BTW I'm not trying to be argumentative. It was a legit question. Why are these deer ducking? I'm wondering because I have never had that problem and if other people are intentionally aiming low to account for a duck then its obviously a problem for them. I'm just trying to understand why my experience and their experience is totally opposite.
A lot of traditional wisdom says to aim at the lower 1/3 of a deer to account for them ducking the string under any conditions.
I've had it happen twice. Once from the ground where the doe I was shooting at got completely out of the way on a frontal shot.
The other the deer dropped and turned so much that my broadside shot hit her in the throat and killed her right there. This was a 35 yard shot from a tree stand, shooting a 355 IBO bow with a heavy arrow that was plenty quiet. However it was low light and I was trying so hard to get a sight picture that I could've been off on my sight picture altogether.
These two experiences were enough for me to rethink some of the shots I take. If we are constantly stopping deer in our shooting windows, they're alert to SOMETHING. Not necessarily hunter presence. But alert is alert. I've gotten to a point in my life that I don't make any noises to stop them unless I have to. For example, if I've ranged them or the spot they'll be in and I am at full draw, I'll stop a deer to make my shot. I generally try not to do this but it does happen.