Shooting from a tree stand.

[Gilmore]

I bought my first bow about 2 1/2 months ago and got my first chance at a buck last night. He was 22 yds away broadside, I put my 20 yd pin dead on him and released an arrow that cleared his back by about 2". My question is will my arrow fly flatter therefore hitting higher, like a bullet when shooting downhill or did I just flat out miss. My stand is 15' where my feet are so when I stand up my arrow is around 20'. I have been shooting around 150 arrows a week in my backyard and I out to 30 yds I am very confident and this deer was well inside that range.

I'm dissapointed I missed but I tell ya my heart had the stress test of it's life. I wasn't shaky but I could here my blood going through my ears and just about see my heart pounding out my coat after it was over. I could hardly sleep last night, just replayed it over and over. Felt like I was 13 again after taking my first buck with my Dad. I can hardly wait to get back up there.

Thanks
Chad

[Jetboater]

22 yds down hill and 22 straight across are two totally different things from a tree stand, the best bet is to range a tree nearest where the animal will walk out but range the tree at your height, you probably actually had him at about 12-15 yds, you will also have to aim at the bottom of the cavity at that soet of range because your arrow is still checking up before it starts to arch.... if you have a porch you can shoot from or an extremely steep bank I would practice that shot again and again.... after missing an animal I always try to shoot at an object where the animal was... pick a leaf and try and hit it... makes a big difference in the long run... but hey I missed a big 4 point last week at 35 yds....

[Bow Walker]

What he said....:idea:

[Gilmore]

Thanks guy's I should have known better, right Clarke!

Chad

[Franko Manini]

A common mistake made by all mortal bowhunters is that they get up into their stand, whip out their rangefinder and range a few landmarks for reference. This gives them the "line of sight" distance. If you know that gravity acts on the arrow only on the distance it travels parallel to the ground, then the smart thing to do is range your landmarks PRIOR to climbing into your stand. Then you know the actual distance you'll be shooting at. Truth be told, in your situation, it probably didn't make enough difference to matter. But it can, especially with close in shots.

In your situation, if you were 15' up, and the deer was 20 yards away (line of sight), the actual distance gravity acted on your arrow was about 19 yards (58.2 feet). So that's the difference between shooting on flat ground at 19 vs. 20 yards.

Now, go home and try it out. Shoot a group at 19 yards and a group at 20 yards using the same 20 yard pin. The drop should only be an inch or so. Not significant in this case.

[J_T]

Yup, Pythagorean Theorem. Pay attention.:p But as Franko says, it probably didn't impact your shot that much. You were probably looking at the horns.

Aim small, miss small.

[The 'Hummer']

Possibly a small degree of 'jumping' the string?

[quadrakid]

you think that was a rush,wait till you put an arrow into your first archery buck, good luck and hope it happens for ya soon.

[Gilmore]

A common mistake made by all mortal bowhunters is that they get up into their stand, whip out their rangefinder and range a few landmarks for reference. This gives them the "line of sight" distance. If you know that gravity acts on the arrow only on the distance it travels parallel to the ground, then the smart thing to do is range your landmarks PRIOR to climbing into your stand. Then you know the actual distance you'll be shooting at. Truth be told, in your situation, it probably didn't make enough difference to matter. But it can, especially with close in shots.

In your situation, if you were 15' up, and the deer was 20 yards away (line of sight), the actual distance gravity acted on your arrow was about 19 yards (58.2 feet). So that's the difference between shooting on flat ground at 19 vs. 20 yards.

Now, go home and try it out. Shoot a group at 19 yards and a group at 20 yards using the same 20 yard pin. The drop should only be an inch or so. Not significant in this case.


Not significant is right. Today I went back to my stand and before I went into the tree I took a mandarin orange I had in my pack and I put it around the same spot I believed the deer was standing yesterday. I ranged it from the stand at 23.5 yds, 1 yard off. No actiion this evening so just before I came down I fired 2 arrows holding directly on with the same pin at the orange and missed both times.. by less than 2". The third arrow made a nice slice down the right side. Apparently it is much easier too shoot a minature orange than a full grown deer.:D

I'm totally hooked now and thanks everyone, I'm sure I'll have many more rookie questions coming at you so stay tuned.

Chad

[Bow Walker]

Hey Chad...most won't admit it but we all are either reminded of a fact or point that we forgot, or we learn something new from what you term "rookie questions". ;)

Keep 'em comin' and good luck out in your stand. 8-) Don't forget the Man Law though.

[Gateholio]

Thanks guy's I should have known better, right Clarke!

Chad


I predict that you will fall off your treestand and die a horrible death. At that point, I will experience great catharsis, as the only witness to my biggest blunder will no longer be able to torment me.:cool:


Also, when you are dead, I will hit on your hot wife. Repeatedly.

