Simple lets look at each separate: First: Pneumothrox caused by trauma from the OUTSIDE of the thoracic cavity...a single lung hit. A deer, a person ect can live some times indefinitely with a spontaneous Pneumothrox.....the wound can seal( healing, clogged with fat, dirt hair ect) quickly enough to maintain negative pressure in the thoracic cavity. Pneumothorax occurs when air leaks into the space between your lungs and chest wall. This air pushes on the outside of your lung and makes it collapse. In most cases, only a portion of the lung collapses. Comparing this to the penetration buy blunt force( an arrow ) this through the diaphragm.....You negate the change in pressure between the negative-pressure thoracic cavity and positive-pressure abdominal cavity....think equal. Think no chance of successful respiration. Gut shoot deer are entirely different story. unless you get lucky a gut shot deer does not sustain any significant trauma nor hemorrhage, paunch shot deer usually die of sepsis within a defined time.
Funny you guys bring this up. Here's a screenshot from my 10 year old sons Hunters safety Course. We just covered this.
I have a hard time thinking that is a good shot! Now a perfect shot, OK ...but like Joe said, a head shot would work by that definition....look how small that target area is...a frontal shot looks bigger to me
Not quite that sharp but close I've shot many deer and bear. There's more room for error in my opinion.
Tony, that shot angle above is a slam dunk in my opinion. Although I like them a little less quartered, Ive cleaned the clocks of many deer in that shot position and they almost always run less than 50 yds before dying.
I will take my stand in the middle. It CAN be a good shot, and that angle has killed thousands of critters. One thing I learned with sharper quartering away shots is to keep the shots under 25 yards, preferably much closer. I shot a doe a few years back that was quartering away at 30 yards as she was eating in the field. She had her head down, but as I released, she had turned her head slightly to the right, herein causing her rear to move only a inch or two... in the way of my intended path for the arrow. I was fortunate to do enough damage and I found her within 200 yards the next morning.
I'd take that shot and would feel comfortable doing so. You can do a lot of damage to the internals at that angle.
I've taken a shot similar to the original illustration more then a dozen times over the years with 100% recovery rate. However, IMHO, I think your POI is to far forward. I would suggest to always aim at the opposite leg. The angle of entry is more critical on a hard quartering away shot. To close is every bit difficult if not more than to far away. Last years I buck I harvest was more of the shot illustrator in the hunting education pamphlet. Stand height was approximately 22 feet and the buck was less than 15 yards. Arrow place 4 inches left of his backbone about halfway back. Broad-head poked through his arm pit. Buck was dead within 20 sec. I' prefer this shot over the broadside as I am shoulder leery and have a tendency to aim a little back. I've been burned one to many times hitting the shoulder even with the toughest broad-heads. Practice, practice, practice....
I would take the shot on quartering away deer unless it is really severely quartering away. That makes a difference on the discussion also. I don't like the picture in the hunters ed as a good shot. Pretty good chance of ruining back roast with that shot also. In general I agree with taking a quartering away shot though.
I have tried this a few times and always manage to hit the spine. What an unnecessary bloody mess, that can really end badly. I am with you on this one. That is a tough angle from a tree.
because contrary to quartering to shot, you will always pop the diaphragm, which any living creature with lungs cannot live long without. I aim so the arrow comes out just outside the opposite shoulder on broadside to quartering away shots. Broadside is always the best, but I don't mind a quartering away shot at all
Agree 100%! With a big expandable you will do some real damage with a "well placed" shot @ that angle. I'll take that shot all day long. IMHO.
This is a great discussion. Many of you say you would take the shot but out to how many yards? If your comfortable taking a 50 yard shot on a broadside deer does the same hold true for the quartering away shot? For me if they are quartering away hard I am probably not going to take that shot past 35 yards just because I would be to worried about deer movement.
I was always told that a quartering away shot was the best shot to take since you get more of the vital area. This shot seems a little hard but it can be done.
I just took a 20 yard shot on my first bow buck on opening day. (first buck i even attempted at shooting with a bow). He was slightly quartering away and he dropped at 15 yards. Aimed at the offside shoulder. I always thought/was told this is a great shot to take. The offside shoulder gives you somethign to aim at and is often times a lethal shot. I agree that there's some risk involved. That said, this is a shot I would take on a "shooter" buck. As for does, given that you typically can harvest does multiple times a year, i would wait for broadside shot. if i didn't get one, so be it, i know i would see a doe during my next sit.... Skill, confidence, as well as personal experience plays a lot in the decision as well...
