So since I can't stay out of trouble and I've never really heard good discussion on this all too common shot:
Scenario: A giant buck comes walking straight towards you. You have your bow ready and are 12 to 15 feet off the ground. He is going to pass directly underneath of your stand and presumably keep going.
Do you:
A: shoot him right before he gets to your tree
B: shoot him directly underneath your tree
C: wait for him to walk to underneath and take a straight down shot walking away
D: pass on the shot and hope for a better quartering away shot
I would like to keep this discussion as respectful as possible. But I seriously would like to know your opinion on this shot. In my opinion it is a low percentage shot. A very small target area and a very awkward position. However I have taken the shot several times and had good success so far.
D,d, and d
I tried it once on a monster, mostly strait down.
All I did was shave hair and won't try it again.
The issue in my mind is not whether I can make the shot, I can and shoot it successfully at targets, it's whether it's ethical. Unless you get lucky you will likely not have an exit and therefore no blood trail. I've been on several tracking jobs where this exact scenario was the reason for a lost animal. Personally,I'd pass and hope for a better opportunity.
I would probably take a straight down shot walking away. If I had enough time to get ready.A spine shot would drop hom or if the spine was missed should hi heart lung area.
Anything but D is probably the last time you will ever see that "giant" buck.
Agree D is the best answer for many reasons.
I have killed one deer almost straight down. Hit the spine.
Have been on many hard trails with straight down shot where the broadhead did not make it through bottom. Result is practically no blood trail.
I will say the 3 shots I've taken like this 2 were slightly off to one side and both of them got two holes but left sparse bloodtrails. The 3rd was last years buck and I hit the vertebral artery so obviously no issues
D
D for me. Impossible to get both lungs and with all the bone and tough stuff to get thru up high, an exit hole is unlikely, therefore no blood trail.
No.
Found one the neighbors shot straight down but it was three days too late and a tag and the meat were both wasted.
I'll never do it again. If I cant get a shot as he is coming I'll wait for going or pass
I also agree, D is the answer. The lack of a good blood trail is one reason, but an even bigger issue is that you would need to be extremely lucky to catch more than one lung. One lung hits are very often not quickly fatal, if they kill the animal at all. The animal could suffer a long slow death, or may even survive a one lung hit.
If you pass, you might get a better angle as he leaves, but if not, you have a chance to match wits with him on another day.
D. I learned that lesson the hard way several years ago.
I did not but think I should have
I'm with the "D" folks. I shot a doe with that shot a few years ago. She ran about 100 yards and piled up. Arrow was hanging out the belly by the fletching. Not a drop of blood found to where she fell. Was very lucky I made the recovery. Won't take the shot again.
DDDDDDDDDDDDDD.....the antlers shouldn't even factor in here but the best shot in that scenario is breaking the back bone which I would never INTENTIONALLY do, (straight down only leaves one lung on either side of the spine and a heart underneath the spine) having an animal suffer while you ready for another shot isn't for me, accidents are accidents but choosing that shot is unethical in MY book. But this is just my opinion and everyone is entitled to theirs.
Restricted to the ground since 2007.
Had previously hunted from treestands. Have fortunately recovered all six deer on virtual straight down shots. Did stop taking this type of shot 10 years prior.
1.Two spined
2.One single lunged - arrow exited..three hour track recovery...deer traveled 400 yards
3. Two single lunged - no arrow exit...pursued several hours and returned in morning for another 1 to 2 hours before recovery...blood trails seemed nonexistent
4. One single lunged... arrow exit...blood trail was sparse as he had travelled across two farms...after hours of patient pursuit, I requested assistance from two hunting buds, we stumbled upon him.
Knew that most of the recoveries were merely fortunate and that a lost mortally wounded deer was imminent due to a weak shot selection on my part.
Answer 'D' became my only consideration.
D
D from here... Ain't worth it to me.