[happygilmore]

Not that I'm an expert- (but i play one on tv) in reality I just watch alot of hunting tv and from what I've seen alot of the missed shots the deer flinches to the noise and ducks under the shot- thats the excuse I would use anyhow.

[Gateholio]

Your bowhunting neighbor wants to know if the buck you missed is that monster that has been nibbling away at everyones gardens....If so, you missed a HUGE opportunity at a tame deer........Hmmmmmmmm?

;)

[Gilmore]

I predict that you will fall off your treestand and die a horrible death. At that point, I will experience great catharsis, as the only witness to my biggest blunder will no longer be able to torment me.:cool:


Also, when you are dead, I will hit on your hot wife. Repeatedly.


If for nothing else than the sake of my wifes sanity, it's comments like these that make me more determined than ever to live just 1/2 an hour longer than you!

You tell Isdahl to just keep hanging out on the highway, and to stay out of the strawberry patch, among other things.:wink:

[mamm7215]

I shot my 1st nice 4 point whitetail from a treestand 4yrs ago. I was 15 feet up, the buck was 12yds from my tree. Put my 20 pin below his heart and spined him. Took another to finish him off. I've missed a couple of does high from my stand, too. Killed a couple more but it is HARD to mentally get used to putting your pin way low or even off the animal to compensate for height. Practice, practice...and good luck!

[Bow Walker]

If they are 15 yards or less from the stand try putting your 40 yd pin right on target - like those real close shots in 3D......

The steel pumpkin at the NFG Pumpkin Shoot claimed one of my arrows for just that reason.

[mooseless]

I did not think that baiting with manderine oranges like Gilmore does would work!
However shooting from say 26ft up at 20yrds equals 21.7 yrds slope distance, what does that mean? I don't exactly know but maybe aim 2" lower??

[Blk Arrow]

Did you draw directly on the deer or draw level and then pivot down from the waist?

If you draw at a target below you it tends to "bottom load" your bow hand on the grip causing your arrow to hit high. Similarly drawing on a target above you tends to "top load" your bow hand on the grip and cause your arrow to hit low. You will also use the muscle groups involved in drawing and hold in a different manner than if you draw level.

Drawing your bow constitently is a key to accurary. If you draw level and then pivot at the waist to your target you better simulate shooting from a level position. The down side of this is it creates more movement and a better chance of being busted.

You are on the right track. When I arrowed my first deer he took a while to find. In hindsight, I was shaking so bad I might have cut off some fingers if I had found him earlier.

[Walksalot]

With all due respect guys, shouldn't this stuff be figured out before hunting season?

[boxhitch]

zzzzzzzziiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnggggggggg !

[Gateholio]

With all due respect guys, shouldn't this stuff be figured out before hunting season?

Not everything can be figured out before hunting season. In regards to Gilmore, he is a farmer and a new bow hunter.

He is busy sunrise to sundown in the summer and harvest season, practiced as much as he could in his back yard with a bow, while juggling family and work, and became very proficient in it, but that is on level ground.

It's a simple question from a new bow hunter. Not everyone is an expert. This forum is an avenue to help each other, and ask questions. :smile:

[mark4]

I used to shoot my bow in my backyard from my treestand set at twenty feet. It was awesome practice that I was really learning from. You do have to hold a little bit lower- and hold lower the steeper the angle gets. Then the neighbors phoned me in to the cops saying there was a man shooting a hunting bow from the trees with women and children around. Like one of these people BEHIND me, the fences and the trees might get an arrow through them. It was a pack of lies- there were no women and children around. The cops said I was not allowed to shoot my bow in my backyard any more.:( I reluctantly agreed although I was grumbling under my breath at the neighbors that phoned it in. Now I get to drive out of city limits to shoot the bow. GRRRR

[Ambush]

Just buy the Archers Choice range finder from Nikon and your problems are solved. Can't beat it for tree stands and steep hills. $250.

[huntwriter]

I bought my first bow about 2 1/2 months ago and got my first chance at a buck last night. He was 22 yds away broadside, I put my 20 yd pin dead on him and released an arrow that cleared his back by about 2". My question is will my arrow fly flatter therefore hitting higher, like a bullet when shooting downhill or did I just flat out miss. My stand is 15' where my feet are so when I stand up my arrow is around 20'. I have been shooting around 150 arrows a week in my backyard and I out to 30 yds I am very confident and this deer was well inside that range.

I'm dissapointed I missed but I tell ya my heart had the stress test of it's life. I wasn't shaky but I could here my blood going through my ears and just about see my heart pounding out my coat after it was over. I could hardly sleep last night, just replayed it over and over. Felt like I was 13 again after taking my first buck with my Dad. I can hardly wait to get back up there.

