No. Not a bow shot.

I did it once years ago and got lucky, Never again.

doug77

The first evening of my season this year, I had a very nice mature eight point come in facing me. I was in a tree stand and had an arrow on the string and was in position for a shot on this beautiful buck. I thought he would keep on on the trail and offer a shot, he stopped and looked up straight at me. There was a stand off of staring and head bobbing for a couple of minutes, than he started to back out going backwards first and leaving the way he came. There was no way I was going to let an arrow go with the position he offered me. This buck was less than ten yards away.

If I had a 200" buck walking at me and stopped 10 yards away with his head behind a leaves and all I could see was his front on chest...I would wait for a better shot.

It isn't a high percentage shot period.There have been plenty of critters killed, some found some lost,from shots at this angle as well as broadside. Every shot is the sum of many variables.But this angle has a lower percentage of success.

QuoteOriginally posted by southernarcher:
It isn't a high percentage shot period.There have been plenty of critters killed, some found some lost,from shots at this angle as well as broadside. Every shot is the sum of many variables.But this angle has a lower percentage of success.

x2

I've killed 3 or 4 with that shot but that was years ago.  Also, I had my arrow come out on the other end of the deer somewhere each time.  I was shooting 80# recurves on at least two of them and 80# longbow on the others with 800-900 gr. arrows.  I still shoot that weight but the target is so small and so many things can happen between release and impact that I just don't need a kill that bad any more.

QuoteOriginally posted by sunset hill:
Imho,  it all depends on your bow weight, and whether you are shooting from the ground or a gree, and your accuracy/distance of shot.  

I've had 100% success on this angle, but I don't do it often.  I shoot pretty heavy #, mid 60#s, and I shoot from the ground.  At that ground level angle, if the arrow misses the juglar, it takes out the heart, lungs, liver, or diaphragm or all the above and leaves excellent blood trails and quick death.  However,  I absolutely would not take this shot from an elevated stand, using a light weight bow, or if the deer was watching me and could jump at the shot.  Then it's too risky.

What's 100% success? 1 for 1 or 15 for 15? Just curious.

You might get lucky but its a bad angle, low percentage shot. The animal deserve better. My 2 cents

Instead of thinking of a very marginal shot why not move the stand?

Mike

Yeah, bad idea.  I would do like the others have said and move my stand.  Not finding a deer is alot worse than not getting a shot.  

God Bless,
Nathan

I don't need to kill anything bad enough to even think about that kind of shot.

Not good odds. I am portable so move stands every time I hunt- so perhaps move it.  

With that said- easier yet is to put dead timber and branches in the trail to get the deer to walk the way you want.  You can even use a large branch to scrape a new trail around the obstacle and the deer will use it.  Very easily solved.  

Dan in KS

Not a shot I would take.

I would not take it with any bow. Especially from a tree stand.

not a shot

I shot a deer head on with a deer slug once and it missed by 1" right, bounced off a bone and careened along the ribs and ended up with a very ugly scene as the deer required several hasty follow ups as he ran off on 3 legs.  That convinced me never to try it with a trad bow.

I think it's a low percentage shot.  You need a ton of KE to get through that area (just look at all the bones up there) and into the vitals.  You are better off waiting for a broadside or slightly quartering away.

I passed up on a monster mulie up in Alberta at 10 yards. He came straight in on me and I was on the ground. I did not shoot and came home with out a mulie. Better empty then wounding one. No don't do it.

Not for me to take.