Much prefer heart shots. No deer drop since quietening with a feather rest.

George, with an explanation like that you need to continue to add titles under your name!!!!!!

   

Thanks for the fun.

Billy

Oh come on George, tell us what ya realy think!  

Eric

Honestly, I like either:  A-a relaxed, standing deer; or, B-a slowly walking deer.  When deer are super wired, I won't shoot.  

As others have said, there are a couple inches or so at he bottom of the chest that are nonvital.  They may bleed like heck for a while, but it's not a killer.  So I never anticipate that a deer is gonna duck by aiming low, either out of or at the very edge of the vitals.

Keep your bow reasonably quiet, aim at what you want to hit and never second guess it.  

I aim very low

I shoot deer low because I think it is the best shot. I always aim for the bottom third of the body line. If I do my job and they do not "jump the string" dead deer. If they do jump the string, there is a better chance for a double lung hit, and if I shoot too low it is a clean miss. A deer hit high leaves little blood trail and leads to a differcult recovery. Just my opinion but it works for me. "Keep'Um Sharp".

If you shoot for center of the lungs on the deer we have around here, you're gonna shoot a bunch through the backstraps.  I aim right on the white hairline where it meets the front leg.  If he drops you get him, if he doesn't, you get him.  It's win, win.  I've lost some deer that were hit too high, but I've never lost a mortally wounded deer that was hit too low.

I've never lost a mortally wounded deer either.

Maybe it's because I shoot quiet, slow longbows with fairly heavy arrows, but I can't remember the last time I had a deer duck my arrow, even when they were a bit on edge.  I shoot for where I want it to go.  A quiet bow is worth a LOT to me.

QuoteOriginally posted by Biggie Hoffman:
I've never lost a mortally wounded deer either.

Biggie, my point is on a low hit, you either hit them solidly enough to get them, or the wound is superficial.

I certainally think you guys are experienced hunters and know your home ground well.  If I hunted with you oh your home ground I would follow your lead and experience and shoot as you suggest.  

Well I am an experienced bow hunter to.   If you come to hunt my home ground, depending the sytle you hunt, I am going to advise you shot a little bit under the heart if you are in a tree stand and the deer is <= 15 yds are so.  It is OK with me either way you decide.  You will do better if you follow my lead.  

I don't think that all deer are the same or have had the same amount of hunting pressure.  I don't think that shooting low should be a rule.  I do think if a local hunter with a lot of experience that you trust gives you advice, you might consider it. If the advise is a blanket statement I don't know that I would trust the advice so much.  

rusty

BTW it might be pointed out that all three of the Texas post on this thread have had the same advice      That could mean we know our home areas.

rusty

If you shoot a quiet bow, please put a recorder with a good quality mic in front of your target at 15yds.  now turn it on.  backup to 15 yds.  take a shot at your target with the recorder in front of it.  now post the recording.  i have never seen a bow that the shot could not be heard easily on the recording

rusty

I think trashwood hit the proverbial nail on the head. If I were to hunt in Texas, where I have heard tell of skittish deer, I would aim low. I recall the Solana thread...

Around here, if you aim low, you hit low. Above it was mentioned  that quiet bows, relaxed deer all contribute. All good points.

I think this is one of those things that will vary by region, hunting pressure, etc etc.

Know your area, and your quarry, and adjust as needed.

Ishiwannabe good post. Makes sense.  My home area is 150 mile radius around ft worth.  I have not hunted deer in south texas, just pigs and turkey.  south texas deer could well have a different attitude on a 40,000 acre ranch compared a 400 to 500 acre ranch with over  3,000,000 people right next door as it is in north texas       A three year old deer in North Texas has likely been hunted on 4 or 5 different ranches and knows the manufacture and model number of every tree stand made.  

rusty

another one here for.. shoot where ya wanna hit. ya gotta watch the body language of the deer, shoot it when its relaxed and looking away if posible, get your bow quiet and it shouldnt be a issue,

Aim a tad low if you can remember to!

I think I have a system to offset the unpredictable movement of the deer.
I just aim where I want it to hit, and then whatever errors I make in aim, release, etc, as well as the wind and the twigs in the way, allow the point of impact to be "slightly" off the point I aimed at.
If the planets and stars are aligned the variables offset each other, and the deer jumps or squats into the path of arrow.
So I don't need to intentionally introduce any more anticipation of movement.....got it covered.