I have taken a straight down shot in my rookie season. It was an almost instant kill but I was extremely lucky. Now that I know better I will never take a shot like that again.
Well I'm very surprised by the responses. I may be changing my opinion on this shot myself based on my own limited experience and everyone here. It sounds like the consensus is the same as I've experienced, very very poor blood trails and tough tracking eminent.
Keep them coming guys I'd like to hear more experiences
I would like to say that I would go for D, but I won't lie. In the heat of the moment $hit happens. I have killed several straight or almost straight down and had 1 get away that had a deflection. I have auto pilot issues! Next thing I know I'm standing there with an empty bow. My concentration is so great that I literally lock out everything, which is good but bad at the same time.
To be respectful it is a poor decision I too have had this Scenario numerous times
Any somewhat experienced bowhunter passed on this low percentage shot
Pretty basic decision in my opinion
B or C, I have actually had good luck with this shot on deer. Now that age has forced me to shoot lighter weight bows, it might not be a good idea now.
I have taken this shot, it was my second shot on a buck that I already hit 18 yards out. He ran directly under my stand after I sent a arrow through the rib cage. He ran about another 30 yards and collapsed.
As for a first shot scenario, Its a high risk shot on a animal that I respect. So the answer is no, rather wait for a better shot for a several reasons, one, deer will certainly jump, move erratic at the time of the shot changing a lot of factors such as exit holes. When the deer calms down that there's a good chance that the organs, membranes, intestines may be covering the exit hole thus making it difficult to track the animal. Another reason is the higher your up, stepper angle of the shot, the smaller the vitals are to hit. It's just my opinion.
(http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a639/martinhunter1/Shot-placement-when-bowhunting-from-a-treestand_zpsbmlgozlz.jpg) (http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/martinhunter1/media/Shot-placement-when-bowhunting-from-a-treestand_zpsbmlgozlz.jpg.html)
Used to be my favorite shot. Have taken over a dozen with the shot. Seen most go down within sight. I say "used to be" because I am much pickier now. Got to have some angle.
D
I did it once and got lucky. I shot straight down through the off side lung.
Never again.
I've had this happen on two big KS bucks and both were either rattled or grunted in. This first one was 165+. Weak in the knees big for me. I grunted him in from across the pasture. Came on a string and walked directly to me...and under my stand in a cedar up about 9 ft...... I passed...shaking the whole time. Never saw him again. I say I passed...I was pretty buck feverish anyway on that one so passed partly because of shot and partly because he got the better or me.
The second .... several years later in a cedar about 10 ft. I grunted until my tube froze up due to temps and then lightly rattled him across a large field. Again on a string and directly under me and this was an old 12 pt buck we had seen. Happened very fast with little time to think. Because it was several years later...my confidence was higher. I did take the shot just after he passed under stand. Spined him...which was not the intent. Another arrow and he was finished. I wish now I had not taken the shot. Even though it worked out ok...it could have more easily gone the other way. I will pass next time and hope for another opportunity.
Never took this type of shot on a deer. I see this type of shot on goats here in hawaii often, not from a treestand, but standing on top of a cliff above them. I agree. You have to have some angle. a single lung shot will kill a goat but listening to them cry for an hour while they pass is no good for the soul and I avoid it if at all possible. better to wait for a quartering away shot or just pass all together.
d.
Msturm
I took this shot on my first ever deer. Didn't have a clue about arrow placement.No blood trail to speak of and lost what little blood there was about 100 yards. In the area 2 months later bird hunting and found his skeleton with the broadhead still in the spine. A big 8 with matching drops-still have the rack as a reminder not to give up on a trail or put an animal through a long death. So D is the answer for me now even if I hunted from above.
D. I shot a mature doe straight down walking away several years ago. Never again. Several hours later, after crawling hands and knees tracking mostly by tracks and pinhead drops of blood, found her bedded but still alive. Had to make a finishing shot. Did not get an exit hole either and it was tough tracking. Lesson learned, I'll never take that shot again, and I got lucky on the one I did in that I was able to find her.
