Does anyone have any tips for shooting in low light when there's no discernible spot to pick out, and all you can see is the deer's silhouette?
My place, like many others, has deer coming out in the last few minutes and hanging out in the woods before entering the fields, and there's just not enough light to pick out an individual tuft of hair or anything close to that, so, "Aim small, miss small" is just not a possibility.
Thanks
I try to mentally visualize a bottle cap (could be button, penny, or whatever) where I want the arrow to go and then visualize it on where I'd like it to exit.
Best would be to set up a 3D deer target that you can shoot under the same low light conditions you encounter when you're hunting. You'll teach yourself what's possible and what's not, and how to best take advantage of what little light you have.
Quick answer would be don't shoot ..... and I say that only because for me, if I can't pick that spot, I'm not letting it fly. I won't generalize a target area even if I have a pretty good feeling I'd hit "close enough" to get that meat in the freezer. It's not always easy with excellent light ...... I want the insurance policy of seeing that spot. It'd be a judgement call on the individual honestly, case by case basis. In low still legal light, larger animal at very close range, have to be there in the moment to see. Other than practicing ALOT in low light, which might not yield much to bring into the field with you to apply in the end regardless, there are no solid tips or tricks. (other than stand placement, trying to catch them just a few minutes earlier) Change in light drastically effects your depth perception .... which drastically effects your ability to judge distance. In low light, targets appear farther away than they actually are = shot trajectory higher than desired.
Ethically, When in doubt I wouldn't shoot and risk wounding the deer. There is always another day.
Shooting in the dark never works out well. If the voice in your head tells you it's too dark.....it is.
:)
R
If I can't see hair it's to dark for me.
I don't risk it. Like others said, there's always another day. even though I've been tempted many times, the worse thing in the world is putting a bad hit on an animal, not worth it.
If it's too dark to pick a spot I won't shoot. I also won't shoot if I know I won't be able to follow the arrow with my sight. 25 years ago I also found out that under low light conditions I had a tendency to shoot quite a bit high.
If it's to dark to pick a spot it's possible you are past legal shooting light.
Seems I almost always quit before the end of shooting hours. Particularly in early season with foliage still on,when it gets too dark for me to see and pick a spot, it's time to put the arrow back in the quiver.
I would listen to these fellas with much more experience than me. I just have a tendency to want to keep hammering my water bottles on the hill as the sun sinks low and that's how I make my own "spot" to aim at. All I've ever loosed an arrow at in low(er) light has been groundhogs and squirrels with varying degrees of success. Seems like a lot of times picking a spot on small game is harder than large in any lighting but when I visualize a cap where I want it to go I have much better success.
I agree with all the guys above that if its questionable whether it's too dark, then its definitely too dark. Like someone else said, if you can't pick a spot, then it's too dark. Roger Rothhaar, who is definitely on the Mount Rushmore of great deer hunters, used to spray paint his arrow shafts with Primer Gray to help see his arrow shaft better in low light conditions.
I'd have to agree with many above. I think you know the answer to your question.
:campfire: :coffee: :archer2: :campfire:
I say just grip it, and let her rip. Use the force Luke... :bigsmyl:
I agree with the above and not pushing the envelope and risking a bad shot. I'm putting up some stands to hopefully get a little more light on those late arrivals.
I also figure a good bit of practice on a brown paper silhouette in low light should give an idea of what my effective range would be reduced to.
Thanks
Quote from: Camp Creek on August 11, 2025, 05:47:40 PMI agree with the above and not pushing the envelope and risking a bad shot. I'm putting up some stands to hopefully get a little more light on those late arrivals.
I also figure a good bit of practice on a brown paper silhouette in low light should give an idea of what my effective range would be reduced to.
Thanks
Agree with you here, brown paper or cardboard really forces you to pick a spot.
Eric gave you the answer. The first time I thought about that was when I read Gene Wensel's classic book, "Hunting Rutting Whitetails". That was probably thirty years ago.
I can't remember the last time I set up on the edge of a field. Get back in a little deeper. If I don't or can't pick a spot, I will more than likely shoot right over the back. Horizontally, it is generally good, but not vertically.
I'd get back deeper if I could, but I have 30-50 deer coming into the field each evening through overgrown hedge rows on my property lines. They tend to cross through the hedge rows quickly and head 50 yards or so into the field and hang out until dark.
I'm putting up a few tree stands in these rows and will try the guessing game of trying to figure which path they will come through on any given day. I'll have the sun setting behind me this year hopefully, so that should buy a few more minutes.
It sounds like the best option is to practice on plain paper in low light and establish what my effective ethical range is.