Great shooting by the way on that last shot! And good for you going to the gym, I notice it has a heavy effect on my shooting too but gotta do it.

I think I'd pass on the corn shot or wait for a step where it was clear between two stalks, the bad sun I believe I could deal with but would really depend on how bad it was the last one would be a no go I don't like them looking at me hahaha, great training aid though, with I had a back yard where I could run through these scenarios my self.

Anette,
I am close enough to town that I can hear the carnival tonight. There are a few deer around but also a lot of roads.
I usually hunt in Northern PA. Where there are few deer but no people.

QuoteOriginally posted by Tedd:
ignore the vitals on the target. The insert has multiple sides.
Also I have only moved it carefully a few times and already the legs fall off if you look at it wrong. Not impressed with it. The horns fall off when you shoot it.

Hey Ted, My wife bought that same target for me for X-mas a couple years ago. I too don't care for the assembly, but it really holds up well to broad heads ......until you cut the back strap holding it together.....

Good news is that the Glendale company sent me a replacement free of charge after writing them.

On the shot ethics thing.... i'm surprised no one even considered the chest shot on the tree stand shot... straight up the leg, and an inch left would  take the heart out.... But... i gotta say that honestly.... i think i'd wait for a better angle myself...

The corn shot i wouldn't hesitate a moment on.

#4 no, #3 yes, Corn shot yes.

I have passed on the exact same corn shot but now I feel confident at 8 yards enough to take the shot.

The sun shot, I wouldn't really know until I was in the situation.  I practice shooting looking into the sun often as thats the position of the sun when I get out of work on my range.

I learned to never take frontal shots.  I have seen them work great for people but I have also seen some horror stories as well.

Perhaps I am far too picky with taking shots and thats why I am not killing deer,but I have no regrets either.

This is the target I use indoors (tile floor very little moving around - sliding on metal stand). It holds up well there. My first came apart quick when I took it outside for a spin though.

I think these are interesting scenarios.  I'd pass on all of them.  I've gone on enough 1/2 day or  more tracking jobs for myself, friends, and relatives over the years on perfectly situated deer. The recovery tracking must be done but I loathe fouling up a hunting area tracking a deer so long and far.

The heaviest deer of my life (265# on state scales) I shot at 7 yards frontal. Hit the pocket between shoulder and neck where I was aiming. This was 1981. Deer was dead in 55 yards. It could have gone all wrong and I vowed to never do it again.

In the early 1970's with a Bear B-Mag I took a shot down through a very lightly limbed dogwood tree. Somehow I hit a spindly little limb, deflected the arrow, and aforementioned several hour, fruitless tracking job resulted.

I go for gimmees these days.

On the corn shot, I would shoot if I can see a clear opening to the vitals. The sun shot, no, as glare really bothers me. I just can't focus looking into the sun. I would not take the straight on shot.

Are you looking for people to validate taking bad or very questionable shots?  What absurd shot are you coming up with next?  Not playing your game any longer.

I don't mind this thread. It is likely someone who hasn't much experience or been faced with some of these shots yet, might learn from the experienced posts to pass such shots.

Sure, I've passed a few shots on a couple of great deer that didn't get better and the deer left my life forever. I prefer my memory of the deer walking on, to one where I made a bad decision that resulted in a poor hit, and a lost deer.

The arrows shot into the targets are interesting follow-up to the shot. For sure on a 3D range I'd take the hypothetical  shot decision. There is nothing at risk except an arrow. However, when a living, breathing, animal is on the receiving end things change a lot.  For most (not all) bowhunters accuracy is less on the real thing vs targets because of emotional state of the hunter and the very real possibility the animal might "adjust" its position.

Unless you have arrowed enough animals no telling what you would really do. Stationary 3D targets don't get it done. There good for the game of archery but certainly not killing because live animals move and do many things inexperience don't know about yet. You can either be a student of experience or be a student of others telling you. You do with a higher percentage shot placement. Also if you been on enough dead end trails you learned by experience not the got to get him scenarios some fall pray to from inexperience.

Respect for the animal comes into play that is gained by experience alone.

Shooting 3D is one thing you don't have to consider lost or wound with an animal you might.

Been at it for 37 years. I have a blood tracking dog.
Just adding data.
All things about shooting deer with a bow are interesting to me.

Aha, the access to a blood tracking dog adds an entire different "layer" to this thread.

I definitely won't get into that except to say that having a strong Plan B might greatly impact an archer's shot decisions.

Man I'm seeing deer everywhere and ain't released an arrow yet! Lol. Good thread, I have enjoyed watching it and putting myself in these situations mentally.

One of my concerns, and an issue with this kinda thread, is the newbie.  

Many, maybe most of us have a fair amount of experience and we have our opinions on what is a good, doable, ethical ( our own ethics) shot.  This is normally based upon experience.  

Problem is, folks with little or no experience are reading this as well. They download this as experience and we grow issues.

We had similar threads in the past, some getting quite heated in fact.  

There are a ton of ways to kill a critter, some are very fast, some are very forgiving.  Heck, I just read an article (gun hunter) where he aims at a spot just in front of the hind legs and below the spine.  Without getting into the why's, he has vast experience and is a ( hopefully anyway) crack shot.  

But man, some newbie, hearing that this is an acceptable shot to TRY for, is a bad thing waiting to happen.  Most folks STILL don't really know the anatomy of a deer, so that sure doesn't help the situation.

Yup, a good shot, a bunch of luck, and a willing deer, and lots of things are possible.  I tend to miss out on at least the last one of those three.  Judging by the threads we get in the fall asking for guidance because they can't find that deer they just shot, we need to teach control and not espouse the various "other shots" that sure can kill deer, or not.

I will also say this. . .  yes, put yourself into those shots.  Think about them now, not under pressure of the moment.  Think what YOU accept as a reasonable, deadly, forgiving shot (one with a bit of room for error) and train yourself to wait for it.
ChuckC

QuoteOriginally posted by Cyclic-Rivers:
I have passed on the exact same corn shot but now I feel confident at 8 yards enough to take the shot.

The sun shot, I wouldn't really know until I was in the situation.  I practice shooting looking into the sun often as thats the position of the sun when I get out of work on my range.

I learned to never take frontal shots.  I have seen them work great for people but I have also seen some horror stories as well.

Perhaps I am far too picky with taking shots and thats why I am not killing deer,but I have no regrets either.

Nope, Charlie stick with what your doing bud these shots are terrible examples of the shots that hunters are taking now a days because of what they see on TV. Or the think we'll I have a tracking dog so I can take that iffy shot and maybe get away with it, if not it was a learning exsperiance!      

3D is great practice but it is not hunting.

Tracy

I missed the sun shot and frontal shot scenario...
I think these would both depend on the tail and ear position of the deer.... I use both of them for a barometer on a regular basis.... i never drop a string on a fully alert deer with it's tail up and ears forward regardless of its position..... I've seen em jump the string to many times

I think the overwhelming reaction of most here is not to take these shots even if you can do it on a target. So, I think the newbie is well served.

QuoteOriginally posted by Bowwild:
I think the overwhelming reaction of most here is not to take these shots even if you can do it on a target. So, I think the newbie is well served.

That's a good point. I wonder if anybody else sees it this way.

I would not take any of the shots. I've only killed two,but waited until they got perfectly broadside.

No. I Only hunt on ground.