I have passed on this shot because the angle of the bow feels unnatural and I'm pretty sure I do not have true full draw or proper aiming alignment. Also I didn't think it was fair to the deer.
It sounds to me most people responding to this thread have tried it and found out the hard way. Fortunately we now have forums such as this to teach us.
Then again I'm very picky about shot placement and seldom if ever get deer. I don't want to be one of those guys who takes shots he knows he probably should not have then blame the miss on a deflection or such. We owe it to the game we pursue and to our sport to make good shot decisions otherwise we have people walking around talking about the nad tracking jobs, wounded and lost game and slow deaths. I get that it accidentally happens but I do not believe it's an accident if someone chooses to do something they know isn't right and get a bad result.
I would choose D
I've taken the shot once. It was a small bodied deer. (Patoka Lake, Indiana late 80's). I was trying for a spine shot. Missed the spine, exited through the heart and out the bottom. The doe was down after a profuse blood trail.
I've had very few situations where the deer was directly underneath. Stand placement prevented most of it. I do have a favorite stand where deer walk by too close (4 yards). But I wait until they continue past and take a retreating angle at 8-10 yards...4 shots with a recurve from that spot and 4 dead deer.
I wait for a better shot but my set up generally makes that possible as the deer moves beyond my tree into an prearranged shot window.
Many years ago I took the shot when I didn't know better. Had a complete pass through and pink lung blood on the arrow. Tracked that deer for over a half mile up and down small hills and finally lost him when he went to the houses. Figured that's where he died. A week later my buddy killed him with a broadside shot. Every other tracking job with this shot I've helped on ended with a lost deer except one when the arrow clipped the heart. I'll only take the walking away shot if it presents itself.
Had that very thing happen with does a couple of times; didn't shoot then and never would. D all the way.
A lot of guys say D here but I suspect that wouldn't always be the case in the field. Maybe, maybe not..
Not the ideal shot but one I have taken and will take again if conditions are right. No shot is 100% guaranteed
How many guys actually practice that shot? If you don't than D is the answer.
Personal decision based on confidence and proper equipment
If it walks under me, it has to walk away. I'd wait for it to get out a ways to see if a better shot angle develops. If not, I'd pass.
With a gun I've taken this shot and had success, but I wouldn't with a bow.
D, D and D.
I had this exact shot opportunity on two good bucks this year. I chose to let them both walk and wait for a better shot. Neither deer gave me a shot. I have an empty freezer based on that choice but I also have a clear conscience.
This is one of the many reasons I'm a ground hunter .
Fred Bear was strongly against elivated hunting because of the smaller kill zone and the animal is thicker from top to bottom .
If I can't double lung 'em , I'll pass .
Definitely D. I've had a doe actually walk between the ladder of my stand and the tree. Did not take the shot. Waited til it got farther away and presented a good shot, and a kill.
When I wheel hunted, years ago, had a doe walk past my tree, actually brushing the tree where I was ensconced in my portable. Again, waited til it got past and presented a better shot. Took that one as well.
And in closing, due to my advanced age, doubt if I'd even be able to bend far enough for a straight down shot. Don't practice that one very often. In fact, never.
QuoteOriginally posted by creekwood:
Anything but D is probably the last time you will ever see that "giant" buck.
Pass for me, better to let him walk than to take the chance on what I consider an iffy shot. If I never see him again that is fine and would sleep better than wounding and loosing him.
Straight down best case is a spine shot, next worse a miss, worst is one lung hit, not usually to good unless a major artery is severed.
I've killed at least a half dozen bucks like this. More importantly I have never lost a deer taking this shot. As long as I can bend at the waist and have good bow clearance I would take the shot. Even what we call straight down still has a little angle on it so there's a good opportunity for a piece of heart and that's what I'm always trying to hit.
I've had this happen lots of times. I've never taken that shot and never will.
