????? No way I'd use that either. The pythagorean theorem is how to figure it out. It ends up being negligible because most guys are 5 to 6 YARDS up in the tree and shooting at deer 20 or 25 YARDS away (remember to use the same units!).

For example if you are18 feet up in the airand the deer is 75 feet (25 yds) away from the base of your tree, the actual distance is 25.7 yards instead of 25. That's nothing. That's why pendulum sights are a bunch of BS in my opnion.

The number 1 reason people miss high from a treestand is dropping their bow arm. They don't bend at the waist, like Rob mentioned. They drop their bow arm to lower the bow to put the pin on target. Stay level, and bend at the waist. You'll be right in every time.

By the way, the formula is below: (remember to use consistent units - yards OR feet but not both)

I dont believe Im droppingorpeeking once I release. Could be I guess. I know when Im on the ground everything seems fine. I do practice from a stand as well. thats for sayingwhat a fewoldtimers told me hehehehehe

bowtech-1, the pythagorean theory does work, its just a pain to remember and calculate while your staring at a nice buck. If you set your stand at 25' high and if you know the distance to the animal from the base of the tree is 20 yds then you would aim as if the animal is 15 yds away. Likeeveryone said, just practice. Although, it does matter in rifle or muzzleloading when taking steep uphill or downhill shots at long distances.

What? Absolutely NOT....if the deer is 20 yards away, you shoot the deer for 20 yards using proper form....

Yes if you shoot for 15 you will hit the deer lower than if you shoot it for 20 but I aim for a hair....in a 3D tourney, you would be low ten, missing the 12 if not an 8...don't add or subtract any distance...shoot for the horizontal distance.

Rob is absolutely correct........with proper form shoot the horizontal distance to the target everytime.

I shoot about a million shots in 3D competition with hard uphills and downhills all the time. ALWAYS calculate the horizontal distance.

When you are in a treestand and using a laser rangefinder don't click the base of the tree you want to distance.........laser the trunk at eye level.

In reality unless you are extremely high and combined with a downhill shot from an elevated position the difference in yardage is minimal, a yard or 2 at most. Form is much more important than distance relative to angles for most hunting shots.
Also don't blank out when you are aiming. Think top of the heart on exit regardless of shot angle or steepness. This gives you the widest margin for error, will account slightly for those "Mysterious High shots" and will give you some built in cushion if the deer drops at the shot.

Rob you are right, you probably would be better off just shooting at the deer as if itwere 20 yds away and using proper form no doubt you would kill that deer. I was just saying the theory does work if applied. I used a calculator to figure the distance.


http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/3740/calculator.html

You beat me to it!