Heart or lungs?
 

In reading posts on tracking deer and Scrider1' s post on worrying that it' s brutal, an interesting question came to mind - heart or lungs? I' ve recovered many deer shot with a bow - most double lung, a single lung, back shot, gut shot, you name it, but never a heart shot. I shot a buck with my rifle in the heart because I was aiming there. But it dawned on me that I' ve never hit a deer with an arrow in the heart because I' ve never aimed at the heart. I' ve always tried to take out both lungs. Why? Because I' m afraid of missing the heart and only taking out one lung or worse because the heart is so low, especially shooting at it from an elevated position. Is it possible to take both lungs with a heart shot? (Obvisously it doesn' t matter at that point if you hit the heart, I' m just afraid of not getting both lungs if I did miss the heart.) Do you guys aim at the heart or the lungs? Which makes a better shot? (Keep in mind I' m talking about stand hunting since I don' t hunt the ground during bow.) Thanks guys.

RE: Heart or lungs?
 

I believe that most of my shots are aimed at the top of the hear/bottom of the lung area though most of my hits are within the lungs themselves.

RE: Heart or lungs?
 

I' m certainly not the most experienced hunter on the board but I am definately a lung shooter. My reasoning for this is the lungs are a much better target and thus a higher % shot. I' m confident that I can hit heart if I shoot heart but why chance it?

RE: Heart or lungs?
 

Lungs............the first deer I killed I shot through the heart.........I was just aiming tight and low behind the shoulder, I think the deer had that leg forward. Got nothing but heart.............it was beutiful.

The buck just stood there for a couple of seconds.......then his kness buckled....he ran two or three tight circles trying to keep his balance.

Once he did, he headed off........ran about 50 or 60 yards and laid down.......he was done when he hit the ground.

With all of them could be like that..........

Lungs leave more room for error........

RE: Heart or lungs?
 

Hunting from treestands has taught me to aim high at the lungs for a low lung exit, works like a charm. Deer never run more than 40 to 80 yards. I never aim at the heart, its just too low for the height I hunt from.

RE: Heart or lungs?
 

I go for the lungs. They offer the biggest target area. :)

RE: Heart or lungs?
 

Lungs all the way. It might be different on the ground, but from a tree I consider the lungs the best shot to take by far. If you aim low enough to hit the heart from a tree, a fairly small miss could result in a poor shot. Being a few inches low when aiming at the upper 1/3 of the lungs(depends on stand height and distance) won' t be nearly such a problem.

peashooter

RE: Heart or lungs?
 

A deer can run WFO for quite a while with a hole in it' s heart. Double lung and he is toast. Any yes, a much bigger target.

RE: Heart or lungs?
 

What about a neck shot? I got my 6 a couple weeks ago in the mid-neck and he didn' t make it 5 yards after the hit. I have made neck shots with my bow in the past with very good results and have never lost one to it. My thoughts are that if, for some reason (profile shot)...
I hit high = spine shot
I hit middle = jugular
I hit low = windpipe

He' s done either way with little margin for error. I try for the double lung when available, however.

RE: Heart or lungs?
 

I totally disagree with a neck shot, and I' m sure others will follow!!!!!


Double lung...bigger target




NEVER EVER A NECK SHOT