Sighting in a Where to Target from a Tree

[DwadeCham]

So I am really bothered by my experience Friday. I had a 10 to 15 yard shot on a doe. I felt like I was settled and had a good release but I hit her very low. No blood on the arrow, just white fur. No blood for about 20-30 yards. Then I found about 7 groups of decent blood with just drops in between. I am fairly convinced she will live. I don't think she lost that much blood although the wound could have sealed and internally bled. I never found her.

So my question is, do you sight your bow in from a tree or do you target the exit point as I have read in numerous articles? Does that make you aim higher on the deer than you would from ground level?

I don't want this to happen again. I will be getting in the tree to practice tonight. I have been really bothered by this and it was worse that I couldn't go look for her yesterday.

Thanks,
Wade

 

[justsomedude]

How high were you in the tree?
You definitely need to aim for the exit and not the entry. Especially that close. I shoot recurve and longbow so I plan on close shots and don't go much above 15'

But I practice from trees with a 3D target so Ive gotten used to it

 

[g2outdoors]

Aim for the exit... I've never heard that. Makes sense.

I don't sight the bow in from the tree. Always on the ground.

Are you practicing from a tree? That makes a big difference in accuracy.

I have to really take my time and focus on the shot when hunting. I'll make bad shots if I don't. However when I'm target practicing I can sling them quickly and be very accurate.

Maybe that's what happened. Maybe you just made a bad shot? It happens. I injured and lost a big bull elk last September because I made a bad 18 yard shot. I missed a pig completely several days ago at 30 yards. That's usually a chip shot for me. The common denominator is they were both quick shots.

 

[DwadeCham]

I was easily 25 ft up. The aiming for the exit makes sense to me as well. I had practiced from height and at 20 yards but probably not 25' and 10 yards. That's a steep angle.

I could have made a bad shot but I was extremely patient. She had heard me and thought something was up. She keep looking at me and trying to get me to move. I had to wait for her to turn. I feel like a had a good release. I plan on getting into a tree and practicing tonight. I don't want this to happen again.

 

[justsomedude]

Get out some graph paper

If you are 25' up (your feet were 25') and you aim at the heart 10 yards away your margin for error is very small.

You can also easily only get a one lung hit at that range too

 

[DwadeCham]

Get out some graph paper

If you are 25' up (your feet were 25') and you aim at the heart 10 yards away your margin for error is very small.

You can also easily only get a one lung hit at that range too

So what is the solution? I definitely shouldn't pass up 10 yard shots right?

 

[g2outdoors]

Of course not. I would aim high in the chest from 25' up at that distance. Just several inches below the spine.

 

[DwadeCham]

Of course not. I would aim high in the chest from 25' up at that distance. Just several inches below the spine.

That's the plan. I think that's why they say aim for the exit more than the spot on the deer nearest. Probably same for a rifle I'm assuming. Modern gun season starts for us on Sat.

 

[MCDM]

Some may disagree but when taking a shot you have to aim obviously for that kill area but you should also plan for the exit. Broadside shots are always ideal however the issue lies in the quartering shots. When i make these i aim for the exit i.e the opposite shoulder. The angles created at our height also factor more so than a treestand since most of us hunt higher.

Remember ballistics arrows are no different than bullets. Practice at all distances to see how the shot is effected. Even the close 10yd shots.

Each season prep is the same shoot at ground level making sure all axis on my sight are true all distances with solid groups. Then i hit a stand and or just setup my saddle. I shoot from there to finalize my tune and get adjusted to shooting at those heights/angles. I always for the most part will aim slightly lower in case the deer drops on the shot. This guarantees the arrow will hit and we are only talking an inch or half an inch. Either way its a kill shot.

I would suggest maybe just getting setup and practice shooting from the height. Get someone to move the target on the ground which will save some time and work that out. Alot can happen in the woods especially with live moving targets. She may have lived or she could have taken a long time to expire.

If blood is questionable back out for a few hours because all you will do is push them and that increases the odds you will lose them. Get a bunch of guys and grid search the area this will hopefully increase the odds of finding her. Deer can run a long ways with a not so clean kill.

 

[IkemanTX]

I was easily 25 ft up. The aiming for the exit makes sense to me as well. I had practiced from height and at 20 yards but probably not 25' and 10 yards. That's a steep angle.

I could have made a bad shot but I was extremely patient. She had heard me and thought something was up. She keep looking at me and trying to get me to move. I had to wait for her to turn. I feel like a had a good release. I plan on getting into a tree and practicing tonight. I don't want this to happen again.

25' high at 10 yards is a very steep angle. I would bet a good sum of money that is the true culprit.
I wasn't taught to shoot for the exit, I was taught to visualize the actual kill zone "inside" the chest cavity and really kind of ignore where the entry point ended up (excluding skeletal obstructions and gut angles)



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DwadeCham]

Some may disagree but when taking a shot you have to aim obviously for that kill area but you should also plan for the exit. Broadside shots are always ideal however the issue lies in the quartering shots. When i make these i aim for the exit i.e the opposite shoulder. The angles created at our height also factor more so than a treestand since most of us hunt higher.

Remember ballistics arrows are no different than bullets. Practice at all distances to see how the shot is effected. Even the close 10yd shots.

