I'm usually at least 20', most of the time higher depending on cover. Most of my 20' sits have great cover behind me & in front of me. I have one sit that's measured 33' but I have little cover there I only shoot 30yrds there, anything closer gets into brush & vital shrink.
Bowsage, the kill zone is bigger at ground but I think a low exit wound bleeds out better than a horizontal entrance and exit half way up the chest. The chest cavity has to fill up as opposed to pouring out a bottom chest wound. Just my thoughts ! Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I am sitting at 12-15, and realized this year a major flaw of my stand is that on a small burl about 20 yards from my stand deer can easily pick me off. Though I have also shot a deer of that same spot, I beleive i need to better conceal my stand
Where was the sun? I ask this because to many hunters setup without taking this into consideration. It should be behind you. I have stand sites that work in the morning but I am busted in the evening and vice - versus on others. Some sites because of Terrain are good all day long. In Kansas wind is key in site selection so that will casue choice of set up. Shooting lanes and entry / exit routes play a part as well. Just trying to get higher to cover up poor stand site will cause you to have less targeting choices. Double lung is best for recovery... after 20 feet in height that becomes pert near impossible at 30 feet your target is baseball sized and short of spine shot odds of recovery are rising against you. I will risk being busted at 16 feet than wounding a deer at 30 feet any day.
I hunt 15ft ladder stands, 20' hang on, and 25-30' climber all seem to have the risk of getting busted depending on weather, and surroundings Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Both lungs aren't always a must, as this pic shows. Too high up, too tight into the tree, not a problem. This guy was maybe 10 yrds out. This second deer was about 10yrds out and I was 30' up. One lung and the heart.
Type of tree and cover dictate how high I sit. I've had trees I sat in where I was only 12 feet up as it was better cover than going higher. Usually though I like to be in the 15-18 feet range. One thing I've noticed a lot though is people mis-judge how high they really are frequently. I've had guys tell me they were 20 feet up but when I saw the stand they were really only about 14-15 feet. I like to tie a small knot or loop in my rope to pull up my bow at 15 feet. That way I know right were the 15 foot mark is and then can get a better estimate on really how high I am.
I have had good pass-thrus from the ground this year, but I was expecting better blood. It wasn't bad, just not bucket fulls until the last 5-20 yards. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I agree. My kills have not been double-lung kills. I think 1 of the following is adequate, although not desirable: major artery, lung, heart, or liver. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
. I posted this on a different thread , 20' high , 20 yards.. just for reference. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Everybody says how they strive to get a double lung shot, which is fine in a perfect world, but it's been my experience that a deer almost never shows up in that perfect position for this to happen. So, being able to put a killing shot on a deer that's in a less than desirable position/location is important. jmo
Not a problem, IF you practice that kind of shot often, and get very good at it. In my experience, with a lot of guys it is the #1 reason why guys either miss high, or hit high and get no penetration and lose deer. Bending at the waist, and making sure your sight is centered in your peep, is key with this shot.
Imoh It is not necessarily about getting both lungs but about not just getting one lung. A steeper angle does open up the heart but makes the off lung more difficult. A little bit of angle may increase the kill zone slightly, but as you get an steeper angle it gets smaller. Sent from my iPad using Bowhunting.com Forums
True that ! My buck last year left 0 blood trail , but the shot was in the boiler room and I heard him crash ! And knew about where he was. My biggest buck so far, 10ptr scoring in the 140s Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Practice Practice Practice ! I hunt from a tree at 20' -25' so I practice that way. I shoot both dot targets and deer replicas for various angles and distances. I also shoot bottle caps out to 15 yards and hit or glance them with 95% of the time so if I feel I need to shoot a extremely close shot I have huge confidence I can put that arrow exactly where I'm aiming. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Oh my, gotta love the title of some of these posts! "How high is too high?" I'd say that depends on the individual, some people seem to get smarter the higher they get.