My first whitetail with a bow was taken with just such a shot. Straight down from 9 feet up in an apple tree with my good old Damon Howat hunter, 2117 XX75s and green razorheads. I did get two holes. I was 17. Long tracking job and bumped the deer a couple times along the way. Finally got him though. Wouldn't / haven't taken the shot again and the size of the horns isn't a factor to me in shot selection. Good topic!
This topic reminds me of a hunting experience several years ago when I lived back east. I was hunting with my father in a small section of woods. We went in early in the morning. At first light, I heard a commotion coming from my dads deer stand. I seen the flashes of white and brown moving fast through the woods so I picked up my bino's for a closer look. And there standing about 75 yards away was a buck with my dads arrow buried all the way up to the feathers. Knowing my dads shooting ability, I thought it was a done deal so I just watched the buck walk out of sight and marked the last spot. Later that morning I made my way to my dads deer stand to only have him shaking his head. He took this straight down shot. We tracked the deer 150 yards or better to only find his Zwickey covered in blood. We checked all the creek beds and every where we could think, nothing. Two weeks later, my brother shot the very same deer with more lethal results. On examination of skinning the buck we found out that my dads arrow never penetrated the rib cavity, but it his arrow rode a rib around the bucks chest cavity. Would have never believed it if I did not see it. Strange but it happened.
My first trad kill, right after I bought my Treadway bow in '99, was straight down on a doe. She was 8' from the base of the tree, facing the tree. When I shot she ducked and the arrow went a little back. She ran up a hill and stopped about 50 yards away, hunched up her back and slowly went and laid in the cane patch she stood up from. We search for hours for her that night, crawling on hands and knees through the cane and couldn't find her. The next morning I went back and there she laying in the cane where I saw her lay down. She had bowed up so no white was showing. It was a liver shot.
I doubt I'd take that shot again. I like them close, 10 to 12 yards but not straight down.
I have never shot a deer from a metal tree stand, I have spent many hours in them. We only get one deer here. I always seemed to have gotten my deer going to or from the tree stand, that's what can happen when you walk softly a carry a big stick. I did touch a deer from a wedge stand once. 6 pointer straight below me and content to just stand there. I had a 90 pound 70" Hill longbow that day. Yes I had practiced the straight down shot, I rotate the bow to an invert position. It is easy with practice. That day, I bellied the wedge stand, pre-safety harness days, reached down and touched the little buck on the butt with my bow. He jumped so violently that my bow went flying and hung up in branches out of my reach. I have been witness to only one straight down shot, the deer dropped on the spot with a spine hit. In that case it was a longbow shooter and he hung on a branch to make the shot, he did not have a tree stand. Those particular woods had climbable trees that we shot deer from, a dangerous technique by today's standards, but I was a monkey back then.
Pavan, what a story!! What an education you gave that buck. Haha
Dang Pavan we are pretty spoiled these days!!
D is the only good answer. I shot a doe straight down at 6 ft once and recovered her with almost no blood trail. Never again.
Mike
An exit wound is critical with that type of shot. Absolutely critical.
If you're equipment set up can't penetrate enough to give yourself an exit wound than I'd pass. Simple as that.
Done it once and will never do it again. No blood trail. Got lucky I was hunting a field edge and the deer ran across field and I watched him go down. I hit right between the shoulder blades off to one side of the spine.
D D D -- shot a doe once that was almost straight under me but not quiet, she ducked and spun at the shot and arrow went straight down through her back and was poking out straight under her lungs, she ran about 50 yds and drug the arrow out, bled like a stuck hog for another 75 yds then quit, never did find her looked for 2 days..arrow had bright red blood and no stomach contents but no deer.
Taken a few with that shot and never lost one with it. Don't see it as an issue.
No to shooting straight down, tracked to many deer only to lose them. One lung deer can live a long time. If you don't get the spine you'll only get one lung.
I'm a big D! And I don't mean Dallas.