My arrows are really loud. ( I can hear them whizzing through the air) This year I got two with a bow and both were spine shots. I'm hoping to fix this next year by getting a new setup.

Made three spine shots. All from poor shot and distance judgement. Haven't done it in some years now. I disagree with 02bhntn on there is nothing wrong with this shot. It is not a quick ethical kill. The shots that passed through the spine and then into the pump station are tough to accomplish.

Never intentionally did it but it's happened a few times. Never shot truly straight down although I did shoot a decent buck around 10 years ago about 2 yards out from a low treestand (on purpose) and managed to hit both lungs and nicked the spine enough to drop him right there.

It's happened to me twice. Once on a buck when my bottom limb hit a branch and once on a doe when she tried to jump the string. I wouldn't try to aim for the spine. Just too many variables that can go wrong.

I've spine shot several deer, none have been of the shooting straight down version. It's not pretty and I try to avoid it. It's been a while since the last time I've done so.

once, my first buck, didn't mean to but it was a good thing i did. being young, i kept shooting till i was out of arrows and had to pick up arrows i had shot for the finishing shot

A couple of times by accident. The first on a spike, my first deer. That shot was from the side. Then the second many years later on a seven pointer, and that shot was nearly straight down.
On the seven pointer the two blade magnus penetrated the backbone and the spinal canal. The head was parallel to the spinal cord with its tip wedged into the backbone beneath the spinal cord. The deer survived. Eleven days later, two farms over I kicked him out of some corn strips and took him with the shotgun. I couldn't believe the broadhead was wedged so tightly and never broke his back. Since the single blade was parallel to the spinal cord and just off to the side the buck was completely mobile.
Dan

Several. A couple near vertical jobs in my early years. The later day variety where a result of improper distance and deer dropping a little at the shot. We ALL know I couldn't have just made a bad shot now and then.

Out of the 100+ goats I've taken, probably ten or more were spine shot. I admit, it can be nerve racking because they screem and even try to scramble away if they still have their front arms. I never waste another arrow, I just go over and knife them once in the chest. Kills them just as fast as another arrow.

The first time, it was a horrible experience. I felt really bad but once I started cleening it and had meat in the bag, I felt much better.

I've never done it, but have done a lot of gut clinching myself.