Shortdraw

Ole Radar.... posted and left. Hmmmm... you don't think we scared him off do you? Come on back and play Radar.

For the rest of you to, he may have in fact hit the backbone but there's a lot of other stuff right there between the shoulders. Like someone mentioned, the shoulder blade comes up pretty far. However, it doesn't take a lot of KE to break through the top of it alone with a sharp broadhead flying true. But, right in that area the ribs attach to the spine almost touching. The backbone/rib combination there is quite dense. An BOWFANATIC, you're right. In fact, no matter where you rotate around a deer the width across the vitals is just about the same. Above, below, broadside.... they all offer the same "AREA" in square inches to shoot at. BUT, broadside is better. You hit it just about anywhere, you get BOTH lungs. From above... it's almost impossible to get them both. You get one or the other generally. So, even though you hit the vitals... it will be a tougher deer to kill in most cases. Add poor tracking skills, impatiences and it can go bad very easily.

cyclone

How many of us actually practice that shot to be able to thread that needle in there. You've gotta miss a lot of bone..Low percentage shot, let em walk...

~Will Hunt For Food~

Straightarrow

Some people probably shouldn't take that type of shot. For me, I've taken it a few times, with no problems. I can easily hit what I'm aiming at, when only 20 feet away and I never aim at the spine. I'll center the shot about 2" to the side and far enough back to miss the shoulder blade. You also have to wait an hour or two before trailing. If you don't spook the buck badly, it will probably lay down within a hundred yards and the blood trail from a single lung, with a hole in the bottom of the chest, is a good one. Just make sure you stop the buck before shooting.

This happens to me somewhat frequently, because I usually hunt in very thick, heavy cover where the deer tend to get in real close before a shot presents itself. I practice all year out to 50-60 yards and then typically shoot my deer inside of 10.

stealthycat

radar1 - Patience probabaly would have resulted in a quartering away shot and a deer for the wall. Sounds like a non-lethal hit, but I doubt you see that buck again.
Stealthycat's Photo's

cyclone

Straight, I believe that radar meant 22ft up not out...correct me if I'm wrong. I'm thinking straight down....

~Will Hunt For Food~

radar1

Me again. Yes, 22 feet up. I aimed middle of the shoulder blades, at 5 steps from the tree I compinsated for it shooting a few inches high with my 20 yard pin. The arrow was in his back right above the vitals. Two inch penetration thats it. Brand new broadheads, Rocky Mountain Premier 75 grain. No fever at all, it happened too fast. I smile when I hear some of you wouldn't take this shot "especially on a 175 inch whitetail". I deer hunt a lot, in good areas, and have only seen two others like it. As hunters we make split second decisions based on opportunity and capabilities, I made mine and it didn't have the reward I would have liked -- to do it all over again, I would have shot the 10 pointer. Good news is I saw him again. Bad news is it is on another farm I can't hunt. I can't tell you how hard I've worked for this one opportunity. I shoot 500 arrows a week, target and 3d, shoot staff for Mathews, and use deer pee in my chili...ok not that. After the shot I backed out and came back 6 hours later, very hard thing to do. I'm sure every person on here has an oppinion -- that's why were all here. All I can say is practice, do what you think is right, and do your best to recover your game. The rest is fate. Good luck.

HuntingBry

Radar, I commend you for your perfectly said reply to a potentially explosive situation. I love it when guys come on here and say, "well I would have done this..." when they are sitting in front of their PC. I myself have been guilty of this. Bottom line, unless we are sitting in the stand and the situation is happening to us we can't honestly say what we would do. One guy may not take the shot you took because he isn't confident in his ability to make it successfully. Obviously you are and thought you were going to harvest a fine animal with that shot or you wouldn't have taken it. I truly hope you get another crack at him and the next time goes better for you and, again, kudos on handling it so well.

Straightarrow

Cyclone,

Yes, I understood that the buck was right under him. That's still 20 feet away, even though you will have to use the pin you would normally use on a 2 yard shot. If you practice these dead on shots all the time, as I do, it is not that difficult. Certainly not low percentage if you can hit what you're aiming at, when that close. I personally wouldn't aim for the spine, but that shot is still deadly most of the time.

Radar, I'm not going to judge your shot. It's up to each hunter to judge the situation they find themselves in. I probably don't have to mention this, but next time you may want to aim to miss the spine. I hope you get another shot at him.

Shortdraw

I'm not about to find fault with you shooting. I too laugh sometimes at all the people who say I wouldn't take that shot. At point blank ranges(less than 20) I take the first good shot that presents itself. I've done it for 32 years and it hasn't let me down. Your reply was excellent. I'd take the shot in a heart beat.... BUT... between the shoulder blades is to far forward. From above the center of the vitals is behind the shoulders plus the bone is not as heavy there. Just something you might want to think about before the next straight down shot happens. Like I say, I'm a pro shooter staff member for myself.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Barile

Radar
Good response. With a buck of that size so close I would find it very difficult to pass up the shot. Hopefully I would though. I look at it as Risk vs. Reward. I am an excellent shot and tracker but I feel that there is too much room for error in a straight down shot. If I don't get the perfect shot I will probably not kill the deer but also never see him again if he lives. I would rather wait for the opportunity for a better shot. It is easy to say this sitting at my desk, I just hope I could practice what I preach if a 175&quot; buck ever presented itself.

Glad to hear he is still alive.