Pennsylvania Game News - July 2012 - 58

critical. When you pick a site for your stand, anticipate where a deer might move through your area and set the stand up so you are most likely to get a broadside passing shot or a quartering away shot. A deer heading directly toward or away from you does not present an ethical shot. A shot from the front must be made with a deer looking directly at you and the tough brisket will limit penetration and guarantee almost no blood trail. A shot from the rear will result in a massive muscle wound if the animal is struck in the hind quarter and a gut shot if hit low between the legs. While a hit in the femoral artery, which runs the length of the leg, would be fatal, it is a target about half the size of a small drinking straw, which you can’t see. When either frontal or rear shots present themselves it must be considered a no-shoot situation. A word of caution when shooting at a slowing deer that presents a broadside shot. It is quite common to get a shot at a feeding deer. If a deer is perfectly still while feeding simply hold behind the front leg slightly down from the center of the chest cavity. However, deer are seldom motionless when feeding. They move very slowly, almost half a step at a time. In doing so, their front leg goes forward on the step and backward across the body when they step forward with the leg on the opposite side. Never shoot when the front leg on the side of the animal towards you is in the rear position because the heavy leg bone and shoulder blade will be covering the bulk of the heart-lung area. A shot with a deer in this position is almost certain to result in a hit in the leg bone or shoulder blade, severely limiting penetration, resulting in a crippled deer with no blood trail. The same logic applies to a deer that is slowly walking. Time your release for when the animal is stepping forward. A quartering away shot eliminates most of this concern, because the arrow is entering behind the shoulder and leg bone if properly placed, but it is still advisable to
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time the shot with the leg forward. A deer’s attitude is also a key factor in determining “Where” and “When” to shoot. Everything previously discussed applies to a calm deer unaware of any danger. That all changes when a deer comes into your stand that has been spooked by another hunter or catches your movement or scent and becomes alert. Although less frequent, a deer can be put on alert by something other than a hunter. I remember once while sitting concealed in a treestand being surrounded by six doe, all of which were completely relaxed and slowly feeding. Suddenly a grouse that had been sitting unnoticed by me or the deer flushed from some underbrush. I almost fell out of the tree and every deer snorted and took a jump or two, fully on alert. After what seemed like hours, the deer walked off, stiff-legged, into the thicket, still on alert. A deer that approaches your stand on alert or goes on alert when it is in your area will bolt at the slightest sound or movement. A deer that bolts or jumps to escape must first drop its body slightly to coil its legs. Try it. If you stand up straight and try to jump up you must first bend your knees. If you are taking a shot at an alert deer hold lower than normal. If the deer does not move and your aim is true you will hit slightly low and still get a lung-heart hit. However, if you hold on the middle of the deer and it drops its body in preparation to jump, you will either hit high or miss over the top of the back. This simple reflex of crouching before jumping on the part of the deer is what many bowhunters believe is the deer seeing the arrow coming and ducking out of the way. Nothing could be further from the truth; the deer simply crouched in order to jump. Hold low on any deer within range that is on alert and they will actually crouch into the arrow. Protect and promote responsible bowhunting. Remember the four “Ws,” practice, always use a sharp broadhead, and take only ethical, responsible shots. 
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Pennsylvania Game News - July 2012

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