psmother

While leaving my hunting area (public land) Sunday morning I spotted a dead doe approx. 100 yards away, in a wooded area. I thought I could possibly help someone locate the deer, so I first went to the deer to check it out. Someone had shot the doe almost straight down, probably with 24-48 hours ago. The arrow had just grazed the side of the doe's midsection and, amazing, did not have an exit wound, it was still sticking up out the the doe's "back". There was no blood - although it had rained the day before. This was a very sad sight for me, and I'm guessing the doe died a slow and agonizing death. I also can't understand how the person didn't find this deer. I spotted it from 100 yards away! Why would someone take a shot like this? Granted, the doe did die, but how far did it travel, how long did it live after the shot? Would you take this shot?

nubo

Well it's just possible that that deerHAS gone a real long way before it died, as you said it probablydied a veryslow and agonizing death. That is a possibility. But to maiking shot's like that are all wrong in my opinion as well. Unfortunately this happen's all the time .

I wouldn't try the shot myself ,but then that's ME.

nubo

Bulzeye

I avoid the straight down shots.
No chance to hit both lungs, and with an arrow that should be the goal.
If you spine him, a second shot will be easy, but hitting just one lung can make for a LONG day, and the heart is pretty well protected from directly above.

To avoid straight down shots, I try to set up at least 10 yards to the side of a trail, and not too far up in the air so that the angle won't be so steep. A shootermight also wait until the deer moves a bit further away, and then make a noise to get the deer to turn before shooting.

There are far worse shots to be taken with a bow than the one we are discussing. At least you can hit vitals shooting straight down, but I still avoid them.

Buck Huntin Girl

I wouldn't take one I don't think. I probably wouldn't have to worry about it because if a deer is under my stand, he/she is on their way across the ditch, which presents and excellent shot opportunity for me.

I have never practiced a shot like that, so No, I wouldn't take it. I only take shots I practice. I won't even take a sitting shot for the same reason.

I'm

cwillard

Last year I made a bad shot on a doe (gut shot.) I waited and hour before I got down to trail it and I wound up scaring it up and it was in thicket so couldn't get another shot. it got dark and I had to wait till the next morning before I could go look again. I found an awesome blood trail and I could tell it kept laying down but coyotes must have kept jumping it up.I trail it for about 2 miles. eventuallythe yotes must havegot to it. [&o] O and no I wouldn't make that shot.

pastorkhris

That's tough- bad decision making on that hunter's part.

wi_buckstomper

i dont take straight down shots, where is the deer gonna go? Unless it smells you its gonna give u a better shot. I like to wait untill it gets out to at least 8 or 10 yards

LeftyBuckmaster

my buddy did this this fall he had a doe come in and what he called a 10 yd shot turned out to be a 4 yd shot and he apparently gut shot the doe also because there was chewed up corn in the blood i found when i helped him track it but we never found it the next week he gave me a call and said he shot a buck and i waited 30 min and then headed over to where his stand was to help him track it well we tracked it through grass dirt leaves corn and finally after about 500-600 yds of tracking the trail went into a pond and we put waders on and looked in the pond and went along the edge of the pond to see if it ever exited but it didn't so we gave up the search for the night but the next day he went back and the buck's head was floatin up on top of the water and we got him out then but when i looked at where he shot the deer it was way to far back and got the liver when i asked him if he ever checked the sights on his bow after the bad shot with the doe he said i dont remember and then he said i guess i never did if he would have taken the time to check the sights and make good shots we would never have had any problems but that is his problem to work out. although things like this make all hunters look bad to the anti's if it makes the news but it also makes other hunters angry if they come upon a deer that was shot at badly and had a slow death it is our resoponsibility to make sure when we take a shot there is as little time as possible for that animal to suffer and that me make good clean kills