Find a way to illistrate the angle concept, how it relates to arrow flight time and what he has to be hitting to put the animal on the ground. If you understand trig. it works out to something like this....

A 20 yard shot requires the arrow to fly:

23 yards when shooting from a 35 foot platform.
21 yards from at 20 feet high
25 yards from 40 feet

If he should try a 30 yard shot at 40 feet the arrow would have to fly about 33 yards to get there. Even I might have a chance to move out of the way of a shot from your buddy at that range. A deer can move in any direction it wants to in an instant!

I hunt from 10 feet in my primary stand. Seldom get busted and have taken 2 nice bucks from that location thus far. Have to move slower and watch all of the eyes around but when the arrow leaves my bow its a fairly flat shot that passes both sides below the shoulder. This year I had a double blood trail for 8-10 feet a few yards from the shot. He died 25-30 yards there after.

Hope the idea helps

Chris

HAD TO EDIT MY FIGURES FOLKS, SORRY ABOUT THE ERRORS. IT HAS BEEN A WHILE AND I GOOFED.


Edited by - scow on 12/05/2002 21:31:01

Edited by - scow on 12/05/2002 21:32:54

Edited by - scow on 12/06/2002 18:41:05

If he hasn't recovered a deer, then he can't tell for sure where he hit it. SO, I would call BS on good hits. And that is way high, and if the deer are close, he is shooting down pretty steep. Seems he would see more spine shots if they are close. At 30' up, the deer would have to be 30' out to get a 45 degree angle on the deer (roughly).

--Jim

Jake, here's what i would do. Since your friend is thick headed, let him see things for himself. Put a 3-D target at the positions he said he has shot these deer. Have him get in his stand and take some shots, chances are he will figure out he's making lethal shots and will adjust his tactics.....I hope. If not Im with Nub, in the campfire she goes!

One word, "Vertigo".

Seriously, I believe his perception of "good hits" may have been biased towards what he was hoping for in the heat of the moment. Height may be part of his problem, but it's not the only one. One lung hits also shouldn't be a real problem; not all 5 times anyway. Assuming he is a proficient archer taking reasonable shots, I'd bet his real trouble lies in him being unable to keep his wits about him under the excitement...believing that he's executing a good shot when he is not aiming or following through properly. Unfortunately that trouble is most difficult to overcome.

[Deleted by Admins]