I hear ya straight, my thoughts exactly.

I have had 3 elk under 5 yards completely duck arrows placed 2 inches up from the brisket. I prefer a 35 yard shot at an unsuspecting animal than a 5 yard shot at an animal that knows something is up. One was a small rag bull that had a tree covering all vitals except the lower 4 inches of brisket. The arrow went under the tree branches and burried in the ground - and also over his back. I was amazed. When in close now on elk and they are weary or lookin like something is "up". I aim a full foot beneath the animal - If I miss - it is clean. I took one right thru the heart this way. Clean and quick - euthanization with a sharp broadhead is the way to go.

This theory makes sense to me to a point, but I still would much rather take a 15yd shot at any deer rather than 30 or 35...this is why...the "newage" bows with carbon arrows are far much faster today and at 15yds and 270fps, I think that arrow will be traveling faster than a deer can possibly react at 15yds. The first deer I shot this past season at 20 yds. actually tried to jump the arrow, but by the time it did, the arrow had already passed through....thats the difference between my new set-up compared to my last bow and arrows.

"Enjoy and respect the great outdoors;
Teach our kids the same, someday they'll thank us for it!"

I disagree with that fisher but then again I posted as to why already! Just how fast can they react is a tough call but it is FAST! Not to mention the speed of sound vs your arra on a riled up cagey whitetail!

i don't know how well a deer can hear. but i do know that my bow shoots 294 fps and i had a doe jump the string at 40 yards while she was feeding.

How does anyone possibly know if a deer that they have shot at and missed was due to the deer "jumping the string?" That is impossible unless you are video taping your shot or doing something much worse and that would be concentrating on your arrow instead of your target. I've shot dozens of whitetails and as far as I can tell, none have "jumped the string". I've seen the videos and I've seen Hunting October Whitetails and do believe that deer do duck or "jump the string" but I don't see how one can be certain that the deer they missed "jumped the string".

Wolfen,

I'd have to say my experience is similar to yours. Half the time, I don't even know if I hit the deer, much less exactly where the arrow was when the deer dropped to run. Maybe some people have eyes like an eagle and can see precisely where the arrow is when the deer drops. I can't.

Bullelkklr,

Elk dropping 20+ inches on a couple yard shot? Your bow must be shooting about 25 fps. Time to upgrade your bow!

3 5 1/2" shields all yellow, yellow nock, and a yellow cap...you would be suprised how fast you pick it up, be it in your peripheral or actually when it hits! Heck you are shooting at a spot, you would think with those big bright yeller feathers you would see them if you keep concentrating on that spot like you are supposed to even on a pass through! I didnt see it on the buck last year but at 7 steps things happened faster then I can remember. The doe at 30 yards was obvious!

While a quiet bow may help, deer can still react to the sound before most arrows can get to them. However, we're talking about alert,suspicious deer. I've never seen a relaxed deer "jump the string" when I shot. One's that suspect something are famous for it. In this case, you should aim for the bottom of the kill zone (if at all) so that if the deer drops, your arrow likely will still be in the kill zone. It's worked several times for me.

arrow speed is a great factor.