picking a spot on whitetail

[muzzlebrake]

I remember reading a study that said - "A whitetail deer can drop 8 inches, turn 90 degrees, and be running full speed in 21 one hundredths of one second."

That is "quick"

Rick

I believe it. I have had a nervous doe completely duck a 260fps arrow at 15yds from my compound where I had aimed right about 2" above bottom of her chest and spined a doe year before last that I had actually shot at her opposite side.
She was at about 18 yards. No wonder it took me 7 years to ever kill my first deer. I probably shot at twenty or more before I ever connected. Thanks to modern equipment and video we now have learning tools we never had back in the 1960's.

[Featherflinger]

I aim for the red dot on Rick's picture. If I skip an arrow off the bottom edge of my 3D deer targets I feel like those are PERFECT shots.

[chackworth3]

I have lost deer hitting them too high because I was shooting where I wanted the arrow to be instead of shooting where the deer would be when my arrow got there. I'm glad this got brought back up as a good reminder to shoot low

[Lost Arra]

I was aiming at a bush well under this one
http://buffsblackwidow.com/videos/riorojo8point.wmv

I cannot believe that deer ran 500 yards. With that hit I fully expected him to at least stumble during the video.

Nice shooting.

[meangreen04]

As a newbie, I was completely unaware that you had to shoot low on them. Great thread.

[ghostgoblin22]

on my deer target at home, i circled a small black spot with a black permanent marker on the elbow of it, i just imagine that little black dot on the deer

[lonestararcher]

Sorry to "necropost" but had a question on this subject and, because the info in this thread is a good reminder as we get closer to opening weekend... i figured i would "bring it back to life". I think Ricks photos are especially helpfull.

The only shot i have taken on an animal with my bow was on a doe shooting from a tree and she hit the deck faster than i ever could have imagined. She completely ducked the arrow.
Now for the question... Where do yall aim when you are hunting from a tree/elevation? The shot looks a lot different than looking at a deer from the ground. Seems like the margin for error is smaller too.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

[Bisch]

It is the same. Pick a spot that will put your arrow through both lungs. There is no magic spot. The spot will change as your elevation changes. However, you do need to make sure to bend at the waist and not just lower your bow arm. Your upper body and bow arm must be the same as if you were standing on the ground shooting level. If you just lower your bow arm to shoot down, you will almost always miss high!

Bisch

[Lost Arra]

on calm/ non-alert Texas whitetail inside of 20 yrds.

In my Texas hunting experience a "calm/non-alert Texas whitetail" does not actually exist in the wild.

They may give the appearance of calm but they seem to be on high alert at all times, especially around corn. Same is true here in Oklahoma. I would much prefer to draw on a deer eating acorns or browse than one eating corn.


A lot of good info in this thread. I find myself nodding agreement with everything Rick and Bisch post although I'm not in their league as a hunter.

[splitfinger]

It is the same. Pick a spot that will put your arrow through both lungs. There is no magic spot. The spot will change as your elevation changes. However, you do need to make sure to bend at the waist and not just lower your bow arm. Your upper body and bow arm must be the same as if you were standing on the ground shooting level. If you just lower your bow arm to shoot down, you will almost always miss high!

Bisch

This is 100% spot on!!

Doug Key

[Buff]

A fellow for Trad gang did a stop action of how fast a deer can get down right at the 2:00 minute mark of this video

http://buffsblackwidow.com/videos/2009reviewbam.wmv

[MedicineMan7]

A fellow for Trad gang did a stop action of how fast a deer can get down right at the 2:00 minute mark of this video

http://buffsblackwidow.com/videos/2009reviewbam.wmv

I've played back a lot of videos of deer dropping and just held my finger on the spot to see how far they go down after the shot. The dots in your video really put things into perspective of how fast those critters are.

[Hunter Todd]

A fellow for Trad gang did a stop action of how fast a deer can get down right at the 2:00 minute mark of this video

http://buffsblackwidow.com/videos/2009reviewbam.wmv

There is a lifetime worth of hunts in that one video! Thanks for posting..

[flywise]

The red dot in this picture is where I shoot for.

This would be a broad side shot, and I would adjust to farther back from that spot depending on the angle of the animal.

I always shoot for an exit to be at the off side leg where the leg would be in a straight stance vertical position.

About 75% of the time, when I shoot for that red spot, the arrow will pass through about where the blue dot is. That is a double lung shot, which places the arrow not only through the lungs, but also in an area where there are several major arteries. The other 25% of the time it hits where the red dot is, and takes out the heart.

Rick

Exactly what i do as well but my red dot is a little higher typically

[BTLowry]

I learned my lesson aiming "off the body" on a giant KS buck with a gun several years ago.

I agree with the advice to hold on the elbow/heart, deer drops and you hit lungs, deer does not move and you hit the heart or low lungs.