Arrow Flinger
Moderator
Shot placement for Bow hunters
The objective- The objective for every shot taken at a game animal with either a bow or gun is a clean, quick kill. This should be your goal no matter how big or small the deer. I have heard many times of people taking a shot at a large buck even though the shot was low percentage. “ he was just too big for me to not try” That is a way of thinking we need to avoid. With a bow, death is the result of hemorrhaging. All vital shots are not created equal however. A liver shot will cause death but the animal can travel a great distance before the end. A heart shot will result in a quick death but I have still seen them travel several hundred yards after the shot. The heart is tucked in tight behind the shoulder and is a small target with a bow. If you shoot a little high, you hit shoulder. Low is a miss or leg hit. A double lung shot is what you should strive for and will cause massive bleeding and will also collapse the lungs resulting in a very quick death. This should be the goal of all bow hunters.

Slight Quartering away shot- This is on of the best shots for a double lung result when bow hunting. The aiming point will vary according to the angle the animal is moving so I like a slight quartering away shot the best. The steeper the angle the farther back the aiming point and the harder to get both lungs. Visualize the front elbow on the opposite side of the deer and that should be your aiming point.

Broadside shot- This is also a great shot that I love but you have to be careful to stay back from the shoulder. The aiming point should be in the center of the rib cage. Wait for the deer to take a step with the front leg that is facing you and that will open up a lot more area in the chest.

Quartering toward shot- This is a shot to be avoided. It is almost impossible to shoot far enough forward for a double lung shot without hitting the shoulder unless the angle is very slight. Wait and a better shot will usually materialize.

Rear shot- The rear or Texas heart shot as it is sometimes called is a definite pass shot with a bow. I have seen and heard of several deer being killed this way and it is possible but there is a very very slim margin for error. I have seen arrows hit the “bulls eye” under the tail for a fatal hit and there is also a major arteries running down each ham that is fatal if hit but if the arrow hits anywhere else, you have a wounded deer on your hands that may or may not survive.
Head on shot- This is also a shot to be avoided. The head ain’t an option and the vitals or only accessible through a very small target in the brisket area.

Neck shot- While this is an excellent shot with a firearm (shock) it is a very poor shot with a bow. The target is the spine or jugular vein and that is a very small area to hit. I have seen some deer shot in the neck travel many miles with a cut wind pipe and that ain’t a purty sight. Pass on this shot and wait for a better opportunity.
Elevated shooting- Since most of us hunt from an elevated stand, we need to be mindful of the effects the elevated position has on arrow placement. The higher the stand, the sharper the angle of the shot and therefore the higher we need to aim. When aiming, visualize the exit spot on the deer and aim accordingly . The straight down shot is also one that I avoid. I know it is tempting but with the awkward shooting position required to make this shot, it is easy to miss the spine and you end up with a single lung shot at best. If you do hit the spine, most of the time it is not a quick death and a follow up shot is required. Again, not a purty sight. Hunting from a high stand also decreases the accessibility of the vitals and makes them a smaller target. So keep that in mind when setting up your stand. In early season, when possible, I try to hunt anywhere from 12-15 feet high. For me, that is a good compromise. I will hunt higher and sometimes have to in the later season as the foliage opens up but I need to be more selective on my shots.
Shot selection is vital for successful bow hunting. Choose your shots carefully and you want have to be making excuses for wounded animals.
The objective- The objective for every shot taken at a game animal with either a bow or gun is a clean, quick kill. This should be your goal no matter how big or small the deer. I have heard many times of people taking a shot at a large buck even though the shot was low percentage. “ he was just too big for me to not try” That is a way of thinking we need to avoid. With a bow, death is the result of hemorrhaging. All vital shots are not created equal however. A liver shot will cause death but the animal can travel a great distance before the end. A heart shot will result in a quick death but I have still seen them travel several hundred yards after the shot. The heart is tucked in tight behind the shoulder and is a small target with a bow. If you shoot a little high, you hit shoulder. Low is a miss or leg hit. A double lung shot is what you should strive for and will cause massive bleeding and will also collapse the lungs resulting in a very quick death. This should be the goal of all bow hunters.

Slight Quartering away shot- This is on of the best shots for a double lung result when bow hunting. The aiming point will vary according to the angle the animal is moving so I like a slight quartering away shot the best. The steeper the angle the farther back the aiming point and the harder to get both lungs. Visualize the front elbow on the opposite side of the deer and that should be your aiming point.

Broadside shot- This is also a great shot that I love but you have to be careful to stay back from the shoulder. The aiming point should be in the center of the rib cage. Wait for the deer to take a step with the front leg that is facing you and that will open up a lot more area in the chest.

Quartering toward shot- This is a shot to be avoided. It is almost impossible to shoot far enough forward for a double lung shot without hitting the shoulder unless the angle is very slight. Wait and a better shot will usually materialize.

Rear shot- The rear or Texas heart shot as it is sometimes called is a definite pass shot with a bow. I have seen and heard of several deer being killed this way and it is possible but there is a very very slim margin for error. I have seen arrows hit the “bulls eye” under the tail for a fatal hit and there is also a major arteries running down each ham that is fatal if hit but if the arrow hits anywhere else, you have a wounded deer on your hands that may or may not survive.
Head on shot- This is also a shot to be avoided. The head ain’t an option and the vitals or only accessible through a very small target in the brisket area.

Neck shot- While this is an excellent shot with a firearm (shock) it is a very poor shot with a bow. The target is the spine or jugular vein and that is a very small area to hit. I have seen some deer shot in the neck travel many miles with a cut wind pipe and that ain’t a purty sight. Pass on this shot and wait for a better opportunity.
Elevated shooting- Since most of us hunt from an elevated stand, we need to be mindful of the effects the elevated position has on arrow placement. The higher the stand, the sharper the angle of the shot and therefore the higher we need to aim. When aiming, visualize the exit spot on the deer and aim accordingly . The straight down shot is also one that I avoid. I know it is tempting but with the awkward shooting position required to make this shot, it is easy to miss the spine and you end up with a single lung shot at best. If you do hit the spine, most of the time it is not a quick death and a follow up shot is required. Again, not a purty sight. Hunting from a high stand also decreases the accessibility of the vitals and makes them a smaller target. So keep that in mind when setting up your stand. In early season, when possible, I try to hunt anywhere from 12-15 feet high. For me, that is a good compromise. I will hunt higher and sometimes have to in the later season as the foliage opens up but I need to be more selective on my shots.
Shot selection is vital for successful bow hunting. Choose your shots carefully and you want have to be making excuses for wounded animals.
Sometimes everything I know just goes out the widow right before I shoot. 
IF it had not been for a twig 
Sometimes luck is better than befing good 
