Psuross,

In most cases, the difference in distance when shooting from a stand vs. on the ground is negligible and is not the answer to your question. Though improper form (not bending at the waist) will usually result in a high shot, when compared to “proper form”, this may not be consistent from shooter to shooter. Or, who’s to say you don’t already " naturally" shoot with “improper” form, so why would you continue to aim low if your already compensating.

I believe the answer your looking for is to understand the trajectory of the arrow as it relates to your line of sight and the angle at which gravity is applied. This applies for rifles or bows and the effects are equally significant if shooting at either an upward or downward angle.

For example:
Shooting on level ground.
Your line of sight is a straight line direct to the target, or parallel to the ground. The force of gravity on the arrow is being applied straight down, or perpendicular to the line of sight. The trajectory of the arrow follows an “arced” path. So understanding that the force of gravity is present the instant the arrow is launched and with the launching point positioned below your line of sight, the arrow will cross your line of sight twice while in flight. So, when you launch your arrow, at some short distance in front of your bow (lets say 5yds for this description) the arrow will rise to cross your line of sight, it will then travel some distance above your line sight before falling to cross your line of sight again, hopefully striking the target at this point.

Shooting from stand.
Understanding that now you are up a given distance looking down at a given angle, your line of sight is still a straight line direct to the target. The trajectory of the arrow will still follow its “arced” path. However, now you have changed the angle at which gravity is applied to the arrow. The steeper the angle, the less effect gravity plays on “downward” path of the arrow. This means, the steeper the angle the longer the arrow will remain above the line of sight, potentially resulting in a high point of impact. Think of it this way…..if you shoot directly below your stand, straight down towards the ground, once your arrow crosses your line of sight the first time it will never fall to cross your line of sight again regardless how far the arrow travels. This due to gravity being applied in the direction of flight, no perpendicular/angular force to pull it back down.

Now, with that description I’ll say, don’t be over critical with your setup. If you have an “average” setup and hunt from “average” heights I would shoot a few practice shots from an elevated position just for safety sake but I’ll bet you’ll find the difference in point of impact is, again, negligible. The only time I can really see this being an issue is if you hunt from extreme heights. You’re not only effecting your trajectory but you are also making the “kill zone” on the deer smaller.

Hope this helps,
Toby