blow through deer. Well, my arrows blow through a lot of my deer, but shooting a deer at 5 or 6 yards requires a lot more penetration to exit if you're hunting high. Thats why I'm hunting lower this year.

[KYArcher]

I pass on the straight down shots.... KYArcher

[ChuckC]

I didn't even bother reading the posts before mine.

I had a whole lot written here. .  and deleted it.  Very few care to listen anyway.  

Shoot em up

ChuckC

[ishoot4thrills]

Originally posted by ChuckC:
I didn't even bother reading the posts before mine.

I had a whole lot written here. .  and deleted it.  Very few care to listen anyway.  

Shoot em up

ChuckC

:confused:          

"Very few care to listen anyway", including yourself, since you "didn't even bother reading the posts"........

[fredhill]

Originally posted by no:
I have shot a number of them like that & never had a problem,  Mike

me neither. it's my favorite shot in bowhunting. i have shot dozens of deer straight down and never lost one.

[Biggie Hoffman]

fredhill............dozens? Straight down? With a tradbow?