Each season prep is the same shoot at ground level making sure all axis on my sight are true all distances with solid groups. Then i hit a stand and or just setup my saddle. I shoot from there to finalize my tune and get adjusted to shooting at those heights/angles. I always for the most part will aim slightly lower in case the deer drops on the shot. This guarantees the arrow will hit and we are only talking an inch or half an inch. Either way its a kill shot.

I would suggest maybe just getting setup and practice shooting from the height. Get someone to move the target on the ground which will save some time and work that out. Alot can happen in the woods especially with live moving targets. She may have lived or she could have taken a long time to expire.

If blood is questionable back out for a few hours because all you will do is push them and that increases the odds you will lose them. Get a bunch of guys and grid search the area this will hopefully increase the odds of finding her. Deer can run a long ways with a not so clean kill.

I appreciate it but unfortunately I haven't been able to go back and won't be able to. I really think she made it. When I initially found her I saw the wound and it looked pretty superficial. Either way I think she is gone. More practice in the tree for me. I just feel terrible about it.

 

[MCDM]

I appreciate it but unfortunately I haven't been able to go back and won't be able to. I really think she made it. When I initially found her I saw the wound and it looked pretty superficial. Either way I think she is gone. More practice in the tree for me. I just feel terrible about it.

Don't beat yourself up man!!! Yes it sucks but you learned a valuable lesson from this so next time it doesn't happen!!

 

[g2outdoors]

It happens. And it's OK to feel crappy about it. Last season I wounded 3 animals. Before that I had only wounded 2 in 20 years of hunting. Go figure. I was pretty down all season long.

But it made me practice more and renew my focus on my shot routine.

Wounding deer happens and it totally sucks. But, all you can do is focus on your attitude and learn from it.

 

[DIYSaddler]

If I've got an exact range I always shoot for heart shots. That being said if I feel there's any questions about range I'll aim to the top of the heart so if the range is short I'll hit double lung. If it's long I'll hit heart and if I'm right trifecta. You should practice shooting point blank. Assuming your shooting a compound with a sight that could explain a lot. If you walk it in from fifteen you'll see your shooting low by two to three inches once you get to point blank(within 10' or so). If you're aiming for heart at that height and distance you should most likely have your pin high on her side almost the top of the lung. Hope this helps.

 

[DwadeCham]

I got out and practiced a lot today and I realize one mistake I make a lot is letting my bow hand fall forward with the arrow. Made me hit low a lot. I think I can correct it with a lot more practice.

 

[redsquirrel]

Shoot for the exit is a good strategy. I sight in on the ground and have practice from the tree so I know that I hit within a couple inches when I'm in the tree. I only shoot out to 20 yards and I am often at least 25 foot up. At that height you have less room for error, especially at 10 yards. Both of my deer this year have been at around 10 yards. One thing I have noticed is that when I get on the ground and look at the entry hole, it looks really really high up on the deer. When I am aiming, I am putting the arrow (assume broadside for the moment) right behind the shoulder and around midway up the body. You have to remember that when you are looking at the deer from that high up, you are really not looking at it broadside, you looking at it in a 3D view above broadside. This is really where shoot for the exit comes in. At that height you need to hit the deer much higher for it to go through the vitals.

I don't have an entry and exit picture for both deer, but the shots were very similar. Look at how high the entry is on the doe, and how low the exit is on the buck. These were both perfect double lung shots. Arrow comes in through top of near lung and exits through bottom of far lung.

As far as losing deer, it is part of bow hunting. All we can do is practice, prepare, take ethical shots and put every effort in to making a recovery. Unfortunately all of that does not always happen. I make mistakes, but I always try to learn from them.

 

[g2outdoors]

Great post, Red.

 

[redsquirrel]

Great post, Red.

Thanks!

 

[DwadeCham]

Shoot for the exit is a good strategy. I sight in on the ground and have practice from the tree so I know that I hit within a couple inches when I'm in the tree. I only shoot out to 20 yards and I am often at least 25 foot up. At that height you have less room for error, especially at 10 yards. Both of my deer this year have been at around 10 yards. One thing I have noticed is that when I get on the ground and look at the entry hole, it looks really really high up on the deer. When I am aiming, I am putting the arrow (assume broadside for the moment) right behind the shoulder and around midway up the body. You have to remember that when you are looking at the deer from that high up, you are really not looking at it broadside, you looking at it in a 3D view above broadside. This is really where shoot for the exit comes in. At that height you need to hit the deer much higher for it to go through the vitals.

I don't have an entry and exit picture for both deer, but the shots were very similar. Look at how high the entry is on the doe, and how low the exit is on the buck. These were both perfect double lung shots. Arrow comes in through top of near lung and exits through bottom of far lung.

As far as losing deer, it is part of bow hunting. All we can do is practice, prepare, take ethical shots and put every effort in to making a recovery. Unfortunately all of that does not always happen. I make mistakes, but I always try to learn from them.

Right on man. Awesome post and some good information. I have bow hunted for less than a year so everything is a learning experience. Still hoping she made it but also am pleased that I got to that point to take a shot from a saddle. I learned a lot from the whole experience and there are some mistakes in there I won't make again.

Thanks for all your help in all this. You and G2 have been awesome.

Wade

 

[kbetts]

Always shoot for the exit. The tendency from any stand is to shoot high. Tuck that pin (if you use sights).