I shoot for the vitals no matter if I am using my bow, muzzleloader, or rifle.

I guess everyone just assumes we are talking about deer, or I might have just skimmed over and not seen that part. While I agree that a shoulder shot is not the best way to go on deer, a look at hog anatomy will tell a different story. Shoot a hog very much behind the shoulder, and unless he is quartering away your odds of recovering him have drastically decreased.

Quote from previous reply:


When an animal has (BOTH) of their front shoulders broken, they are not going to go far. This is a method that is used to stop grizzly bears. It offers ultimate stopping power on dangerous game, and so the same any animal (including deer)


This is true about hogs, but the original question from davoh was regarding deer.

quote from davoh:

Anyone shoot their deer in the shoulder with an arrow?

Guess I just have hogs on the brain right now.

The deer discussion may now resume.

shoot for the lungs.stay away from the shoulder period with a bow and arrow.......unless shooting with a firearm.if im shooting at a trophy buck a will hold a little on the shoulder so he doesnt go as far.if im doe hunting with a gun i will shoot behind the shoulder so you dont mess as much meat up.

I always try to get right behind the shoulder because my dad always told me that a shoulder shot will prevent a pass through and keep frombleeding the deer out. But, I have taken shots at elk That have gone through the shoulder and it was no harder to find the elk than the deers I have droped. Though I did hear the shoulder break, it sounded like a tree branch breaking

.My personal experience is a double lung hit with a bow puts a deer down within sight, or ear shot if your hunting in thick brush, and if you hit the heart its even quicker. Guns kill by blunt force, broadheads kill by mass hemorraging.

Well, I am going to go against the grain somewhat here.

IMO if we are strictly talking about deer it depends on exactly what you are shooting.

Certain set up I wojuld most definetly stay away from the shoulder and leg bone. Such as my sons set up. He is only drawing 45 pounds with a 25" draw and shooting a relatively light arrow. Rib cage and broadside or quarting away only with him.

Other set ups I would have absolutely no problem shooting down through the shoulder or leg bone if I needed to. I personally shoot a 500 grain arrow and generate 80+ foot pounds of KE. With this set up I have no problem at all getting through the vitals after going through the shoulder blade or leg bone, or even through both legs, of a deer.

Seems like every hunting video has at least one bow hunt in it where the hunters arrow hits the shoulder with lots of arrow sticking out. They always seem to recover them and some look to die in sight. I often wonder how when it looks like six inches of penetration with most of that being in the shoulder.........dabow

I would have to see the shoulder blade with the hole thru it to believe it. If you study deer anatomy you will see why the shoulder blade isn't where you want to put an arrow. Not a high percentage shot with a bow.