Where do I shoot the thing?
 

I am starting to question whether I am shooting at the right spot on a deer. The last two bucks I've shot with my bow I've lost. and the sad part is that I thought i hit them good. I let them go several hours before looking but the the blood trail just stopped.

I always aim behind the shoulder right in the middle of the deer but maybe I'm too high or low. Is the heart right in the middle (vertically speaking) of the deer or is it a little lower than center? Also, is the heart right behind the shoulder at broadside (legsat 90 degrees tothe body)or is part of it between the shoulders at this angle? Is there a good diagram or video tutorial on the spot to shoot a deer?

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

Welcome to the forums.

This anatomy pic might help you out. I usually try to "double lung" the deer. You have a better margin of error with this shot.

****Disregard the green dot.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

Dont aim for the heart. Aim foor the lungs. It is a bigger target so you have a little room for error. It will kill a deer just as dead as a heart shot.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

the heart on a deer is lower in the body. Lungs right in the middle behind the shoulder. heart is usually behind the thin bone of the shoulder blade but if the leg is forward the heart is in full view. If you hit a deer in the middle of the body right behind the shoulder they will die. Sometimes you hit higher than actually thought. Or mabey you went in a little low and hit a rib and deflected and missed the vitals.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

STOP SHOOTING DEER! Man,if you gotta ask,Then you are not ready to be in the woods.And sure as hell are not ready to find an arrow shot deer.It sounds like you have the basics,and can shoot pretty well,but you need a mentor.Someone who can show you how the fine print reads on the ground when the blood stops.Have him check out your arrows,your warheads,and your bow.Then your shooting. Then take him hunting with you till you down about a dozen.Just my advice.take it or leave it.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

Some good reading would be the Recovery thread at the top of the 1st page. It may help you out after the shot.

I usually aim a little lower than mid body. Because a deers first reaction is to drop. If it doesn't you hit the heart or bottom of the lungs. If it does you are still in the lungs anyway.

Good luck and HOPEFULLY you find a cure for the problem.


Whooooooops the recovery thread isn't there anymore. You can probably find it with a search.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

I also prefer to aim at the lower third of the bow where the lungs are... A lot of times, a deer will drop at the sound of the shot to coil its legs in preparation for running away. If you aim low, you'll still solidly catch the lungs. If he doesn't drop, you still catch the bottom of the lungs and/or the heart.

Another tip is to bring your sight picture into view from the bottom of the deer, as opposed to the top. A lot of newer archers get jumpy and as soon as brown enters the sight picture, they squeeze off a shot -- resulting in a miss if the deer drops or a high hit, which is not good for a variety of reasons.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

You are probably hitting too far forward and hitting the shoulder blade. Also from a tree stand you can be hitting kind of high when it looks like you hit the middle.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

Very good advice! I completely agree. I did that exact thing the first deer I shot at with my bow many years ago. I'll certainly pass that tip on to new archers that I know.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

I do have a tendency to shoot to quick although I've been bow hunting for a while. I'm just starting to second guess things alot after not harvesting the last two.

According to the diagram above, If you hit anywere under the backbone to about 2/3 down then you are going to hit lungs. So you really can't shoot high if you are under the backbone, right?

Also, is it correct to say that the heart is totally masked by the shoulder if the deers legs are perpendicular to it's body?

Both of these deer were shot out of a treestand. One was 5 yards from the base of my tree and the other was about ten. both were quartered away. Is it possible to get a double lung at these close distances or should you go for a heart. That is where my confusion is. Where do you shoot it from the tree stand. I try to guestimate at the angle that will take it through the heart but I fear I'm only getting one lung.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

Really good diagram ducsauce. thanks!

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

Heres where you need to be shooting I have circled the heart in black and outlined the lungs in green, this is the kill zone. Why are you aiming so far forward and high??? Are you bending at the waist when you shoot. Are you shooting from an elevated treestand. If you are. Aim lower than where you want to hit. Also another thing to keep in mind, if youre going to hunt from an elevated stand, practice from an elevated stand at the same height. Theres no excuse for a lost/wounded deer. Practice, Practice, Practice....is the key to success.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

High hits from a steep angle, such as one from a treestand, can result in only catching one lung. Deer can travel several hundred yards on a one-lung hit, and some claim that deer can even survive these hits.