Thanks
Chad
With the deer 22 yards from the stand and you 15 feet of off the ground it should not have made that much difference. Provided you used the right sighting pin (20 or 25 yard yard pin). I think you suffered a case of buck fever.

Having said that I always aim low when bowhunting. Just about tow inches above the brisket behind the shoulder. There are several reasons for this.

The deer hears the arrow release a ducks (jumps the string). Deer can do that faster than we can blink an eye.
Sometimes it happens that I misjudge the distance a bit and the deer is farther away than I think.
In a hunting situation it is impossible to maintain a proper archers stance. You’re standing on a small platform with feet close together, upper body bent down or twisted to the side or backward. At times you have to bend in the knees to lower you body to be able to shoot through a gap in the brush or avoid hitting a branch or sapling. For all this reasons it is common that hunters "miss" high.

Your dilemma is one I hear often from hunters on my seminars and clinics. My advice is always the same.

Ones you have sighted your bow and become proficient get off the archery range. Do all your shooting under conditions that you’re likely to encounter in a hunting situation. Learn to shoot your bow kneeling and sitting. Shoot from various heights. Learn to shoot with your upper body bent around a tree, bent over, twisted backward and to the sides. Learn to shoot through small holes at various distances in the vegetation. Learn to shoot fast. Learn to shoot in different weather condition from hot to freezing and in heavy rain. Learn to shoot wearing thick padded winter clothing, mittens and face covered by a facemask.

We can talk and write all we want about the perfect situation where the deer stands perfectly still and broadside but in reality these shots present themselves in less than 3 times out of hundred. If we do not practice all the variables possible we are limited to taking shoots in only the three perfect situations. In addition deer rarely come from where we expect them to come from. Deer, even if they stay perfect, are liable to move at any time. A good bowhunter is ready for every situation he is put in and is able to make snap decisions and still make a perfect shot.

There is a vast difference between an archer and a bowhunter. An archer has all the time in the world to aim and control his stance to get an arrow in the target. A bowhunter often has no time or the animal comes from a different direction than anticipated. And most importantly the stress factor, that too has to be practiced. To practice stress run a couple of times around the block and then climb up to your stand grab the bow and shoot it, still shaking from the effect of adrenalin.

I have often heard that 3-D archery shoots are ideal for shooting under hunting conditions. They are not. A few years ago I took a 3-D archery champion on his first deer hunt and he couldn’t hit a barn door at 25 yards from the treestand. His words; “I never thought that real hunting could be that vastly different from 3-D target shooting. I guess from now on I will have to do a lot of practice under hunting conditions if I want to kill a deer.” He did and since then he has added a few antlers to the colection of gold medals on his wall.:grin:

I wish you better luck next time. Keep at it.

[Onesock]

I have to disagree with the shooting low senario. Ideally you would want to hit the deer high on the side going in and come out low on the off side. How do you do this by shooting low? Hit the bottom of the lung on the close side and where does the arrow come out on the off side? I like to hit just above centerline going in and come out low on the off side. Double lung pass through!!!!!!!! Therefore hit aim a little high, nor lower.

[Avalanche123]

I have to disagree with the shooting low senario. Ideally you would want to hit the deer high on the side going in and come out low on the off side. How do you do this by shooting low? Hit the bottom of the lung on the close side and where does the arrow come out on the off side? I like to hit just above centerline going in and come out low on the off side. Double lung pass through!!!!!!!! Therefore hit aim a little high, nor lower.

I agree with with Onesock on this.

I occasionaly shoot in my backyard too but I am uncomfortable with it and it affects my concentration so to some degree it is pointless. I have neighbours on both sides and the chances of an errant arrow aren't worth IMHO. I only need to drive 10 minutes away so it isn't that bad. When my neighbours are both gone, I am more comfortable with it.

[huntwriter]

I have to disagree with the shooting low senario. Ideally you would want to hit the deer high on the side going in and come out low on the off side. How do you do this by shooting low? Hit the bottom of the lung on the close side and where does the arrow come out on the off side? I like to hit just above centerline going in and come out low on the off side. Double lung pass through!!!!!!!! Therefore hit aim a little high, nor lower.

From a treestand hanging 15 to 20 feet or higher of off the ground you want to aim low if the deer ducks you get a perfect lung shot if it doesn’t you get the arrow right thought the heart. From that height the arrow impact will always be an inch or two higher than the aim point. Most bowhunters miss high from treestands have a guess why.:wink:

If you shoot from the ground you can aim smack center lung is you wish. Personally I aim for the heart, if I miss it I still get a perfect lung shot


I have always aimed low from a treestand. I bowhunt for over 15 years, never lost a deer and got over 98% pass through shots with blood trails a blind man could follow. I don't count how many deer I kill but it surley must be over 200 with a bow alone

[Onesock]

HT- I have killed a few and always want a low exit shot. To each his own I guess.