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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.