Well, I have been wondering .... some of my bows are a little loud.  Actually, I think they are average to quiet, but the bow is right on my face and thus sounds louder to me than if I was down range a bit.  

Anyway, does anyone aim low to anticipate the deer's reaction to bow/string noise during the shot, or do you simply pic a spot tight to the should and release?

Bob.

In Texas, If you don't look low you shoot over them.  I usually look at the hairline on the chest behind the leg.  I have never shot under a deer here.  Shot over a bunch though.

I don't know what it's like in WI with the big whitetails.  These little things are amped.

Mike

Bob
I hunt public land north of Madison.  On close shots I tend to aim at the low end of lethal and hopefully can cover the bases if the deer reacts.

I had one young buck jump the string at about 5 yards, but I blame me for part of that.  He was wired, but faking it and playing with me... and I knew it.     Darned deer.    

On slightly longer shots I just aim where I want to hit, which is right above (not behind) the elbow.
ChuckC

Tough to say what the reality there is, I know when I miss it's always high.  Did the deer jump the string or did my mind recognize the outline of the animal and neglect picking a spot sending the arrow exactly where I was looking.  I use an arguable technique, I hold for the heart...if I'm high fine, I'm in the lungs...If I'm low not a problem the deer will walk away.

I work at getting my bows as quiet as possible. I've never had a "relaxed" deer jump the string. If they are wired,,,,wait a while or don't shoot.


JDS III

First doe of the year busted me in the tree I was in. I could not figure it out. I was high. My scent was controlled. the wind was right....When I looked behind me, the rising sun had me outlined perfectly as a hunter in a tree.
At eight-teen yards she starred holes in me, stomping all the while. Three others does were coming down the same trail to join her. When she turned to look back at them I drew and shot. Should have been a chipshot but she contorted her body like those freaky circus soulet [forgive spelling]people and I watched my arrow just fly two inches above her back. Then came the explosion as she cut out of there with her friends in tow. If they suspect anything, jigs up!

QuoteOriginally posted by JDS3:
I work at getting my bows as quiet as possible. I've never had a "relaxed" deer jump the string. If they are wired,,,,wait a while or don't shoot.


JDS III

Exactly.  Every relaxed deer I've shot had no clue what was going on until after the arrow was through them.  If you draw attention, whistle, make them stop - all senses go on full alert, so be prepared!

I just had a doe jump my string from 23 yards the other night. Alleghany county here in PA opened doe season two weeks early.

The second my quiet as the wind Bob Lee loosed the arrow her chest was almost to the ground. She was wired and I prob shouldn't have taken the shot. Shot right over her.

I've had a a couple deer duck the string----"jumping" is kind of a mis-namer.     Last year was the worst. I shot under a large doe and she promptly busted me when I reached for a 2nd; arrow. Couldn't quite make me out and couldn't smell me, so she and her 2 fawns just stood there staring at me broadside. I figured "What the Heck...." looked at her again and let an arrow fly.................
She was broadside when I let go the string; when my arrow got to her, she was ducking and had already turned to go away from me and my arrow whent flying alongside her neck. I was like What the heck.....and started laughing....i'll never doubt a deer's reflexes again and wait for a relaxed deer and I've passed up several shots just becasue I was afraid to do that again.
Also, I had to change trees... everytime from then on, this little family would come from different areas of the woods to feed under the same oak trees, but they alsways stopped and gave my orignal tree a good stare and look-over.  :rolleyes:  

Ben

I've never had a WI deer jump the string (with a stick bow) Then again I never shot at deer that had me pegged.  I also didnt stop deer to shoot them (walking slowly)

Ben.   actually, they are not ducking, but starting a very serious " get out of Dodge" manuever.  Going down loads the legs so that they can spring.  They cannot jump without doing that, neither can we.   Watch a slo-mo video of a deer  "jumping the string" ,  which is just a name by the way....  and you can see, they go down and then push off to get away.

While watching that video, put a pencil or stick across her belly before she moves to see just how far they drop in doing this.  Pretty amazing.  
ChuckC

I want my total shot as silent as possible; that's ONE of the big reasons I prefer to hunt with long-length straight-end longbows and heavy arrows - and, even then, I still use string silincers.

Since I've began using the tiny A&A fletching I'm getting the distinct impression that I'm seeing less animal reaction to my shots. I'm becoming more convinced that the sound of the arrow in flight is a bigger factor than we give it credit for. But I have a far more personal reason for thinking the sound of the arrow in flight is an important factor.

[POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WARNING: The following is not the smartest thing to be doing.]

Many years ago; before many of you were born; my hunting partner, James Hayes, changed his stand at mid-morning, from the tree where I had left him, and moved into a tree located about a thousand yards closer to where I was hunting. At mid-day I headed back to camp, walking down the jeep road. As I passed his stand, not knowing he was there, James loosed an arrow; shooting several yards behind me. What I can tell you for absolute certain is that I do not remember hearing him shoot, but I still get a chill remembering the sound of the arrow hissing through the air. I was only about 20 yards from James when he shot, but he said I easily "jumped the string" before his arrow hit the dirt. I think the sound of the arrow's flight is something we should be paying more attention to.

Ed
TGMM Family of the Bow

If my hunting partner was shooting towards me, I wouldn't have been able to hear the flight of the arrow...the overpowering sound of me crapping down both legs would have been louder.

With a miss still fresh in my mind,  the next time I have deer close and I loose an arrow.  I will aim low.  Not for the deer jumping the string.  But just cause the steep angle of the shoot.  Like ben woodring said " Hold for the heart",  Best that come come from that is a double lung!!   I would bet to say that on deer under ten yard,90% of misses are high.

Alot of wisdom here from someone who has shot ALOT of game.

 "I want my total shot as silent as possible; that's ONE of the big reasons I prefer to hunt with long-length straight-end longbows and heavy arrows - and, even then, I still use string silincers."
Dr Ashby
I'm amazed that more trad hunters don't pay attention to this. Sometimes, sad to say, I still  get tempted by the faster curved limb bows and usually get burned about once every other year.
I had WAY more jumpers when I shot a recurve while hunting.
I intentionally shot low on a doe that had me busted last year. About 27 yards. I was videoing. This was the first time I ever tried shooting under a deer on purpose. Later in the video I saw how she began to lower herself to catapult out of there but stopped just as the arrow came to her. She froze from the ducking (tough to do) and it passed within an inch of where her heart would have been had she completed the duck. Maybe the sound of the arrow in flight was the culprit. I'll be looking into that more. I really don't like the idea of shooting under deer. Using a straight longbow and doing everything else you can to be quiet is my choice.

Doug

I've had these little deer in the TX hill country duck under and turn from shots. But I've had them come back and give me a second shot with my longbows or selfbows, because they couldn't figure out what had just happened. Took this doe yesterday when she and her yearling came back in after she ducked the first shot
with my osage selfbow and POC arrows

I do like Wingnut said, shoot at the bottom line of the chest.

I put up a similar thread I think it was last year or maybe longer, after watching Fred Eichler arrow an elk and they showed it in slow motion. The arrow would have missed the elk entirely if it hadn't ducked. Or so it appeared from the angle we had.
I agree, aim at the heart for insurance against string (or arrow) jump.
Thanks Dr. Ashby for your input. I am using my A&A fletched arrows when I hunt with my glass longbow. Even my primitive arrows have a very low profile. Alot like Ishi's arrows were fletched.