buckhunter1980

I don't know if any of you think as I do, but when shooting a deer (or any other big game animal) I like to alway's shoot for the lungs rather than the heart. Shooting at the lungs give's me a bigger target, than trying to shoot at the heart. I will alway's take a lung shot rather than the heart shot. Just because there isless of a chance of shooting the Shoulder with a lung shot.

When I was 16, I tried the perfect heart shot and when I released the arrow, the buck happened to take a step forward and I got him square in the shoulder blade. The Buck (which was a really nice 10 pointer) fell over right in his tracks, then got back up and ran off never to be seen again that year. The next year I saw the same buck and he seemed to be pretty healthy, other than a slight limp and a scar. I just wanted to get everybody's opionion on this. After that experience, I have not tried to take another heart shot. What is everybody's opionion??

MichaelHunsucker

In my opinion i think aiming for a lung shot is a much better decision for the exact reasons you stated above. If you are going to aim for the heart a little mistake can cost you the deer. Although some of the fast shooting bows will shoot right through the shoulder i think i would rather be safe then sorry and put it right behind the shoulder.

Rob/PA Bowyer

I don't believe one is more ethical than the other because ethics itself is hard to explain and means different things to different people.

There is no doubt that collapsing the lungs or slicing bleeding the heart results in a quick kill. Each deer is different to the quickness of this effect. I'd like to think that they are equally ethical for a quick kill.

As for aiming, yes the lungs are larger. I aim for the top of the heart. If you make a perfect shot and the deer doesn't move quick enough you'll take out the heart and the lungs. If you go slighly low, it's a heart, if your slightly high, it's still lungs, higher yet is a spine or flesh wound or miss. As long as your left/rights are on, the top of the heart is a good target.

gzg38b

I agree with you guys. The lungs are are a bigger target . I always aim for the center of the lungs to give myself the most margin for error. If you aim for the center of the lungs and miss a little high you still get lungs. If you miss a little low, you get the heart. A little too far back and you'll get the liver. I think intentionally aiming for the heart is asking for a miss eventually.

Greg / MO

This time it was Rob who saved me some typing...

furgitter

Although a heart shot in the snow is a beautiful sight,i like to eat it when i get home,so i personaly dont try for it.If he is that close,he gets one behind the eye.Otherwise a lunger is the only way to go.Almost instant blood,and dead within 75 yds in most cases.

Greg / MO

I hope that was written in jest...

buckhunter1980

You guy's think the same as I do. I like the lung shot just because it is a very large target and somtime's the deer run a little further but I have less of a chance of wounding a deer that I can not recover and eat. Eating the deer is my favorite part of the hunt.

Sliverflicker

I'm with Rob and Greg on this one, I don't know why it was ever called jumping the string, Because it should have been called, droping on the shot. Deer must drop befor lungeing forward, I aim at top of the heart for this reason, If the deer Jumps the string (drops) you still get Lungs. Either way Dead deer! I don't think one is more ethical than the other, only more Practical!! Buckhunter Fess up Man, Bad shot, if the deer takes a step forward, you hit behind the heart, no metter which way he's going.

furgitter

Heck no,Ive headshot deer so close under my tree that i one handed a 20 ga. and burnt the hair on his head.Im not a gambler,but ill take a sure bet.