Another big problem is with a high hit (provided both entry and exit holes are high) is there is no "drain plug" as I like to call it -- instead of getting a great blood trail, the body cavity just fills up as the deer's adrenaline carries it the first 100-200 yards (again, assuming a high hit). Low hits often result in a deer incapable of going past 75, especially if you get both lungs.

Also, stay off the shoulder blade. Both deer I have lost in my career have been due to direct shoulder-blade shots. I trailed both after giving them at least eight hours, and oftentimes ended up on hands and knees trying to discern the path. I found both of those deer alive and well because I didn't penetrate into the body cavity. Six inches back and both of those deer would have been dead within sight.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

If I am in a treestand, usually 20' or higher I aim just behind the "Elbow". Get a 3 D deer target and shoot at it out of your stand until you get comfortable with a consistent aim point. Also make sure you have shot your broadheads at a target and sighted them in. Don't assume they will fly just like you field point.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

Theres a saying around here, "aim for the exit hole."

From an elevated stand, this may mean for you to aim higher than you would normally think in order to achieve a lethal hit.

Good luck!

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

I hope ducksauce is talking about huntingLOL. It almost sounded like a pickup line in a prision movie!!!LOLLOLLOL!!!

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

A shot that close to your tree is a very tough one and offers nearly zero chance of getting both lungs from that angle. I understand it's not always possible, but try to let them get 15 or so yards out and offer you a better shot at both lungs.


One was 5 yards from the base of my tree and the other was about ten. both were quartered away. Is it possible to get a double lung at these close distances or should you go for a heart. That is where my confusion is. Where do you shoot it from the tree stand. I try to guestimate at the angle that will take it through the heart but I fear I'm only getting one lung.
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RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

Ya know, I've never interpreted that saying like thatbefore. Your'e right though.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

Aim right here (this shot was from 25 yds from an elevated treestand of about 20'):

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

Always remember... if you miss low then it will either kill the deer fast or you will miss completely, if you miss high then you have a wounded deer.That means error on the low side.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

Or shoot it right here.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

If the deer are in tighter I aim up a little higher. If you aim heart shot low on a deer 5 yds away, you can very well put it right down the side of his ribcage but never entering it.
At 10 yds, unless you are crazy high in the tree you can certainly get double lung. A 5 yds shot should get heart and one lung if you aim right.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

I prefer this diagram for the simple fact that everything is labled. I like knowing the names of what I hit/may hit.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

That's just about where I like to aim...maybe slightly lower but anything in that area is a double lung. Great shot and even GREATER deer!

Congrats!!

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

What's up go herd? nice deer. I graduated from marshall in 98 (hence mufan). I used to do a lot of hunting in beech fork state park when up there but never seen anything like that.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

Depends on the deers state. If he's extremely edgy and nervous I have aimed at the hair line of the belly and struck them dead center. If they're relaxed I always aim for a hair probably 1/3 of the way up the body. Longer shots(30 and beyond)at relaxed deer I aim center of mass. Gives me a little more hedge for distance misjudgement. I've found deer beyond 30 seldom drop. If they hear something they don't realize it as danger and more often than not just look when the bow goes off. Below 30 I really try to feel the deers nervousness state. Slam dunks, I aim for what I want to hit but it's usually below center line. A lot depends on the angle.

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

Hows it going mufan. I gruaduated from MU in 01. I too used to hunt Beech Fork alot until I moved to IL. I grew up in H'town andjust moved to IL in 03. The reason why you never seen adeer like that at beech fork is because that is a IL deer.I didn't see a deer like that my whole 24 years that I lived in WV. My brother in law (22 series on HNI) from WV killed it while visiting me, week before last. I also killed the deer in my avatar while he was visiting. Where do you hunt now?

RE: Where do I shoot the thing?
 

I'm actually just moved from nitro (originally from sissonville) to charlottesville Va. No work back home. I have a lifetime license in WV so I hunted in Sissonville this year and got a fairly nice buck with a gun. I just became eligible for a license up here and have been out to some public hunting grounds but haven't hunted real hard, just kinda been scouting it out.

Me and my room mate used to bring squirrels from beech fork into Twin towers and clean them in the laundry room! Real crowd pleaser:D

I just saw Mathew Mcconahewon monday night football talking about the We are Marshall movie. I just hope itdoesn't suck, at least not as bad as our football team has.