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Where do YOU aim on a deer?

Xpedition802

Xpedition802

New Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2016
Messages
36
Location
Vermont
my kid asked me this recently after graduating his archers safety course. i wanted to see what the opinions are. Give the why to the question as well. He's already got my answer. Loved to give him food for thought. Thanks in advance
 
Always try to take the shot behind the crease of the shoulder. 1/4 to or away or preferably broadside. Know where the vitals are make the shot on that determination


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Center of mass on the vitals. Have to know the angles and practice accordingly. Especially the close range steep angle shots. Less room for error even though they are closer shots.
 
CamoMan said:
Center of mass on the vitals. Have to know the angles and practice accordingly. Especially the close range steep angle shots. Less room for error even though they are closer shots.
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Excellent advice.

Broadside- I aim for the crease in the V above the leg. I have hit too many deer further back than I like and aiming for this spot helps me get far enough forward on the body. Any time they are quartering away I aim for my arrow to exit through the opposite front leg.

I should add that just because this is where I aim, this is not where I always hit. The reality is that in the heat of the moment things don't always go as I plan. I am definitely not the best shot, and I try to limit my shots to around 20 yards (I'm trying to bump myself up to 30 someday!). But I am excellent at figuring out where I hit, determining how long to wait before I track and then actually tracking. I only mention this because I feel that these skills are just as important as actually shooting the deer.
 
My opinion. It depends on your bow and distance ground or tree. I shoot for the heart if the deer drops then you still have a double lung on a broadside shot. If the deer is quartering away I shoot mid mass behind the rib cage. Close shots from tree is a little more tricky. It's all about practice and knowing your equipment and your limitations.


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Hoped this started a good educational thread if there's some youngsters like my boy out there and just to shy to ask. If this got posted on AT it'd be tits up and gone downward spiral by now.

So I'm not the hold out/call out: I aim on the line of the back leg (far side) just on the inside edge. I level that with center mass of both lungs. If I get both lungs it's a dead deer. I learned the hard way in Illinois that you'll shoot an arrow at a trophy the same way you've done at smaller home state deer. Midwest trophy have way more bone and shoulder than where I am used to. Ribs and soft tissue are easy for a passthrough. Bone and ricochets or reduced penetration leads to the difference between one on the wall and a lifetime of what should've beens. My biggest chance to date was lost to hunting northeast and not ensuring a passthru.

And never forget when in doubt bury that damn pin if you're in a tree. That arrow just like bullets on slope go high. Cheers
 
I would also add knowing the differences in blood color and texture, different hair types on the deers body along with what the deers reaction was at impact...did it mule kick, hunch, run then stop and walk off tail twitching etc. As red squirrel said sometimes the shot isn't where we want it to be and knowing the evidence and body language should dictate how you approach recovery of the animal.


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Every angle can be compensated for. A thorough knowledge of the anatomy and large bone positions are the starting point. The best method I ever heard was to visualize the exit. Where the arrow or bullet will end up, is more important than where it enters. This applies to every conceivable angle that presents itself. There used to be an animated site that demonstrated this very well.
 
When shooting at a quartering deer I visualize where my arrow should exit. Then I aim accordingly at the impact side. If the deer is broadside I wait for the front leg to step forward exposing the heart. I always aim for the heart. If she ducks I should still get lungs. Low entry and exit wounds are obviously more likely to produce good blood trails.
 
Sipsey said:
Every angle can be compensated for. A thorough knowledge of the anatomy and large bone positions are the starting point. The best method I ever heard was to visualize the exit. Where the arrow or bullet will end up, is more important than where it enters. This applies to every conceivable angle that presents itself. There used to be an animated site that demonstrated this very well.
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This is exactly what I was trying to say... :grinning:
 
Texas heart shot every time. Face down, butt in the air is the money shot.
57aeb9140a04a588b4ddd77a3c7036bd.jpg


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50+ years ago we dog hunted with buckshot. We were still taught lung area, but an old man said if you jumped a buck he would run through the swamp with his nose upwards and head tilted back to keep his rack from hanging up. He said, "If he's close enough, aim along the top of his back and catch the rear of his skull." Many of the serious meat hunters of old learned some good techniques. It worked.
 
I aim right behind the front leg at the bottom of the deer. They tend to drop, and most hunters hold too far back and end up center-punching deer all the time. If I'm gun hunting I might hold directly above the front leg because I don't have to worry about hitting the shoulder bone. 06 rounds tend to blow right through it.
 
I have always shot at the exit point on a quartering deer. Broadside I used to aim for the crease. Both shots have always worked great until last year. I use to always stop a slow walking deer for my shot. However this has led to a few that gave ducking or turning reactions immediately before my arrow arrived leading to a touch higher or off exact target hit. Last year I pulled waited for the step and released. Problem was his shoulder was rotating back when the arrow hit him broadside and I was met with the just hit plywood smack of a shoulder bone hit. Even though I shoot at 70lbs on my bow it didn't get through the shoulder for the kill due to using larger mechanical broadheads. If I'd have aimed back it'd have been a dead deer.

So to me shot placement is one thing, deer position, deers attitude (calm or jumpy) all come into play on a shot. You can be perfect with your shot but have other influences change the hit. Distance and equipment come into play as well.

Safest shot is probably double lung with hope of hitting the tail end of the heart. With a rifle it's a lot less critical.
 
This ones pretty simple.

A double lung shot should always be the goal because deer expire quicker by drowning in their blood than bleeding out and also the lungs are a bigger target than the heart and if you hit back you'll still hit the liver which is also a kill shot, but you may have to wait to find it.

The key is to know where the vitals are and aim at where you want your arrow to exit on the opposite side of the animal so that it passes through the vitals. This will always take into account the angle the deer is standing at because your not focused on the entry side.
 
T
BassBoysLLP said:
Texas heart shot every time. Face down, butt in the air is the money shot.
57aeb9140a04a588b4ddd77a3c7036bd.jpg


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That is not an ethical shot. I am a former bow hunting instructor for National bowhunter Education Foundation and the Pennsylvania Game Commission and I would never tell a student to shoot a deer like that. Like I said that is not ethical.
 
Apex7 said:
T

That is not an ethical shot. I am a former bow hunting instructor for National bowhunter Education Foundation and the Pennsylvania Game Commission and I would never tell a student to shoot a deer like that. Like I said that is not ethical.
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It was a joke. agreed. never should be taken.

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Broadside double lung and slightly quartering away aim for far leg . Double lung usually puts the deer down very fast and usually a very good blood trail. Go on the National bowhunter Education Foundation webpage and get yourself a picture of the anatomy of a whitetail deer and let your son study it.
 
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