Ducking the arrow

[jathomas437]

My dad has missed two doe already this year from the deer dropping and dodging the arrow. He says this has never happened to him before. He now thinks he needs to aim low the next time he gets a chance to shoot. Is this a good idea?

[Smart]

always a good idea in my book.....aim at the heart and catch the lungs if they do........

[txpigsticker]

It never hurts to aim a tough low !

[jathomas437]

always a good idea in my book.....aim at the heart and catch the lungs if they do........

He's aiming for the heart, but they are dropping low enough to dodge the arrow. So should he aim low? What if he aims low but they don't drop? Lol. Then he shoots underneath them. As if this stuff isn't hard enough! Ugh!

[Smart]

He's aiming for the heart, but they are dropping low enough to dodge the arrow. So should he aim low? What if he aims low but they don't drop? Lol. Then he shoots underneath them. As if this stuff isn't hard enough! Ugh!

Get a faster bow...or slower deer.

[bigrack]

My dad has missed two doe already this year from the deer dropping and dodging the arrow. He says this has never happened to him before. He now thinks he needs to aim low the next time he gets a chance to shoot. Is this a good idea?

i guess its really good that he didnt hit the others anywhere. missing is better than wounding and not finding. good luck with what you decide.

[DeadeyeDeb]

I would be inclined to ask 3 questions. 1) What was the distance he was shooting? 2) Is his bow a bit loud? 3) How much weight is he pulling?

[Muddman]

When I was a teenager I was still hunting using a recurve and missed a buck at 20 yards four times because he ducked the arrow. I had to scare him off to get my arrows. If I would of aimed lower on the second shot I would of scored.

[texan16]

Man, if he is aiming low (at the heart) and the deer is still dropping enough to completely duck the arrow, I think there may be several factors involved. Like deadeye asked- how far are the shots, is the arrow actually going where he is aiming, is his bow that loud, how fast is his bow ??? Hate to hear that he is missing and I bet he is getting frustrated. Maybe with some more info we can help him out.

[jathomas437]

His bow is tuned perfect and shoots great. The shots were 18 yards and 23 yards. It's set at 58 pounds. He's bow hunted for 13 years, so he knows what he's doing, he's just at a loss because he's never experienced a deer jumping the string.

[Richard M.]

Sounds like they may have been already on alert. I suggest waiting until they raise there head and look a different direction. I don't think they are able to drop nearly as far with their head up, but have seen them perform matrix moves with it down. It's a physical thing. When they throw their head up the body automatically drops. I'm not saying they can't react with the head up, just nearly as much.

[cwill]

His bow is tuned perfect and shoots great. The shots were 18 yards and 23 yards. It's set at 58 pounds. He's bow hunted for 13 years, so he knows what he's doing, he's just at a loss because he's never experienced a deer jumping the string.

Well then you must head down to the lease with friends and gather up all the crack pipes you find laying out in the woods.

[Extremebowman]

I had one duck the string too Saturday Eve. I was spot on the heart and she limbo'd the arrow by about an inch. I was actually relieved! Clean miss. Not discounting what the guys are saying about aiming low, because I have done it a few times. The last time I did it I will never forget. It was in November 12, 1994, Unit 17C, Camp Upshur, Quantico, Virginia. The doe was alert and I held right on her bottom line to accomodate for her "alertness". Well I was right, she ducked, and I spined her. Had to shimmy down the tree in a hand climber and cut her throat Probably could have put a second arrow in her, but I was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. Call me soft, whatever, that was something I hope to never have to do again. I aim high heart, if they duck, clean miss, thankfully that is what happened this past Saturday.

[ItsLeo]

His bow is tuned perfect and shoots great. The shots were 18 yards and 23 yards. It's set at 58 pounds. He's bow hunted for 13 years, so he knows what he's doing, he's just at a loss because he's never experienced a deer jumping the string.

Has he actually practiced with his broadheads shooting at a broadhead target from the same elevation? Shooting from the same height, with the same arrow and broadheads can be very revealing. The elevation, angle, plus small errors in form when shooting broadheads result in a much higher than expected point of impact. He may discover he needs to aim much much lower.

Don't depend on the "hits like fieldpoints" motto especially when you've missed a few.

Do your best to figure out why.

[Tex]

If he is in an elevated stand he needs to make sure he is pivoting at the waist and not dropping his left arm. If he is it will cause him to hit high.