I personally always aim low especially on doe and more so on alert ones. A deer head down can jump string .more than with head up shots.
First thing, good on you to continue the track and get a 2nd shot off. Congrats on a nice doe! Sometimes, especially when alert, deer can drop close to a foot when they load up to take off. Aiming low helps, but each deer is different and how much they drop is out of your control. These things happen so don't beat yourself up too much. I struggle as well with not aiming low enough. If I miss it's typically right over the deer's back. I'm glad to were able to get a follow up shot. Enjoy the fresh venison!
I am betting she reacted at the shot. It is amazing how fast an alert whitetail can react. That is a big reason why you hit high, happens to many. Don't beat yourself up too much over it. You gained some experience and learned from it. Like OND said above, many hunters hold a bit low and let the deer drop into the arrow. Contrary to what you'd think, they drop faster when their head is down and they are feeding than they do when it is up and they're looking around. The more close encounters you have, the more you'll be able to calm down for the shot. It is also why lots of practice helps us so much, in the heat of the moment we need muscle memory to take over. Many times, when I take a shot at an animal, I do not remember hitting my anchor points, checking my sight level, or starting my shot process. Great job staying with the track. I wouldn't have guessed it to be a lethal hit from your arrow pics, very little blood and mostly fat on it. So glad it turned out otherwise for you.
Thank you! Yeah, I felt pretty bad for the animal, and was glad I was able to finish what I started. You live and you learn. I will be able to teach my children these lessons, so there is value there. I had no instruction and was all largely self-taught, so it comes with the territory.
Remember to aim for exit, account for elevation, and try not to shoot an alert doe with ears facing you. Congrats on getting her. Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
How many deer have you shot? I encourage new hunters to shoot deer. If it's not a fawn, shoot it. There is a lot more to hunting than being a good shot at targets. You will learn how to become a better shot on live deer in real situations the more deer you shoot. You will learn to watch the arrow, watch how the deer reacts, watch where it runs and how it runs. The more deer you track, the better you will become at assessing the blood on the arrow, learning how long to wait until tracking, and how become better at taking your time and actually tracking and finding signs of where they went when the blood is tough to find. Awesome job recovering the doe.
That is deer number 2, number one was a 152” 10 pointer which was also with archery equipment. Didn’t start hunting til I was an adult and spent a long hiatus duck hunting before returning to the deer woods
Yeah it was surreal. Long story but it was just spooky how it unfolded. God was involved. It bedded down directly in front of my stand about 21 yards out. That one I executed perfectly, thank God.
