Aiming Under Deer

[JustinsDad]

I’ve hunted all my life mostly with rifles. About 3 years ago my son and I got compound bows and built an archery range in our pasture. We have done lots of practice out there. We’ve also shot plenty of pigs with our bows and he got his first bull elk by bow last year. We drew a good tag for deer and we need help. We’re unsure how low to aim at a deer. The deer hears the release and crouches down getting ready to jump, I get that. Do you guys aim low to account for this? How low? I assume the farther the shot, the lower you gotta aim to a certain distance but I am guessing. Any info from experienced archery deer hunters would be appreciated

 

[338Sh00ter]

I’ve hunted all my life mostly with rifles. About 3 years ago my son and I got compound bows and built an archery range in our pasture. We have done lots of practice out there. We’ve also shot plenty of pigs with our bows and he got his first bull elk by bow last year. We drew a good tag for deer and we need help. We’re unsure how low to aim at a deer. The deer hears the release and crouches down getting ready to jump, I get that. Do you guys aim low to account for this? How low? I assume the farther the shot, the lower you gotta aim to a certain distance but I am guessing. Any info from experienced archery deer hunters would be appreciated

It depends. 12 yard shot, the arrow arrives before they jump the string. 35 yards, they might not hear it enough to jump the string. There’s a whole bunch of varianles between 12 and 35 that happen. FYI, I’ve never aimed off the deer, no.

 

[TheBenHoyle]

I always hit a little low and to the right of where I aim. Maybe an inch low and an inch to the right. I always just aim at the spot where you want to hit them and for the most part it has worked out.

I have had a couple jump the string and I shot over top of them, but they were both agitated deer who I probably shouldn't have shot at. If they were calmly feeding they would probably gotten the arrow right in the kill zone. For the record, they were both out at 30 yards.

 

[Bob-WY]

Whitetails or mulies?

IMO never aim off the body. Not all deer duck, in my experience most don't. I've had 1 duck, 25 yards and I hit spine. She was on ultra high alert when she came in

I've never had a relaxes deer duck, I know they do, but where I hunt its rare and its heavily bow hunted

 

[Fire_9]

Unless you're hunting heavily pressured deer I wouldn't worry about it at all. I would always aim to kill the deer. Don't overthink it

 

[Mallardsx2]

Bowhunter of 30 years here.

I don't aim under an animal. Never have. Never will.

If I have to aim under an animal, the shot is too far and/or your bow is too loud. Thats just my opinion.

I always aim 1/3 of the way up from the armpit (heart). If they drop 6-8" you still got them in high lungs.

 

[Sheltowee]

Never hold off hair (either above or below) for your first shot. Grant Woods at Growing Deer did a really good video testing deer drop and reaction times at various ranges a couple of years ago. You might check it out:

 

[rogerthat]

Bottom third. Never aim off the animal or under it as you will miss under if they don’t jump the string

 

[88man]

On whitetails and I have shot alot with the bow I always aim 1/4 way up, " like a heart shot"

 

[rjthehunter]

Never hold off the deer. I always aim for a heart shot, then IF it ducks, it'll typically be a lung shot. I also have no interest in shooting a deer past 40 yards unless the conditions are perfect and the deer is completely unaware of me.

 

[Joe Hulburt]

On deer I aim as low as I would like to hit the vitals but never off the vitals.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Bottom third. Never aim off the animal or under it as you will miss under if they don’t jump the string

Or, more than likely you will hit it in the leg(s) or you will cut their tendons in the back of their legs, not find the deer, and the coyotes will eventually kill it after it suffers for a couple days. Its just not a good situation for anyone other than the coyotes.

 

[kansasdad]

@Sheltowee This video should be part of archery hunter safety training.

My aim thoughts:

Head up and relaxed and close as possible, and in the bottom of the vital zone. Dead deer if they "jump the string" or not.

 

[Sheltowee]

@Sheltowee This video should be part of archery hunter safety training.

My aim thoughts:

Head up and relaxed and close as possible, and in the bottom of the vital zone. Dead deer if they "jump the string" or not.

Dr. Woods is super knowledgeable, particularly on creating somewhat natural deer habitat. He pioneered a foodplot method designed to roughly mimic the ecological impact of migrating bison. Think he has been in not great health the last couple of years but his YouTube channel is still worth a watch.

 

[Steiny77]

Unless you're hunting heavily pressured deer I wouldn't worry about it at all. I would always aim to kill the deer. Don't overthink it

My thoughts also.
This is something the TV hunters talk about frequently and even sometimes show vids of. I've never had the issue.

 

[JustinsDad]

Great answers. You all said about the same thing so I won’t worry about aiming low. Being a rifle hunter I never considered if the deer was on high alert or not. I get your point though. The deer I hunt are just little black tail so they act like regular mule deer. Thanks to all of you for straightening me out on this. My son and I have always been ethical hunters and we don’t take low percentage shots. I had just read about the drop deer do but I think it isnt likely to happen and there is probably some media hype to it.

 

[rjthehunter]

Great answers. You all said about the same thing so I won’t worry about aiming low. Being a rifle hunter I never considered if the deer was on high alert or not. I get your point though. The deer I hunt are just little black tail so they act like regular mule deer. Thanks to all of you for straightening me out on this. My son and I have always been ethical hunters and we don’t take low percentage shots. I had just read about the drop deer do but I think it isnt likely to happen and there is probably some media hype to it.

You're on the right track! Just aim for the heart, and you'll end up with a good shot, even if it drops. A big thing with whitetail for me is keeping shots 40 yards or closer!

 

[Flatbrimmer]

I’ve hunted all my life mostly with rifles. About 3 years ago my son and I got compound bows and built an archery range in our pasture. We have done lots of practice out there. We’ve also shot plenty of pigs with our bows and he got his first bull elk by bow last year. We drew a good tag for deer and we need help. We’re unsure how low to aim at a deer. The deer hears the release and crouches down getting ready to jump, I get that. Do you guys aim low to account for this? How low? I assume the farther the shot, the lower you gotta aim to a certain distance but I am guessing. Any info from experienced archery deer hunters would be appreciated

The other day I shot a doe from 25 yards quartering away slightly.

I aimed right at her heart and she ducked so low I hit her right behind the ear.

 

[3855WIN]

Whitetails in the South will drop about a full body link.
Old buddy used to just site in low and aimed like he normally would.

 

[JustinsDad]

I wonder if white tail react differently to the release than blacktail