Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

Will you take a straight downward shot? Just looking for opinions. I know a lot of ppl who would and probably equal amount who wouldn't.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

I've been practicing a shot with my target from 2 to 3 yards from my tree and 20 ft. up. Man.........thats not an easy shot. I can do it fine but gees do you have to contort your body! I've been practicing it alot, I know I can execute it, but I highly doubt I would ever use it! I strongly feel I'd be better off letting the deer go past and shoot further out at 15 to 25 with a better angle!

Good Luck!

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

Aim straight, hit spine, DOWN. Short tracking. Nice shot!

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

I seldom have a treestand set up where a deer should walk directly beneath me.......I do practice like Vaughn said at about 2-3 yards away and know exactly where to aim and how to do it, but it is a shot you must practice. Anything steeper than that and you are really flirting with 2 halves of a deer and it would be real easy to shoot straight down one lung.
Even a 2-3 yard shot NEEDS to be practiced because it is VERY different from a normal treestand shot, and can't even be compared to standing on level ground unless your trying to shoot your toe off.;)

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

At this point in time - absolutely not. It isn't a shot I practiced over the summer because none of my stands are set up in trees with those shots possible. I had to cut through this rose bushes in order to get to most of the trees I wanted to hang my stands in. Next summer I may practice the shot, but right now I wouldn't feel comfortable taking one.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

Well said.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

I wouldn't feel comfortable taking that shot. I'd wait for a better opportunity.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

I have and it's worked.... but I don't like it. If it's straight down all you have to do is wait until it walks away a bit. I had a really nice doe the other day with her nose stuck to the tree I was in. She smelled where I rummaged around on the ground and handled the tree putting on my stand. She did look up twice but figured I was nothing. She finally walked off. Next time I think I'll shoot her. Been a while since I stuck anything.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

no sense in risking it...just wait a few minutes until it walks a few yards out.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

Did this last year, only shot I had. She walked right at me. I waited for her to angle away but she came right underneath me so I tried to spine her. Just missed, but if you want to see the damage, look here : not for the meek (but that's not us now, is it).

http://www.spacestar.net/users/trashman/rockethead.htm

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

NO

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

I think I see at least three or four "lost a deer" threads generated from this shot on about every board I visit.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

NO, I wait until it gets 4-5 yds out. That's where I start my practice at.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

Easy answer - nope!!!! The only thing you could hope for is a lung/heart combo, and getting to the heart from that angle is very, very tough.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

NOPE!
I don't think its a very good shot. If you don't hit the spine, there is a alot of meat and bone to go through. Even if you hit a lung(it would be hard to get both) you better hope your arrow go's all the way through. No blood trail without a hole in the bottom. I just wait until they walk past then shoot at about 10 yrds.
;);)

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

I have but i also don`t like it. I have taken four or five deer doing just that. It is a shot that unless you have practiced it your better off not trying it! I practice that shot a good bit. And it`s not easy!![>:] But it can be done! My advise is only take a shot that your comfortable and confident making.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

NO why wound when you can wait and KILL

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

Practiced it and yup I would.;)

I'd rather wait though.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

That's not a shot I'd take. If the deer got right under me he'd have to get out of there sometime and a shot should materialize, if not that's hunting. You win some and loose some.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

Couldn't put it better myself.

I would also add to the people feeling confident about the shoot, you can practice all you want and be confident that you can make the shot, but remember that hunting and shooting at a live animal includes things that are beyond your control umnlike shooting at a stationary object. Trust me, if you continue to take this shot, you wil get burned sooner or later. Also, be aware that there are hunters out there who are very experienced, and who are incredibly good shoots, who will not take the shot, even if they they are sure they can make it on a stationary target.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

I have killed them this way in the past, you may only get one lung, but let them go long enough and I guarantee you will have a great blood trail. I just let them go for 2-3 hours before going to find them if they don't crash in sight. The last time I did this, I only got one lung on a big doe, and she only ran 30 yards before piling up. I would not recommend doing this though unless you have practiced it a lot.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

Wow, Rick, you would purposely take a shot at one lung. I'm speechless. It might be more ethical to shoot at the liver. Not that I would take either.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

What do you do when the arrow sticks in the sternum or ribs and doesn't pass through. I would not believe there would be much of a blood trail.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

To be completely honest every one that I shot like this was in reality 4-5 yards from the base of my stand, and came in from behind me. When they got to 4-5 yards in front of my stand, they were slightly quartering away. I have killed 3 deer like this, 2 of which I managed to take out one lung and the heart, and one of which I only got one lung. All 3 deer were killed humanely and none ran more than 75 yards max, the single lung was amazingly enough the one that dropped the quickest. Every single one was a complete pass through as well, and I don't exactly shoot the fastest bow out there. I shoot a 425 grain arrow at around 240fps with mechanicals. I have only had one deer that I didn't have a pass through on, and that was a 40 yard shot that hit a shoulder blade. I don't shoot 40 yards anymore at deer for that reason.

With that said, I do not think I would take a shot that was literally at the base of my stand, it would have to be a few yards out.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

I have done it three times, and twice the exit hole was plugged by gravity forcing innards downward and into the exit hole. One went about 80 yards and the others were down pretty quickly, one in its tracks.

I am NOT a fan of this shot. These shots were many years ago, and not I'll wait for the deer to get away from me.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

I just can't see a good enough reason why I would want to take this shot.
Any possible outcome of that deer leaving is going to produce a much better shot

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

I have noticed that many here have replied confidently that a better shot will develope. I'm just wondering what types of setups you are using. I would have to assume that they are in the open. I just can't imagine myself, with the types of setups that I use that I would have complete confidence in that.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

Thought about it some more...

Lets say, just for the sake of argument...

I am hunting with a thick thick thickett behind and around me and a hedgerow in the front. I'm in the only tree in the area, which happens to be a giant white oak dropping mad acorns and the Illinois Record Buck has just walked in undetected and is eating acorns directly below me. If he walks 10 feet in any direction then there is absolutely no shot but he is calm and presents a "good" straight down shot now.

Assuming I have practiced this shot before (which I haven't) and my heart is still beating inside my chest instead of hanging out my throat, then Yes - I would probably take the shot.

:D:D:D
Then yall could ridicule me all the way to the bank ;)

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

let me ask a question? 1st let me say i wouldn't take this shot as I haven't practiced it.

But really your best shot from this angle, is at the spine correct? A target of approximately 1.5" diameter give or take.

AT this point wouldn't a head shot be more prudent? Hit or miss it's over without wounding. NOW I AM NOT ADVOCATING THIS TYPE OF SHOT, just theoretically asking.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

I would rather not take a shot directly underneath me. I hunt mostly 20-30ft high and I prefer to wait till they walk 10yds or so away from the base of my tree or let it walk. I no longer take shots that I know might end up in a long track or lost deer. The older I get it seems the more I respect my prey.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

Well, you could definitely miss and wound with this shot, especially if you are shooting through antlers, but you make a good point.

Nobody commented on it, but if you are going to take this iffy shot, why not shoot at the largest organ in the body - liver. Hit it in the liver and it is going to die, right?

IMO, only double lungs should be shot at though. Nothing else.

RE: Will you take a straight downward shot?
 

NO. I wouldn't attempt this shot with an arrow. However, sounds like the setup for a spear though.
:D:D