Hey guys jus need some imput from all you advanced archers on here. So as many of yall know i shot u doe fawn last year, first archery deer for me ever. I never did recover the animal due to a gut shot. Fast forward to opening day of this season shot my first ever archery buck, full velvet, scored 153" and a flat brute!, gut shot him also actually if it hadnt been for a very good friend that is a very good tracker i pry wouldnt have found him. Tonight i shot a doe, yes i shot my live bait, i have filled my buck tag for the year so now i fill freezer. But the problem i need help with is i gut shot this animal also seen were my nock hit and was instantly sick, Thankfully she was quartering away a lot more then i thought and it did the job Recovered her speedly and wasnt as bad as i expected, so i am happy about that the deer only went 100-125 yards at the most. My question is, first of all why? Secondly is there somthing im doin? Thirdly (if thats a word) i practice a lot and if somethin dnt change i may give up bowhunting becuse its no fun tracking gut shot animals.. Thanks for your imput in advance
You need help on your grammar skills too. Anyways, have you made sure your sight is correctly sighted in? It may be a little off to the left or to the right. Nice buck by the way.
I know the grammer is bad, but hey i dnt edit for a living.. with broadheads the groups are on and ok, field points are really good. Jus dnt know if im not compensating for angles or what Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
the shot on the doe if she was quartering away was nicely done. Actually, practice helps, but the more you can get your nerves under control the better it will get. remember, everyone on a bow hunting forum is a champion archer, sarcasm, just keep at it and practice and practice staying calm. If your broadheads are just "ok" that could also be your issue. a poorly tuned bow and shooter error is a disaster waiting to happen. go to a bow shop and paper tune and have them watch you shoot...have them coach you some.
The first question I would try to answer is why your broadheads are just OK compared to your practice tips. I will not dive into that debate as I know it will derail this thread but it is a fact some heads shoot much more consistent than others if the bow is not tuned to them. The other thing I would mention is how you are aiming. The doe you just shot you put a great shot on a hard quartering deer. My own personal rule is to always try to hit the back side shoulder of the animal. So in essence I am not even picking a spot I can see but instead aiming for the exit hole. This would ensure a viatal area hit and also makes me concentrate a bit harder while aiming my shot. BTW that is a great buck last year congrats
Agree with previous poster, quartering shots you aim through the deer to where you want the arrow to come out. The shot on the doe, while did impact the gut area actually exited the lungs so was a good shot. Keep after it and it will get better. A 3D target is also a good idea. Where at in KY, the area I am in has been devastated by EHD with some estimates as high as 80% of the herd killed.
Agree with aiming for the exit hole. Practice from a tree stand with your hunting clothes on. Aim small .... miss small. Really zero your pin behind the shoulder. It's easy to move your focus to the bigger part of the deer. Take a few extra seconds at full draw and settle the pin where you want it to go.
Thanks everyone!! Im in south central barren, monroe, allen, county junction aka the little town of fountain run. The deer here ate good in spots the deer i shot was really good for this area and one of the biggest ive ever seen on the farm so i was pumpd.. He was jus a touch over 20" inside to inside. Back to my shots. I did take my bow and paper tune it after i gut my buck and it was way off. After that everything was a lot more consistent. Also switched to a solid G5 montec broadhead and it made even betr shots. My bow tech says the bow im shootin is very hard to tune 100% but we got it as close as possible. I do agree with the calming down part and not rushing shots. Jus trying to figure out why if i aim behind the shoulder of the deer and there quartering i hit guts on the entry. I guess it exited right wer i was aiming. Jus doesnt make sence Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Something that happens to me is my grip. I'm very relaxed when target practice, but when shoot at a deer the first thing to Brake down is my grip. I have to be very mindful of my grip while shooting. A little hand torque and it can change the point of impact drastically.
Three things come to mind for you: Wait for the shot you want. That quartering shot on that doe is very extreme in my mind. Practice in your hunting gear. A face mask, more clothes and a glove may change your impact point by a few inches. When you stop the deer. Take the time to get the pin exactly where you want it. They usually stay still for a very long time. Only shooting live animals will allow you to improve at this. I too have lost a couple deer, but since I started using tip 2 and 3 here, I have recovered every deer in the last 5 years (11 deer).
Well from what I saw your sighted in and your missing the mark on the deer. Number 1 thing in my book is that your rushing the shot, pounding your release once the sight goes to target. I've done it and you will not be accurate. Alow for that extra few seconds to bounce that pin in the kill zone and squeeze the trigger slowly. By slowing down you will be a lot better off. Number 2 if your not doing what is above you may be pulling your bow away to watch that arrow that would throw you right or left. I focus on keeping the bow stationary all the way through impact. Don't worry you will see that arrow. If your doing the two things above with good form and taking good shots under 30 you will be in good shape. If your aiming behind the shoulder and not hitting there no matter what angle your missing the mark. Are there any similarities to your misses are they left or right or both?
Looks like you have carbon shafts... they can be bare shaft tuned to tighten up groups. (This will help on left - right) . Do your hunting shafts have lighted jocks? Then your Practice shafts need them as well to keep your FOC the same. Given the penetration on that doe it looks like a good broadhead.
You use a bag/block target or an actual deer target? A lot of people have this problem, I use to as well. I killed a lot of deer with liver shots. The issue I had was not aiming small and picking a spot. Going to a deer target helps a lot with this. When the time comes to shoot while hunting their isn't a black or red dot on a Whitetails body like a bag/block target has, it all kind of blends in, and its much easier to shoot towards the large mid section of the body because it simply stands out when aiming. Practice finding your spot, aim small and let er rip!
Thanks guys I appreciate the imput! I try to aim behind the shoulder and not move till the arrow hits. Also i noticed that when i practice if i move to a 45 degree angle and shoot i alway shoot right or left a few inches never hit the spot im aiming on entry. Now put that on a deer it would alway exit right but the entry is off but exit is good so do i need to compensate for that or is it ok it enters back but exits good!?! I hope im not confusing Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Yes i have lighted nocks and i practice with my hunting shafts jus notice tho its much harder to get a good group. Like ther is no forgiveness at at all, if i make one small little flinch or wrong movement its way off. Maybe thats how everyone finds it Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Are you picking a spot on the deer to aim or just putting your pin on the deer. Breathing makes a big difference in getting steady. Deep breathes in your nose and out your mouth Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
