Whitetail reflexes (traditional archery)

[okie archer]

I have only killed 4 deer with trad archery. It's been awhile so I'm trying again this year. I have already missed two does. This morning I literally watched a doe duck at the sound of the shot. I watched the arrow fly about 4" over her back as she ducked to launch. I'm hunting out of a ground blind. She was relaxed when I shot. Shot was 17ish yards.
Thinking about aiming 9"-10" low to compensate for the lightning fast reflexes but then maybe the next one won't duck.

 

[Dougfirtree]

Just curious: How quiet is your bow (and your arrows)? I do think aiming a little low is reasonable, given how fast their reflexes are, but your specifics make me wonder if you could quiet your setup down a bit.

 

[pabearhunter]

Was the doe relaxed by eating or looking away at something ?

 

[Flatbrimmer]

I’ve been wondering the same thing. These Midwest guys make shooting whitetail with an arrow look easy but they always duck way farther than I’d like to “intentionally” aim at.

 

[okie archer]

Was the doe relaxed by eating or looking away at something ?

Relaxed head down eating.

 

[okie archer]

Just curious: How quiet is your bow (and your arrows)? I do think aiming a little low is reasonable, given how fast their reflexes are, but your specifics make me wonder if you could quiet your setup down a bit.

I shoot a black widow. I have limb silencers as well as 4 string silencers.

 

[Dougfirtree]

I shoot a black widow. I have limb silencers as well as 4 string silencers.

In that case, I'd say you likely just have to write it off as the reality of whitetails and their reactions. They won't do it everytime, but they will sometimes. I'd say aim a bit on the low side, but don't shoot under the deer and just accept that they'll beat you sometimes.
I shot my first deer with a longbow, at 6 yards. He didn't jump the string, but he reacted so fast that his shoulder cut the back third of the arrow off before it got in him. The front 2/3 went out the other side.

 

[Northwoods]

When a deer has its head down their eyes roll up allowing them to continue looking around. They are not looking at the ground.

 

[3855WIN]

Aim for the bottom of the chest cavity. In the Deep South, I’ve had whitetails jump the string a bunch. Never had that problem in Kansas.
I’ve known hunters who purposely sighted in their bow low so that they wouldn’t have to remember to aim low.